Jack Watson, dean and professor, College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, has been named Fellow for the academic year 2022-23 by the American Council on Education.
The program combines retreats, interactive learning opportunities, visits to campuses and other higher education-related organizations and placement at another higher education institution to condense years of on-the-job experience and skills development into a single year. Following nomination by the senior administration of their institutions and a rigorous application process, 46 Fellows were selected this year.
“Jack is a leader who brings energy, a spirit of innovation and a sense of purpose to his work with students, faculty and staff each day here on our campus. I am so pleased that he has been recognized by this prestigious higher education council to address issues important to all of us,” said President Gordon Gee, who served on the ACE Board of Directors from 2015-18, and was presented with the ACE Council of Fellow/Fidelity Investments Mentor Award in 2013, which is bestowed annually to acknowledge the enormous role of mentors in the success of ACE Fellows Program participants.
“I am extremely grateful to President Gee, Provost Reed and other leaders on campus for nominating me for this fellowship and for their continued support and encouragement throughout the application process. I am excited to have the opportunity to spend time on another campus, engage with and learn from other transformational leaders from around the country,” Watson said. “At the conclusion of this fellowship, I am looking forward to returning to WVU with the goal of helping to develop programming that will improve the success of our students.”
During the placement, Fellows observe and work with the president and other senior officers at their host institution, attend decision-making meetings, and focus on issues of interest. Fellows also lead projects of pressing concern for their home institution and seek to implement their findings upon completion of the fellowship placement. At the conclusion of the fellowship year, Fellows return to their home institution with new knowledge and skills that contribute to capacity-building efforts, along with a network of peers across the country and abroad.
Currently, Watson is helping to guide the formation of the College of Applied Human Sciences, which will launch on July 1, 2022.
Prior to his tenure as dean, Watson served multiple stints as interim and acting associate dean and chair of the Department of Sport Sciences. He was a recipient of the WVU Foundation Award for Outstanding Teaching in 2011. Watson received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Virginia, where he was also a member of the university golf team. He received his master’s degree in sport behavior from WVU. He earned his Ph.D. in educational psychology with an emphasis in sport psychology and post-doctoral respecialization in counseling psychology from Florida State University.
Watson is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant with the Association for Applied Sport Psychology and has been a licensed psychologist in West Virginia. Among his numerous leadership positions, Watson served as president of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. His research revolves around professional issues in sport psychology, including ethics, supervision and mentoring. He has co-edited a book focused on ethical issues in applied sport and performance psychology, published more than 70 peer-reviewed articles, 40 book chapters and has given more than 150 presentations and keynote addresses.
“The ACE Fellows program embodies ACE’s goal of enriching the capacity of agile leaders to problem-solve and innovate, and it fuels the expansion of a talented and diverse higher education leadership pipeline,” ACE President Ted Mitchell said. “Fellows continue to excel in prominent leadership roles, and the potential of this new cohort to bring strong leadership to institutions across America greatly excites me.”
Established in 1965, the ACE Fellows program is designed to strengthen institutions and leadership in U.S. higher education by identifying and preparing faculty and staff for senior positions in college and university administration through its distinctive and intensive nominator-driven, cohort-based mentorship model. About 2,500 higher education leaders have participated in the ACE Fellows Program over the past five decades, with more than 80 percent of Fellows having gone on to serve as senior leaders of colleges and universities.
ACE is a membership organization that mobilizes the higher education community to shape effective public policy and foster innovative, high-quality practice. As the major coordinating body for all the nation’s higher education institutions, ACE represents more than 1,700 college and university presidents and related associations.