Marieke Van Puymbroeck Is the New Leader of the American Therapeutic Recreation Association

Marieke Van Puymbroeck, a professor of recreational therapy at Clemson University in South Carolina, is the new president of the American Therapeutic Recreation Association. She will serve as president for a one-year term.

The American Therapeutic Recreation Association was founded in 1984 as a non-profit, grassroots organization in response to growing concern about the dramatic changes in the healthcare industry. The organization, now based in Reston, Virginia, has grown from an original membership of 60 individuals in 1984 to about 2,200.

Dr. Van Puymbroeck joined the faculty at Clemson University in 2012. Previously, she served on the faculty at Indiana University and the University of Illinois.

Dr. Van Puymbroeck is a graduate of Longwood College in Farmville, Virginia. She holds a master’s degree in therapeutic recreation and a Ph.D. in rehabilitation science at the University of Florida.