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The National Athletic Trainers Association Intercollegiate Council has honored a College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences graduate with the 2020 NATA Intercollegiate Council for Sports Medicine Head Athletic Trainer of the Year Award. Mike Matheny (B.S. PE, concentration in Athletic Training, Magna Cum Laude 1982) received the award for exceptional performance as a head athletic trainer in the Div. III category. Award recipients are actively involved in their community or campus, athletic training associations and promotion of the profession.

Matheny, who serves as clinical professor and head athletic trainer, department of exercise science and athletic training at Ithaca College, spends part of his day with classroom teaching in the athletic training education program, serving as a preceptor for students in their clinical experience.

The WVU College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences will honor four graduates and name its Legacy Award recipient during its 2021 Hall of Fame Ceremony, Oct. 15 via a virtual ceremony on Zoom. The 2021 Hall of Fame inductees are Herbert K. Amato, Dana D. Brooks, Joseph A. Martin and Catherine “Cathy” E. Parson. The College will honor Daniel F. Mahony with the Legacy Award. Visit the CPASS Hall of Fame website to view full bios for this 33rd class of CPASS Hall of Fame inductees. The Zoom event will open at 5:30 p.m. with the virtual reception and program beginning at 6 p.m. Use the following zoom link to join: https://wvu.zoom.us/j/94126424981 

Notable past CPASS inductees include Linda Carson, Judith Hayes, Chuck Howley, Rodney C. “Hot Rod” Hundley, Rodney K. Thorn, Alfred F. Ware, Robert L. DeProspero, Fred Schaus, George J. Esper, General Earl E. Anderson, Jerry West and Robert Sam Huff, all members of the WVU Academy of Distinguished Alumni. 

James L. Taylor passed away Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2021. Jim, or Coach Taylor, as he was affectionately known, was born in Charles Town, WV on February 26, 1934. Among his numerous honors and achievements, Taylor was inducted into the West Virginia University College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences Hall of Fame in 2020.

He attended Eagle Avenue Elementary School in Charles Town and graduated from Page-Jackson High School in 1951. After graduating high school, Taylor enlisted in the US Navy and served in the Korean War from 1951-1955. After serving in the US Navy, Taylor enrolled at Shepherd College (now Shepherd University) and graduated in 1955 with BS and AB degrees and a Corrective Therapist Certification. He attended graduate school at West Virginia University and earned a Master of Science Degree in 1965.

Nieko Torres chose the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences because he wanted to work with athletes. He researched the CPASS coaching and performance science program through the suggestion of an advisor. “It quickly became clear that CPASS had plenty of options for me to explore which avenue of athletics I wanted to pursue. I am extremely grateful for it,” Torres said.

Assistant Professor Guy Hornsby says that it was evident early on that Torres was serious about pursuing a career in strength and conditioning. “Nieko was interning at Morgantown High School, lifting/spending time with the WVU weightlifting club while being an exemplary student. I am grateful he was mentored by such a great staff at Mississippi State, the same staff that has mentored other students of ours, Billy Cedar, Matt Anti and Lauren White,” Hornsby said.

Grant Benson will join FiT (Fitness Information Technology) Publishing in the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences International Center for Performance Excellence as the accounting and operations coordinator.

Benson will coordinate accounts payable and procurement, including royalty payments, business operations and communications, customer service and oversee student workers. Before joining the Mountaineer family, he was a centralized scheduler and inventory control analyst in supply chain operations for WVU Medicine and golf associate at Lakeview Golf Resort and Spa.

A College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences online sport management graduate student is expanding his resume through an internship at the professional sports level. Tyler Pastorius, sport management master’s major with an emphasis on comprehensive sport industry management (projected graduation, May 2022), focuses on various marketing-related responsibilities with the Dallas Stars.

Justin Wartella, sport management teaching assistant professor, says the CPASS on-line master’s program connects theory to practice for the population of busy, working professionals who are pursuing a graduate degree. “It is so diverse in terms of the student population who are located across the country. Students work in different facets of the industry, including high school sports, college, professional, Olympic, facilities, operations and community sports,” Wartella said.

