Cari E. Autry, PhD, CTRS is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Recreational Therapy (RT) Program in the Department of Leadership and Professional Studies, College of Arts, Sciences and Education. She is currently the Program Director for the RT Program. She teaches classroom and/or online sections of Inclusive Recreation Services, Introduction to RT, Program Planning in RT, Trends, Issues and Managerial Aspects of RT, and Directed Study in RT at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Dr. Autry received her Ph.D. in Health and Human Performance with a concentration in Therapeutic Recreation and a minor in Special Education from the University of Florida. She has been an Assistant Professor at the University of Florida and at Arizona State University prior to moving to Miami. Her primary research interests include therapeutic recreation, social capital and community development in relation to the needs of at-risk youth and families. Her research has been presented at state, national, and international conferences related to therapeutic recreation education, youth development, homelessness, community development, and social capital. Dr. Autry has published in journals such as the Therapeutic Recreation Journal, World Leisure Journal, Leisure Sciences, Sociology of Sport Journal, and Leisure/Loisir. She is currently an Associate Editor for the Therapeutic Recreation Journal.
Tania Santiago-Perez, MS, CTRS is an Instructor in the Recreational Therapy (RT) Program in the Department of Leadership and Professional Studies, College of Arts, Sciences and Education. She earned her B.S in Exercise Physiology and her M.S in Recreation and Sport Management: Recreational Therapy from FIU. She started her professional career at a nonprofit organization working as a Recreation and Sports Coordinator. After getting her M.S. in RT, she started working at an Assisted Living Facility. Then, she went to Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces where she worked as a Recreational Therapist with a variety of populations including children and adults with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities, children with physical disabilities and/or visual impairments; and veterans. She is a member of ATRA and has presented at the national level at the ATRA annual conference in 2012 and 2014 and at the state level at the FRPA annual conference. Her major areas of interest within RT include Developmental Disabilities, Special Olympics, Aquatics, and Paralympics.
Tonia Zyburt, MS, CTRS is the Internship Coordinator for the Recreational Therapy (RT) Program in the Department of Leadership and Professional Studies, College of Arts, Sciences and Education. Prior to moving to Miami, Tonia co-founded a non-profit organization called Warrior Institute in Gainesville, FL. and served as the director since 2011. Warrior Institute provides innovative outdoor based recreation therapy and biofeedback training programs for veterans and their family members. While at WI, Tonia planned and facilitated a variety of programs (including kayak, canoe and hiking outings, multi-day camping trips, a mandala retreat among other programs). During her time in Gainesville, Tonia also worked part-time as a CTRS at Shands Rehab Hospital. Tonia received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan in Brain, Behavior & Cognitive Science and her master’s degree at East Carolina University in Recreational Therapy Administration. Tonia is also a yoga instructor, most notably having taught at the Gainesville VA as a part of the employee health program. Tonia has also assisted with various adaptive sports clinics across the country, worked as a back-country trip leader and instructed several outdoor recreation college courses. In addition to being the FIU Internship coordinator, she is also instructor for several internship sections and RT lab.
