Two West Virginia University students earned top student abstract awards at the 40th Annual Association for Applied Sport Psychology Conference, held in Montreal, Canada.
So Hui Lee and Lindsey Leatherman, doctoral students in the Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology program, were selected among the top ten highest-rated student abstracts at the event. The recognition is part of AASP’s Student Travel Awards program, which provides support for student members who are selected to present their research at the conference.
In total, 17 WVU faculty and students were listed as presenters, with 11 current WVU SEPP doctoral students and three faculty members attending the conference. WVU representatives delivered nine lecture presentations led by current Ph.D. students and shared additional research through poster sessions. More than 30 alumni of WVU’s Sport and Exercise Psychology programs also presented their work at the annual conference.
WVU faculty and doctoral students also engaged with prospective applicants during the conference’s graduate fair, meeting with approximately 40–50 interested students. The program, which maintains one of the strongest reputations nationally, has already received more than 100 inquiries for Fall 2026 admission.
WVU Lecture Presentations & Authors at 2025 AASP Conference
(bold denotes current WVU students or faculty)
• Female Collegiate Rowers’ Perceptions of Sport Uniforms: A Descriptive Study on Embodiment, Eating Pathology, and Sport Performance
– Kayla Hussey, Dr. Dana Voelker, Hannah Silva-Breen, and Luna Urgrenovic
• Developmental Theory of Embodiment: A Mixed Methods Study of Intersections with Sport Performance, Enjoyment, and Commitment Among Collegiate Women Athletes
– Hannah Silva-Breen and Dr. Dana Voelker
• Hidden Struggles: The Impact of Injury Recovery on Athletes’ Body-, Eating-,
and Exercise-Related Attitudes and Behavior
–
Sarah Sadler,
Dr. Dana Voelker, and
Dr. Jake Follmer
• Accuracy and Confidence in Identifying Mental Health Concerns and Referral Actions: The Impact of Clinical Training on Mental Performance Consultants
–
Lindsey Leatherman,
Luca Ziegler, and
Dr. Samuel Zizzi
• Eating Disorders in Ballet Dancers: A Scoping Review
– So Hui Lee, Min Jung Kim, Seong Kwan Cho, and Yong-Jin Yoon
• “I feel like I am never going to be good enough”: A Novice MPCs Experience of Peer Mentorship
– Cami Barnes, Luca Ziegler, and Dr. Zenzi Huysmans
• Unpacking the Impact of an ACT-Informed Intervention on Team Cohesion and Dynamics in Collegiate Esports
– Lindsey Leatherman, Luca Ziegler, Hannah Miller, and Dr. Zenzi Huysmans
• ACTive to the Peak: Psychological Flexibility and the Relationship with Flow and Clutch States
– Luca Ziegler, Dr. Ashley Coker-Cranney, Lindsey Leatherman, and Euan Cairns
• An ACTionable Approach to Flow and Clutch States
– Luca Ziegler and Lindsey Leatherman
• If You’re Not the Witness, It’s Not Mindfulness: The Difference Between Breathwork and Mindfulness Across Performance Settings
– Pete Kadushin and Dr. Samuel Zizzi
• Assessing the Feasibility of the Virtual Reality Training Protocol for Sport
– Jarad Lewellen, Cami Barnes, Aidan Forget, and Dr. Peter Giacobbi
• National Collegiate Athletic Association Athletic Department Strategies to Improve Positive Mental Health Culture
– Kim Tolentino and Dr. Samuel Zizzi
• Burt Giges Session: Motivational Interviewing
– Erika Van Dyke,
Dr. Samuel Zizzi, Artur Poczwardowski, and Katy Johnson
• Cultural Praxis in Action: Leveraging Authentic Self in Doing Sport Psychology
– Monna Arvinen-Barrow, Dr. Damien Clement, Peter Olusoga, and Amanda Visek
• Inside the Coach’s Mind: Navigating Their Storms, Triumphs, and Transformations in Sport
– Peter Olusoga, Goran Kentta, and Dr. Kristen Dieffenbach