The College of Applied Human Science has reinforced its commitment to students and research with the addition of two administrators. Zach Thayer joins the college as the director of the Office of Student Success, and Matt Witt will serve as grants administrator.
Thayer will lead the unit responsible for the recruitment, retention and advising efforts for CAHS. He comes to CAHS from the John Chambers College of Business and Economics where he served as the director of graduate programs: systems, operations, and data analytics since August of 2020. Prior to that he spent three years as a program coordinator for first-year pathway for WVU’s Center for Learning, Advising and Student Success. He earned his master’s degree from WVU in political science and is currently pursuing a doctorate in higher education.
“Student success is my area of passion,” Thayer said. “I have seen the impact of a college degree on my family tree, and I want everyone who pursues higher education to have the support necessary to succeed.
“This is an incredible opportunity with this being the newest college at WVU,” he continued. “Collectively as a unit, we have a chance to be purposeful in everything that we do to effectively meet the evolving needs of our students.”
Witt comes to CAHS from WVU Health Sciences where he served as a grant administrator for research and graduate education since 2021. He worked with project managers and students from multiple departments with pre-and post-award assistance.
He graduated from WVU with master’s degrees in public administration and social work in 2021. He served as a graduate assistant for the Spark! Imagination and Science Center before moving on to his post at WVU Health Sciences.
Witt will assist faculty with grant opportunities and proposals and the management of awards within CAHS.
“I am excited to work at CAHS and get to know new faculty members, learn their passions about research, and contribute to the research process that will reflect well on the university as well as the state,” Witt said. “Research drives the ‘Mountaineers go first’ mentality at WVU, and I hope to provide a service that encourages curiosity and removes some of the anxiety from faculty when it comes to the grants process.”