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Jake Follmer, assistant professor in the School of Education, is one of four faculty members at West Virginia University to be recognized for exceptional and innovative teaching with the 2024 WVU Foundation Award for Outstanding Teaching. 

Zabrya Robson, a behavior health counselor at Community Care of West Virginia, came to West Virginia University knowing she wanted to help others. She earned her undergraduate degree at WVU, and then when looking for a master’s program to pursue counseling, she once again chose WVU largely because of the flexibility of the clinical rehabilitation and mental health counseling program.

Sports were an integral part of Makayla Riley’s life growing up in Landover, Md. Her father coached the youth football and basketball teams, and for her part, Riley participated in gymnastics and dance growing up. She also was the team manager for both the football and boy’s lacrosse teams.

It was primarily through the success of West Virginia University’s football and basketball teams that she became aware of the school she would eventually attend.

The following is an essay by Gonzalo Bravo , a professor of sport management at West Virginia University, about his recent sabbatical to his native country, Chile, for the Pan American and Parapan American Games last fall. The essay provides a brief history of the often-overlooked competitions and the impact that the games have on athletes, nations, and the host country. He also shares the challenges and experiences of collecting data for upcoming research projects, his volunteer experience at the games, and the personal and professional rewards from the unique sabbatical experience.

Last fall, I had the opportunity to complete a sabbatical leave in Santiago, Chile. This enabled me to concentrate full-time on the data collection process of four large-scale research studies during the XIX Pan American and VII Parapan American Games held in Santiago from Oct. 20 to Nov. 26, 2023.

West Virginia University’s Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology program has partnered with local organizations to launch a martial arts program for individuals with intellectual and neurodevelopmental disabilities. (FULL PHOTO GALLERY)

Jeanette Garcia joined WVU’s College of Applied Human Sciences in the School of Sport Sciences in August 2023. Prior to coming to Morgantown, she was at the University of Central Florida where her research focused on developing community-based for individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders, primarily those with autism.

Peter McGahey, teaching assistant professor at West Virginia University, has been named as an assistant coach for the United States Power Soccer National Team. He is one of two assistants under the direction of head coach Tracy Mayer.

McGahey’s appointment is for the next World Cup cycle. The next World Cup is in 2026 in Argentina. The United States is coming off a third-place finish in the 2023 World Cup in Australia.

Nothing was ever going to come easy for Gage Smith.

The factors working against him based simply on life’s circumstances made the chances of him even getting to West Virginia University as a student equal parts remarkable and improbable.

Two students in the College of Applied Human Sciences have earned scholarships from the WVU Foundation to help them defray costs and support the completion of their theses or dissertations. 

Megan Hut, from Tiel, the Netherlands, is one of four WVU doctoral students to receive the WVU Foundation Distinguished Doctoral Scholarship. She is pursuing a doctoral degree in educational theory and practice 

Patty Weston-Anderson, assistant accountant in the business office in the West Virginia University College of Applied Human Sciences, has announced her retirement effective Friday, Feb. 2.

"It’s been a privilege and honor to meet and work with everyone over the years,” Weston-Anderson said. “Although I am excited to start the next chapter of my life, the thought of leaving is bittersweet. I will miss working with everyone and will cherish my many memories."

Kim Floyd, associate professor in the WVU School of Counseling and Well-Being, has been awarded the Teacher Education Division (TED) Social Justice Award in recognition of her significant contributions to special education, teacher education, and the TED organization. The award ceremony took place in Long Beach, Calif., in October of 2023.

Floyd, a two-time recipient of the Outstanding Teacher award at WVU, has consistently demonstrated her commitment to advancing education through dynamic and timely curriculum development. Her teaching practices focus on socially and culturally responsive methods, earning her a reputation for excellence in the field.