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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.

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. 

West Virginia University students Tea Santilli and Emily Burgess have taken their passion for education and dance to Stepping Stones, a local non-profit organization dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities reach their full potential through recreation and personal development programs. 

Mental health experts based at the  West Virginia University  College of Applied Human Sciences will soon be going into public schools in parts of the Mountain State to work to address critical and growing mental health needs among children.

Rawn Boulden, assistant professor and project lead, Christine Schimmel, associate professor and University faculty ombudsperson, and Kim Floyd, associate professor and interim associate school director — all in the School of Counseling and Well-Being — will guide the rollout of a new program designed to put more counselors in schools across West Virginia, starting in Harrison County.

The School of Sport Sciences recently had several faculty, students and alumni recognized for outstanding work across multiple fields and disciplines.

Tsuda named SHAPE Research Fellow
Emi Tsuda, assistant professor, was named a SHAPE Research Fellow at the organization’s annual conference. Fellow status is reserved for members who have made significant and sustained contributions to scholarship (research, creative, or scholarly activity) and related service in the areas of interest to SHAPE America. The purpose of Fellow status is to promote scholarship as an integral component of SHAPE America, recognize accomplishments in scholarship and promote participation in research activities of SHAPE America.

The College of Applied Human Sciences will hold an end-of-semester celebration on Thursday, April 27, from 3-5 p.m. at the Rec Center. The event is being held to celebrate the success of the inaugural year of the College and its students.

The "Celebrating Writing in West Virginia" mini-conference will be held on Saturday, May 20, at Colson Hall on the campus of West Virginia University from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

This day-long session is focused on local and place-based writing and teaching and will provide attendees with an opportunity to learn from celebrated West Virginia writers, such as Ann Pancake, Marc Harshman, and Torli Bush, who will be sharing their writing processes and discussing West Virginia authors and stories they love.

Matthew Campbell, associate professor of mathematics education in the College of Applied Human Sciences School of Education, has been named the 2023 College/University Mathematics Teacher of the Year by the West Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

Campbell was recognized at a ceremony on March 17 as part of the WVCTM annual conference at the Stonewall Resort. Since 1982, awards are given annually to educators at the elementary, middle school, high school, and college levels in recognition of exemplary and impactful mathematics teaching and service in the field of mathematics education.

Last fall, over 50 WVU elementary education students in the WVU School of Education visited Crellin Elementary School to learn about the school's innovative place-based education practices as part of their coursework. On Friday, March 31, the students from Crellin made a return visit to WVU to learn about college and about being a college student.

Crellin Elementary School is a rural Appalachian school in Maryland that is nationally renowned for its emphasis on community engagement, relationships, sustainability, project learning, strong academic achievement, and local/global connections.