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College of Education and Human Development - George Mason University

Dr. Margaret (Maggie) J. Daniels
(she/her/hers)
PhD, Clemson University
Professor
Tourism and Events Management

Contact Information

Send email to Dr. Daniels

Phone: (703) 993-4279
Fax: (703) 993-2025
Email: mdaniels (@gmu.edu)

George Mason University
Fairfax Campus
Krug Hall 213E
4400 University Dr.
MS 4D2
Fairfax, VA 22030

Profile

Maggie Daniels, PhD, is a Full Professor in the School of Sport, Recreation and Tourism Management. She has been at Mason since 2002, conducting research in the areas of applied economics, tourism planning, tourism transportation, park planning, park visitation and event management as pertaining to urban cores and regional economic development. Maggie has acted as the lead investigator on a wide array of collaborative research studies funded by the National Park Service that enhance planning initiatives within the National Mall and Memorial Parks. At the height of COVID-19, Maggie led a group of researchers implementing onsite data collection in diverse settings within the Montgomery Parks system for a visitation study funded by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

Dr. Daniels is a prolific researcher and has a combination of over 100 published papers, book chapters, professional presentations and technical reports to her credit. A recipient of Mason’s Teaching Excellence Award, Maggie empowers her students to develop management skills specific to analytical planning, financial ecosystems, valuation, investment analysis and capital allocation. Her financial advice and planning expertise have been featured in outlets such as ABC Nightline News, MSNBC News, NPR Marketplace, The Washington Post, United Press International and US News and World Report.

Maggie has spearheaded research in the niche event area of wedding consulting and has an award-winning book entitled Wedding Planning and Management: Consultancy for Diverse Clients <https://www.amazon.com/dp/0367227843> written with Carrie Wosicki and published by Routledge, with exclusive photography by award-winning photojournalist Rodney Bailey. Maggie is also the lead author on the STEM-based fiction book STRXIA: The Odds are against us <https://www.amazon.com/Strxia-Odds-Are-Against-Us/dp/1543950558>, written with aerospace engineer Matt Michel.  STRXIA is designed to introduce elementary school children to the basic principles of physics in an entertaining way, with a focus on Newton's three laws of motion.

Research Interests
  • Tourism planning
  • Park planning and visitor studies
  • Regional economic development
  • Event planning, implementation and evaluation
  • Tourism transportation
  • Wedding planning
Recent Publications

Books

Daniels, M. & Loveless, C. (2021). Wedding planning and management: Consultancy for diverse clients, third edition.  New York: Routledge. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0367227843

Daniels, M, & Michel, M. (2018).  STRXIA: The Odds are against us.  https://www.amazon.com/Strxia-Odds-Are-Against-Us/dp/1543950558

Journal Articles and Technical Reports

Park, M., & Daniels, M. J. (2022). The impact of tour bus cruising and idling on greenhouse gas emissions. Current Issues in Tourism. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2022.2105196

Daniels, M., Brayley, R., Moore, D., & Sanders, E. (2021, January). Montgomery Parks Visitation Study. Fairfax, VA: George Mason University School of Sport, Recreation and Tourism Management. 178 pp.

Read, J. B., Daniels, M. J., & Harmon, L. K. (2021). Implementing technology-based visitor counts in parks: A methodological overview. The Journal of Park and Recreation Administration.

Daniels, M. J., Harmon, L.K., Brayley, R., Vese, R., & Park, M. (2019).  Honor Flight: Recognition of preeminent-mature tourists.  Annals of Tourism Research, 74, 95-107.

Daniels, M. J., Harmon, L. K., Park, M., Brayley, R., & Vese Jr., R. (2018). Spatial optimization of tour bus transport within urban destinations. Tourism Management, 64, 129-141.
 
Daniels, M. J., Harmon, L. K., Barrow, M., Park, M., Brayley, R.E., & Vese, R. (2015). Heritage tourism within a capital city: Symbolism and dissonance. Tourism Review International, 19, 1-18.
 
Wedding Planning and Management: Consultancy for Diverse Clients