A West Virginia University faculty member was part of a national effort to provide recommendations to expand physical activity for school-aged children in moving past the pandemic.

College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences Ware Distinguished Professor Eloise Elliott was one of four principal writers for the national paper entitled Physical Activity Recommendations for Children and Adolescents: More Important Than Ever. The collaborative effort promotes physical activity and sports for children and adolescents, and provides recommendations to enhance physical activity in schools, communities, and homes to improve outcomes.

Gregory Warren credits his experiences at the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences in paving the pathway to his new role as director of strength and conditioning at Bluefield State College, Bluefield, W.Va.

The master of science, coaching and sport education (2021) graduate says the CPASS connection served a critical role in initiating his career. “Although it was only for two years, the coaching experience I gained as a graduate assistant and head strength coach at University High School in Morgantown gave me the confidence to realize my abilities as a coach in this field,” Warren said.

A new administrative secretary has joined the college this fall. Cathie Falvey, a West Virginia University retiree and a senior Mountaineer Temp, will provide administrative and secretarial support for the Dean’s Office administrator, program coordinators and faculty during the 2021-2022 academic year.

In addition, she will help with content management of college websites and digital display boards. Falvey will greet guests and provide daily support in the college copy center and mail operations.

When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down gyms and cancelled in-person fitness classes, many individuals were left to wonder how they could maintain their fitness routines from the comfort of home.

CEHS alumna Sydney Cummings’ YouTube channel, which consists of library of daily home workouts for individuals of all skill levels, filled the personal fitness void left by the pandemic. And as the demand for home workouts grew, so did Cummings’ YouTube audience. In March 2021, Cummings’ subscriber count reached 1 million.

Brittany Murray will join FiT (Fitness Information Technology) Publishing in the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences International Center for Performance Excellence as an editorial assistant.

“Brittany has a unique background through her education and work experiences that will bring a fresh perspective to our processes,” Kassi Roberts, FiT Publishing managing editor, said. “We are excited to have her onboard and welcome her to CPASS.”

Myles Washington combined his passion in sports with the mental aspects of competition to earn a B.S. degree in sport and exercise psychology (May 2021).

In addition to studying sports, Washington gained hands on knowledge as a basketball manager for the WVU Men’s team, from his freshman through senior years at CPASS. “Once I became involved with the team, I knew I wanted to go into basketball professionally, working for the NBA,” he said.

CPASS welcomes three new faculty members to campus this fall. Patrick Hairston, sport management teaching assistant professor, Peter McGahey, coaching and performance science teaching assistant professor, and Brent Oja, sport management assistant professor, bring a clear vision, specialized expertise and strong industry connections to support student success.

Hairston, McGahey and Oja will focus on challenging students to enhance their critical thinking skills, develop best practices, engage in research and discover their passion as they prepare for viable career options.

Members of the Center for ActiveWV and the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences at West Virginia University have launched a new online professional development resource for teachers, administrators, program coordinators, parents and others with an interest in promoting physical activity among youth.

“This free Active Academics® Training was created to help reach members of our West Virginia and broader communities with a resource to learn about physical activity recommendations and benefits, as well as tips for integrating physical activity in the classroom and throughout the day,” Eloise Elliott, Ware Distinguished Professor at CPASS, said.

A College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences graduate has landed a remarkable position at Facebook Inc. in Menlo Park, Calif., leveraging his doctoral training and experience in health care and user design.Spencer Ingels, PhD, Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology (2018), serves as a new user experience researcher (UXR) on the health team at Facebook. Ingels, whose hometown is Berkeley, CA, says he is focused on conducting research to inform and improve how products, tools and features are used to support better health.

“Currently much of this work is focused on understanding our users’ experience with Covid-19 and evaluating interventions to support prevention behaviors and vaccination,” Ingels said. “I am most excited to start work focusing on understanding how Facebook's tools as an online support network can be used to support better health outcomes.”