Mowen received the TALS Distinguished Colleague Award for outstanding performance in teaching, research and service in leisure studies at the 2025 The Academy of Leisure Sciences (TALS) Conference.

Research led by doctoral candidate Colby Parkinson suggests that location-based service data could help address human behavior that may have implications for sustainability. Specifically, cities and recreation areas can improve their understanding of demand and potential overuse by examining the number of days people spend in pre-defined areas, the relative number of people who use amenities and the spillover from amenities to other areas.

Recreation, park, and tourism undergraduate student Emily Raneri submitted her program “Turtle Talk” to Marriott Vacation Club’s highly competitive innovation contest, which allows interns to pitch ideas for improving current processes or creating brand-new processes or activities. Out of 271 entrants, Raneri’s was selected as the winning entry. "Turtle Talk" is now a staple for Marriott Vacation Club ocean-front locations in south Florida.