West Virginia University's College of Applied Human Sciences will induct Ed Etzel and Patrice Harris into its Hall of Fame during a ceremony Thursday, Oct. 8, at 5:30 p.m., at the Mountainlair.
The event will also recognize the college's inaugural Class of 2025, which included all previous inductees of the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences (CPASS) and College of Education and Human Services (CEHS) Halls of Fame.
Dr. Ed Etzel
Ed Etzel is an Emeritus Professor of Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology at WVU, an Olympic gold medalist and former longtime coach of the Mountaineer rifle team. He earned a bachelor's degree from Tennessee Technological University, a master's in physical education and sport psychology from WVU, and an Ed.D. in counseling psychology from WVU, with additional graduate work at Duke University.
An 11-time national rifle champion and All-American, Etzel won gold in rifle shooting at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, tying the Olympic record with a 599 out of 600 score. Before his coaching career, he served as an active-duty officer in the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps during the Vietnam War era and later retired from the Reserves as a Captain.
Etzel led the WVU rifle team to its first NCAA title in 1983 and finished his coaching tenure with four national championships and a 101-5 record. Over more than 30 years at WVU, he taught and worked as a licensed psychologist for WVU athletics and a faculty member in CPASS, helping build the university's sport psychology graduate program and directing the Center for Sports Ethics.
He chaired the Association of Applied Sport Psychology's Ethics Committee for more than a decade and served multiple terms on the WVU Faculty Senate. A licensed psychologist in West Virginia, author, and recipient of the American Psychological Association's Distinguished Contribution to Education award, Etzel provided mental health and mental performance care to generations of Mountaineer athletes.
Dr. Patrice Harris
Patrice Harris is Executive Vice President and Chief Health Impact Officer at Nemours Children's Health, where she leads the integration of Whole Child Health across the organization's clinical, operational and advocacy work. A board-certified psychiatrist with fellowship training in child and adolescent and forensic psychiatry, she has worked to improve children's health at every level, from treating patients in the clinic to directing public health for a county of nearly one million residents to advocating for systemic change in American medicine.
Harris earned her B.A. in psychology, M.A. in counseling psychology and M.D. at WVU, and completed her residency and fellowships at the Emory University School of Medicine. She serves as adjunct faculty at Emory and Morehouse School of Medicine.
Harris served as the 174th President of the American Medical Association, the first African American woman elected to the position, and as chair of the AMA Board of Trustees. During her tenure she led the AMA Opioid Task Force, working across all 50 states to expand access to treatment and reduce the stigma faced by those with substance use disorders. She also served six years as District Health Director for Fulton County, Georgia, advancing population-level improvements in children's health, and later co-founded and led the digital health company eMed as Chief Executive Officer.
She currently serves on the boards of United Bankshares, Acadia Healthcare, the deBeaumont Foundation, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and West Virginia University.