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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — In an effort to elevate early childhood education and expand opportunities for aspiring teachers, the West Virginia University Nursery School is now fully part of the College of Applied Human Sciences with Ashley Martucci, a longtime educator, appointed to serve as the school’s director.

Under the new structure, the curriculum at the nursery school will be aligned with the curriculum and best practices as taught in the School of Education as well as national accreditation standards. Further, aspiring teachers will also receive immersive opportunities in early education without leaving campus.

Dana Brooks, the former dean of the College of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences, is one of five who will be honored Saturday (June 10) for their loyalty and service to  West Virginia University as they are inducted into the  Order of Vandalia.

The 2023 inductees include Brooks, Robert DiClerico, Pam Maphis Larrick, Nora MacDonald and J. Wayne Richards. Saturday's ceremony will also honor the memories of five Vandalians who have died in the past year — J. William Douglas, Class of 2015; Elmo Hurst, Class of 1994; Edna Bennett Pierce, Class of 2012; Peter White, Class of 2001 and Mary Kathryne Wiedebusch, Class of 2007.

Record-setting former West Virginia University gymnastics coach and long-time faculty member in the College of Physical Activity and Sports Science Linda Burdette-Good died unexpectedly in Hilton Head, South Carolina, on June 6, family members have confirmed.

A native of Parkersburg, W.Va., Burdette-Good joined the Mountaineer athletic department following a one-year coaching stint at Fairmont State. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from WVU and served as a faculty member in CPASS from 1974-2009. In retirement, she continued to volunteer her time as a member of the WVU Sports Hall of Fame selection committee.

Braelyn Young, senior in the elementary education program, spent the last academic year as a 4th-grade student teacher at Big Elm Elementary School in Harrison County, W.Va.

Young posted video updates throughout the year documenting her time as a student teacher, including projects she worked on with her students and the lessons she learned along the way.

The College of Applied Human Sciences recognized four faculty members – Rawn Boulden, Patrick Hairston, Erin Jordan and Erin McHenry-Sorber – for outstanding work in the 2022-23 academic year at its all-college assembly on May 10.

Rawn Boulden was the recipient of the 2023 CAHS Outstanding Researcher Award. The award acknowledges a faculty member whose research has made significant contributions to one’s discipline in the past year. In the past year, Boulden’s work investigated issues of school counseling in rural areas, with special emphasis on Appalachia and culturally sustaining school counseling practices. His research portfolio included six peer-reviewed journal articles published or appearing in the press during the award period.

The College of Applied Human Sciences at West Virginia University is proud to announce that two of its graduate programs have been recognized in the 2023-24 edition of the U.S. News and World Report's Best Graduate Schools rankings.

The clinical rehabilitation and mental health counseling program in the School of Counseling and Well-Being has been ranked as the 19th-best rehabilitation counseling graduate program in the country, placing it in the top quartile of programs nationwide. This ranking was determined through peer assessments.

The College of Applied Human Sciences will cap its inaugural academic year at Commencement on Saturday, May 13, at 9 a.m. at the WVU Coliseum. Here is a look at several graduates from the College who will be earning their degree this weekend.

Sam Gambill's memories of going to baseball games are set mostly against the backdrop of Camden Yards, the home of the Baltimore Orioles. The venue, which sparked a renaissance in the aesthetics and design for Major League Baseball facilities, is now the backdrop for Gambill's learning experience as a member of the grounds crew for the Orioles.

"The first time walking out there and being on the field and being able to pick out every seat I had sat in over the years was a really special moment for me and something that I will cherish forever," Gambill said.

Carmen Fullmer has joined FiT Publishing in the International Center for Performance Excellence at the College of Human Applied Sciences as an editor.

Adalheid “Heidi” Crum, who will graduate in May with her master’s degree in  Higher Education Administration and begin doctoral work this fall in the same program, said she hopes to serve as an inspiration to children growing up within the system and also as a bridge between wardships and higher education.

Read the full story on WVU Today.