overview

• Dr. Loy is the Jerry E. McGee Distinquished Professor of Recreational Therapy and has worked at East Carolina University since 2001 where he has served as Recreational Therapy Program Director, Departmental Graduate Director, and Associate Dean in the College of Health and Human Performance. He is also serving his second term as a board member of the Committee on Accreditation for Recreational Therapy Education (CARTE). Most recently, Dr. Loy is leading the College's Design4Disability Initiative that aims to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities through professional preparation, research, inclusion and advocacy, and product design. He received his PhD in Recreation and Leisure Studies (Concentration: Therapeutic Recreation) and MS in Education from the University of Georgia. He received his undergraduate degree from Georgia Southern University in Recreation and Park Administration with an emphasis in therapeutic recreation. Dr. Loy has worked in a variety of settings before his academic career including Warm Springs Rehabilitation Hospital in San Antonio, TX; the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, GA; Director of the Montgomery Therapeutic Recreation Center in Montgomery, AL., and also worked in camping for children with disabilities and critical illnesses for over 15 years. Dr. Loy is a Certified Adapted Recreation and Sport Specialist (CARSS), a certified and licensed recreational therapist, a fellow in the National Academy of Recreational Therapists (NART) and spent most of his career helping individuals with disabilities participate and perform in adaptive sports and recreation including adaptive waterski, kayaking, quad rugby, wheelchair basketball, and adaptive SCUBA. Dr. Loy has over 50 publications and made over 100 presentations on topics including the therapeutic effects of adapted sports and recreation; wheelchair propulsion biomechanics; assessment, measurement, and psychometrics; sensory integration in neurodivergent populations; and issues related to recreational therapy education. As a practitioner, he has also served as the Director of the Montgomery Therapeutic Recreation Center (Alabama), Disabled Sports Team Coordinator-Shepherd Center, and coach of the Montgomery Mavericks (wheelchair basketball) and Atlanta Rolling Thunder (wheelchair rugby) teams. Dr. Loy's research grants and publications have focused on a) biomechanics and performance in adaptive sports and b) sensory integration with neurodivergent populations to promote inclusion, health, and quality of life issues for individuals with disabilities. Dr. Loy has recently emphasized providing students experiences in adaptive sport with international courses and programs affiliated with the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games (Paris, France), 2024 Special Olympics Cultural Exchange Program (Peru), and the 2023 Special Olympic World Games (Berlin, Germany). Dr. Loy is also an innovator of adaptive sports and recreation devices to increase sport performance and access.