I am an interdisciplinary scholar looking for challenging projects incorporating community psychology perspective to explore issues broadly related to sustainable tourism, nature protection and rural community development. 

I have received my PhD from the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (IL, USA) under supervision of dr. Bruce Wicks. After graduation I took position as an Assistant Professor in Sustainable Tourism at the University of North Texas (Tx, USA). I left Texas in 2016 for the permanent position at Linnaeus University in Kalmar (Sweden). 

My interests in sustainable tourism evolved over the years from simply tourism policy and development, toward the political facet of sustainable tourism such as rural community participation and rural community empowerment through tourism in the context of social-political transition. Most recently I am engaging in projects dealing with protected area tourism and justice in environmental governance. I am especially interested how sustainable tourism shapes community – nature relationship.

Peer reviewed articles

Bynum B. Boley, Watson, A & Strzelecka, M. (in press) Place Distinctiveness and Psychological Empowerment. Annals of Tourism Research. 

Strzelecka M., & Okulicz-Kozaryn A. (in press) Is tourism conducive to residents’ social trust? – evidence form large-scale social surveys. Tourism Review. 

Boley B. Bynum, Strzelecka M., Woosnam K. M, (in press) Developing and Validating the Economic Benefit from Tourism Scale (EBTS). Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research.

Strzelecka,M., Rechcinski, M. Grudzinska-Jurczak, M. (2017). Using PP GIS interviews to understand residents’ perspective of European Ecological Network Natura 2000. Tourism Geographies,19 (25), 848-877.

Strzelecka, M., Nisbett, G. S., Woosnam K.M. (2017) The Nature of Conservation Volunteer Travel, Tourism Management, 63,417-425

Strzelecka M., Boley B. Bynum, Woosnam K.M. (2017). Place Attachment and Empowerment:  Do residents need to be attached to be empowered? Annals of Tourism Research. 66, 61-73

Strzelecka M., Boley B. Bynum, Strzelecka C. (2017). Empowerment and resident support for tourism in rural Central and Eastern Europe (CEE): The case of Pomerania, Poland. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 25 (4), 554-572.

Nisbett, G. S., Strzelecka, M., (2017). Appealing to Goodwill or YOLO- promoting conservation volunteering to Millennials, VOLUNTAS: Journal of the International Society for Third-Sector Research.1-19.

Boley B. Bynum, Strzelecka M. (2016). Towards a Universal Measure of ‘Support for Tourism’. Annals of Tourism Research, 61, 238-241

Woosnam, K.M., Aleshinloye, K.D., Strzelecka, M., & Erul, E. (2016). The role of place attachment in developing emotional solidarity with residents. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research,1-9.

Okulicz-Kozaryn A, Strzelecka M. (2016). Happy Tourists, Unhappy Locals. Social Indicators Research: doi:10.1007/s11205-016-1436-9

Strzelecka, M. (2015). The prospects for empowerment through local governance for tourism—the LEADER approach. The Journal of Rural and Community Development, 10(3), 78-97. 

Strzelecka, M., Wicks, B (2015). Community Participation and Empowerment in Rural Post-Communists Societies: Lessons from the Leader Approach in Pomerania, Poland. Tourism Planning and Development, 12(4), 381-397 

Strzelecka, M, Gutowska, J. Grodzińska-Jurczak M. (2013). The superfluous obstacle or the prerequisite for sustainable development: exposing participation in Leader and Natura 2000 in Poland. Ekonomia i Środowisko (Economy and Environment), 1(48), 46-64

Strzelecka, M, Grodzińska-Jurczak, M. & Pietrzyk-Kaszynska, A. (2013). Empowerment: human dimensions of nature conservation. Chronmy Przyrode Ojczysta 68(5)

Strzelecka, M., Sorensen, J. & Wicks, B. (2011). The role of place attachment in revitalization of neighborhood parks in East St. Louis. Society & Leisure 33, 251-271

Strzelecka, M. & Wicks, B. (2010). Engaging residents in planning for sustainable rural-nature tourism in post-Communist Poland. Community Development (JCDS) 41 (3), 370 

Book Chapters

Grodzińska-Jurczak, M., Strzelecka, M., Kamal, S. & Gutowska, J. (2012). Effectiveness of Nature Conservation - A Case of Natura 2000 Sites in Poland. In Barbara Sladonja (Ed.)Protected Area Management, InTech, Available from: http://www.intechopen.com/books/protected-area-management/effectiveness-of-nature-conservation-a-case-of-natura-2000-sites-in-poland