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Caleb Fierbaugh has always enjoyed a passion for sports. His decision to turn his zeal into a career will soon take him across the globe to begin a new position with the Kaiwen Academy in Beijing, China.

As a senior at South Charleston (W.Va.) High School, he made the decision to go into coaching through the encouragement of his summer league coach. As a fan of West Virginia University football and basketball, Fierbaugh knew that WVU was the best choice for him.

In his first year as a head coach, College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences alumnus Dan Stratford used what he learned as a student and assistant coach to lead his team to the NCAA Division II Men’s Soccer National Championship. 

Stratford, who first earned a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education Teacher Education in June 2009 and then a master’s in July 2015, both from CPASS, says consistent messaging kept the players at the University of Charleston focused. 

Donnie Platt, ACE master’s graduate, serves as director of operations for USA Baseball 15U national team. “My role consists of running one of the largest baseball events in the country, the National Team Championships,” said Platt.

According to Platt, he oversees staffing for more than 200 employees, meals, travel, scheduling, awards, media and creating a Scout Task Force, among other operational responsibilities. Read more about Donnie and USA Baseball in the following CPASS Q&A series.

A CPASS graduate will serve as the founding director of the West Virginia Mountain Biking League. The National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) has named Cassie Smith to lead their efforts in the mountain state.  

Smith explains the excitement that comes with the NICA designation. “West Virginia, as one of the newest states accepted into the NICA family, will benefit from the effort. As league director, I’m honored to lead the effort of getting more kids on bikes,” said Smith.

The  West Virginia University  College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences will induct five graduates into its 2017 Hall of Fame and name its Outstanding Alumnus on Friday, October 20, at the  Erickson Alumni Center beginning with a reception from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and formal induction ceremony beginning at 7 p.m. The public is welcome to attend.

The College will honor Jean Irion with the Outstanding Alumna award. The 2017 Hall of Fame inductees include Cynthia “Sam” Booth, David “DC” Colt, John Gay, Daniel F. Mahony and Olana “Tick” Hedrick-Sheaffer. 

Join us, Friday, Oct. 6, 12 p.m. at the Erickson Alumni Center to listen to PETE alumnus Bobby Waugh speak about inclusion in sports. This is part of the WVU Alumni Association Pioneer Session Week. 

Waugh is from Hagerstown, Maryland, but lives in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. He teaches and coaches in Washington County Maryland. Waugh teaches Health and Physical Education at Pleasant Valley and Williamsport Elementary Schools. He teaches an evening on-line health class at Williamsport and Hancock High Schools. Waugh  is the head Unified Bocce Coach at North Hagerstown High School and works with the Washington County Recreation Department. He is currently in his ninth year of teaching and tenth year of coaching.

Graduates from the West Virginia University sport management program in the College of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences are known for their success in the sports industry. CPASS alumni often land leadership positions within professional and collegiate organizations. As technology and the industry expand, so do WVU graduates and their roles.

Christopher Mann, Sport Management, BS 2002, is the agency lead on the T-Mobile account and was responsible for securing a partnership with the top two North American esports organizations, Cloud9 and Team SoloMid. Mann has served as the senior account director in Global Strategy, Partnerships and Activation for WME IMG for the past year, jumping head first into esports after 10 plus years working on the Campbell’s Chunky Soup NFL campaign. 

While many were fleeing the area, Kennedy was desperately trying to return to her office in Brooklyn, where she would spend the night with other New York City’s Transit Authority (NYCT) officials, devising a plan to safely resume operations of the suspended subway system. In the ensuing days, planning would also need to begin on rebuilding the damaged lines by the World Trade Center.

As vice president of the NYCT, Kennedy oversees the Office of System Safety for the largest transit property in North America, one that carries more than two billion passengers a year and encompasses more than 70 miles of track.

On Friday, October 28, 2016, CPASS inducted three graduates into its 2016 Hall of Fame, presented the Distinguished Service Award and named its 2016 Outstanding Alumna.

Thomas Habegger earned his BS degree in sport management from CPASS in 1986 and went on to earn both master’s and doctoral degrees from other institutions. He has been an associate of Columbus State in Ohio for more than 30 years and currently serves as the Dean of the Health and Human Services Division. As the director of intercollegiate athletics at Columbus State, Habegger directed the establishment of the athletic program beginning in 1987, and by the time he left the Intercollegiate Athletics Department, he had forged a nine-sport, nationally recognized program.

CPASS graduate and 2017 Outstanding Alumna Linda Carson was one of four trailblazers in the fields of engineering, agriculture, business and education honored as this year’s inductees into the Academy of Distinguished Alumni, one of the highest honors awarded to graduates of WVU.

Carson joined Dr. George Fahey, Katherine Johnson and William Bayless as an elite group of WVU graduates inducted on May 19 during a recognition ceremony held at the Erickson Alumni Center.