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The College of Applied Human Sciences recognized outstanding students from across its two academic schools during its annual Student Awards Ceremony on Friday, April 24, at the Mountainlair on the WVU campus.

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West Virginia University's varsity esports program wrapped up its best NACE Grand Finals performance to date last weekend, with all three teams finishing in the top three nationally at the Spring 2026 championships held at Full Sail University in Orlando, FL.

The Valorant team, seeded fourth entering the postseason, reached the national championship match for the first time in program history, falling to Maryville in the final to finish runner-up. The Rocket League team, the top seed nationally, earned third place after falling to Ball State in the semifinals. The Call of Duty team turned in perhaps the most improbable run of the weekend, entering the postseason as the No. 11 seed and battling through the lower bracket before falling to Cumberland, 3-0, in the lower bracket final to finish third.

As part of West Virginia University’s May 2026 Commencement celebration, Joseph Magazzolo, a sport management major from the College of Applied Human Sciences, shares a thank you note to someone who had a significant impact on him: his best friend.

As part of West Virginia University’s May 2026 Commencement celebration, Alaina Fry a mental health and addiction studies major from the College of Applied Human Sciences, shares a personal letter to her high school self—reflecting on the growth, challenges, and moments that shaped her WVU experience.

Kylie Dempsey arrived at WVU with a clear career goal in physical therapy and a passion she wasn't willing to give up on: dance. She spent most of her college career pursuing both at once, carrying more than 18 credits a semester while logging over 10 hours a week in the studio. A late switch to CAHS in her senior year brought everything into focus, connecting her to the Health and Well-Being program and a Performing Arts Medicine minor that tied her two interests together. She leaves this spring with degrees in both Dance and Health and Well-Being, on track for a doctorate in physical therapy.

Jordyn Lovett came to WVU knowing exactly what she wanted: a sport psychology program and a club gymnastics team. She found both, and then put the pedal to the metal. Lovett completed her degree in Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology in three years, adding a sport coaching minor along the way, and building applied experience through peer advising and hands-on work with WVU Athletics youth camps. Later this fall, she heads to the University of Illinois-Chicago to pursue a master's degree in kinesiology and her certification as a Certified Mental Performance Consultant.

Noah Miller, a Physical Education and Kinesiology (PEK) major at West Virginia University, has been named a 2025 SHAPE America Major of the Year — one of the highest national honors for undergraduate students in the field.

Presented by the Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE America), the Major of the Year award recognizes top-performing students in health, physical education, recreation, and dance who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership, and a commitment to service. Students are nominated by a faculty advisor or professor, with only one nomination permitted per major.

As part of West Virginia University’s May 2026 Commencement celebration, Rachel Rapose, an elementary education major from the College of Applied Human Sciences, shares a personal letter to her high school self—reflecting on the growth, challenges, and moments that shaped her WVU experience.

Madison Zink was a Navy veteran before she was a Mountaineer. After her service, she took stock of what she wanted to do next and landed on elementary education, drawn to WVU in part by her sister's experience there. The program delivered what she was looking for: real time in classrooms, practical preparation, and professors who stayed engaged. Off campus, Zink found her footing through the WVU Veterans Club, where she served as vice president and built the confidence she'd need heading into a teaching career.

With teacher shortages mounting and a wave of principal retirements on the horizon, the WVU College of Applied Human Sciences is meeting the demand for school leaders through its online M.A. in Leadership Studies in Education program. Built around a place-based leadership model, the program prepares working educators to strengthen schools by drawing on community assets, including local partnerships and deeply rooted relationships. Erin McHenry-Sorber, a nationally recognized rural education scholar, shapes the program's approach with a particular focus on rural West Virginia schools. A new summer 2026 start term is now available.

Sam Zizzi, the Dr. Pat Fehl Endowed Professor in the WVU College of Applied Human Sciences, was one of five finalists for the 2025 West Virginia Professor of the Year award, presented by the Faculty Merit Foundation of West Virginia.

The award was presented on April 9 at a banquet in the Great Hall of the West Virginia State Capitol Culture Center in Charleston. Peggy Fink, Associate Professor of Nursing at WVU Tech, was named the 2025 Professor of the Year. The other finalists recognized at the banquet were Rico Gazal, Glenville State University; Rebecca Giorcelli, Fairmont State University; and Barbara Ladner, West Virginia State University.

Nic Menarchek came to WVU with his sights set on NASA. One Sport Management class later, he had a new direction. Now a graduating senior, he works as a student manager and data analyst for WVU Baseball, gets hands-on time with some of the most advanced sport science technology in the country, and is interviewing with Major League teams.

The Center for Active WV is hosting two Mountaineer Mile Walk events this spring, and students and Morgantown community members are invited to lace up and join in.

Miss Morgantown Lizzie Romanak will lead participants through a 1-mile walk at the Evansdale Turf Fields adjacent to the WVU Rec Center on April 18 at 10 a.m. and again on May 8 at 4 p.m. The events are free and open to all with no registration required. Promotional items and giveaways will be available while supplies last.

JoAnn Outten-Kenton earned her master's degree in athletic training from WVU and spent years working the sidelines as a sports medicine professional. In 2008, a helmet to the shin during a Friday night football game set off 14 years of failed surgeries, chronic pain and a life on crutches. An above-the-knee amputation and a pioneering osseointegration procedure finally gave her back what the injury took. In April 2025, at 54, she won the Boston Marathon Handcycle Division.