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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.

The WesMon Baseball League, through an alliance with the West Virginia University School of Sport Sciences in the College of Applied Human Sciences, begins its relationship with the Positive Coaching Alliance this spring to support a positive sports experience for local athletes and parents. PCA is a national non-profit developing “Better Athletes, Better People” by working to provide all youth and high school athletes a positive, character-building sports experience.

PCA will host an interactive workshop for coaches in the WesMon Baseball league this Friday, March 31, at 6 p.m., at The River Church in Westover. Attendees will explore why and how to pursue both winning and the more important goal of teaching life lessons through sports.

Ashley Martucci, associate service professor in the College of Applied Human Sciences, School of Education, is one of five faculty members be named as a recipients of the University’s 2023-24 Big 12 Faculty Fellowship Program.

The Big 12 Faculty Fellowship Program at WVU is designed to stimulate scholarly initiatives through the creation of an academic community within the institutions in the Big 12 Athletic Conference. The Big 12 Faculty Fellowship Program offers WVU faculty members the opportunity to travel to member institutions to exchange ideas and research. Faculty may work on collaborative research, consult with faculty and students, offer a series of lectures or symposia, acquire new skills, or take advantage of a unique archive or laboratory facility.

Betsy Robbins, student success coordinator in the College of Applied Human Sciences, has been named a recipient of the 2023 Nicholas Evans Professional Staff Advising Excellence Award.

At the direction of the Office of the Provost, the WVU Academic Advising Council selects honorees for the Nicholas Evans Awards for Advising Excellence to recognize  outstanding advising and mentoring provided by faculty and professional advisers at WVU. The awards are in honor of Nicholas Evans, a lifelong proponent and exemplar of undergraduate advising at WVU.

Leveraging the power of social media, a new study led by WVU College of Applied Human Sciences is tapping into Facebook to deliver health education and promotion programs to a digital audience.

Professor Peter Giacobbi is leading a research study funded by Facebook/Meta via its non-profit foundation, Global Impact. His team is investigating the feasibility and impact of a physical activity and sleep intervention for adults ages 50-65 in private Facebook groups.

Emily Murphy, associate professor of health and well-being in the College of Applied Human Sciences, is one of four West Virginia University faculty members to be recognized for their exceptional teaching and service to the University, students and community.

Murphy was one of two recipients of the Ethel and Gerry Heebink Awards for Distinguished State Service, which recognize faculty or staff members who have provided distinguished service to West Virginia over a period of time. These awards were established by David Heebink in 1982 in memory of his parents, Ethel and Gerry Heebink, two former University employees. She is the recipient of the 2023 Heebink Award for extended (i.e., at least eight years) distinguished service to West Virginia.

West Virginia University's fifth annual research week showcases the university's significant contributions to research and innovation, and the College of Applied Human Sciences is proud to present 12 projects on virtual display

Reagan Curtis, the Chester E. and Helen B. Derrick endowed professor of education psychology at the College of Applied Human Sciences, along with colleague Johnna Bolyard, associate professor of mathematics education, and Darran Cairns, formerly an associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, presented a new approach to teaching mathematics, engineering, science and literacy in the book “Design Thinking in the Middle Grades: Transforming Mathematics and Science Learning.” 

Peter S. Zulia is accustomed to helping others. As a three-time WVU graduate who went on to start Oxford Physical Therapy Centers in Cincinnati, Ohio, he has helped the physical rehabilitation of countless people and helped them get back to the activities they enjoy. As a philanthropist, he and his wife Linda have raised close to a million dollars for cancer research and an endowed a scholarship for future Mountaineers.

Last weekend, though, the spotlight was squarely on Zulia as he was inducted into the American Academy of Sports Physical Therapists Turner A. Blackburn Hall of Fame/Lifetime Achievement Award at a ceremony in San Diego, Calif. The award is the highest and most prestigious recognition granted by AASPT and is given to members who have made a lasting contribution to the specialty of sports physical therapy over their career.

Autumn Tooms Cypreès, founding dean of the College of Applied Human Sciences, was selected as one of five speakers to present at the TEDxWVU "Dig Deeper" event being held on Sunday, April 16, at the Canady Creative Arts Center Gladys Davis Theatre.

The following speakers will present information on a variety of topics encouraging visionary conversations and new ideas. 

Abbey Clark, a senior health and well-being student from Clarksburg, W.Va., recently visited the West Virginia capitol to present her findings on the availability of automated external defibrillator in classroom buildings at WVU.

Clark’s father, who was in the family’s driveway after returning home by bus in June 2021, had gone into cardiac arrest two years ago, and largely survived due to her sister promptly performing CPR and emergency services administering the AED. Since her father had nearly gone into cardiac arrest on the bus, she and her family led a successful effort to make AEDs standard in all new state public vehicles in West Virginia.