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Luciana Braga, assistant professor of Sport Pedagogy at California State University Chico, is establishing a research foothold in physical activity promotion among children and adolescents.  

Braga, CPASS Coaching and Teaching Studies, Ph.D. (2014), recently received the 2017 early career research grant from SHAPE America. “This is a competitive grant. The award means recognition of the potential of my scholarly work. This is my first externally funded research project as a principal investigator. I am excited to take on this new challenge. I wrote this proposal with Kevin Patton, my colleague in the PETE program at Chico State,” said Braga.  

Joe Abel, Physical Education/Sports Management, B.S. (1985), believes that a college degree helps prepare students to become better learners in business and life. Abel serves as the director of Leisure Services with the Seminole County Government, Seminole County, FL, outside the Orlando area.  

Abel credits the sports focus of his education in expanding his knowledge and understanding of a multitude of different sports, the game and comprehending how to administer sports programs and facilities.   His career experience ranges from managing athletics, pools and community centers to a department that is now made up of libraries, extension, natural lands, trails and parks. His professional experience began in his home state of West Virginia and has continued for the past 28 years in Florida.  

Jamie Shapiro, associate professor of Sport and Performance Psychology and assistant director of the Master of Arts in Sport and Performance Psychology (MASPP) program, Graduate School of Professional Psychology, at the University of Denver has received tenure at the University.  

Shapiro earned a Ph.D. in Sport and Exercise Psychology from West Virginia University (2009), an M.A. in Community Counseling from WVU (2008), and an M.S. in Athletic Counseling from Springfield College (2005). She earned a B.S. in Psychology from Brown University, where she competed on the gymnastics team for four years.  

Ashley Cranney, sport and exercise psychology doctoral graduate, has received Association for Applied Sport Psychology funding as an extension of her dissertation work.

Cranney emphasizes the importance of the grant. “This grant will maximize participant recruitment, expedite transcription, and refine analysis. Getting this grant affirms the importance of this line of research which will be a valuable step toward future grant applications and the development of an instrument of sport overconformity,” she explained.

As vice president of the NYC Transit Authority, Cheryl 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.

The former Mountaineer basketball player and 1982 safety management graduate is tasked with the daily safety of NYCTA’s eight million bus and rail passengers as well as its 46,000 employees. Additionally, Kennedy is the federal, state and local safety contact charged with the oversight of the organization and its unions.

Marc Cormier, SEP doctoral graduate, has joined the University of Kentucky as assistant professor to develop and coordinate a sport and exercise psychology program.

Aside from teaching and conducting research, Cormier will act as director and coordinator of the new SEP master’s program at the University of Kentucky. Cormier has been working to develop the program during the past two years.

Bobby Waugh, elementary physical education teacher and unified bocce coach, spent time on Capitol Hill this month speaking to members of Congress and advocating for the Special Olympics and unified sports.

Waugh, PETE master’s graduate, strives to improve the lives of students with special needs and create partnerships for athletes through the power of inclusion. Unified bocce pairs students with and without special needs, allowing students to earn a high school letter and form bonds practicing and competing together.

Dan Stratford (Physical Education Teacher Education MS 2015; Physical Education Teacher Education BSPE 2009) has been selected as the new head coach of the University of Charleston (W.Va.) Golden Eagle men's soccer team. Athletic Director Dr. Bren Stevens introduced former assistant Stratford following an abbreviated search to replace Chris Grassie, who recently left Charleston for Marshall University.
 
"I have been impressed with Coach Stratford's abilities since we first hired him back in 2014 and in my mind he is the perfect coach to lead this program. Dan possesses superior knowledge as it relates to the myriad of techniques and tactics involved with the game of soccer. Coach Stratford is articulate, bright and will add synergy to the Department of Athletics,” said Stevens in her introduction of Stratford to the Golden Eagle men's soccer team.

Stevens highlighted Stratford’s commitment to ensure a “positive” student-athlete experience for all team members along with a strong focus on player success on the field and in the classroom. Stratford credits his time at WVU and CPASS as helping to strengthen his effectiveness as a coach. 

Bill Treasurer, 1985 CPASS grad, writes popular leadership books that often draw on lessons he learned as the co-captain of the WVU Swimming and Diving Team (’82, 83, 84). “As a student athlete, you learn valuable lessons about discipline, perseverance and good sportsmanship. You also learn about juggling multiple responsibilities, setting clear goals, dealing with egos, yours and others, and staying healthy and fit. All of those lessons translate well into the workplace,” said Treasurer.

 After graduating from WVU, Treasurer went on to become a member of the U.S. High Diving Team and traveled throughout the world performing dives from heights that scaled to more than 100-feet, diving into pools that were often only 10-feet-deep. As the captain of the team, he learned valuable leadership lessons. “The most important lesson I learned, early on,” he said, “was that I sucked at leading. I had no idea who I was as a leader, but I knew that my team didn’t like being led by me. They told me so!” 

Like many other CPASS alumni, Takahiro Mori has found success. Last year, Mori returned to his home country of Japan to work as an assistant coach/skill coach for a professional basketball team, Alvark Tokyo. Mori, athletic coaching education master’s graduate (May, 2015) worked for the WVU men’s basketball team as a student manager. 

He feels that his experiences at WVU, both inside and outside of the ACE master’s program, prepared him to succeed as a professional basketball coach Entering his second year with the team,he improves players’ skills for the offense and defense systems. During the off-season, Mori trains each player through individual workout sessions. As an assistant coach during the season, Mori scouts for future players, provides feedback and holds skill sessions during practices.