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Sofia Espana Perez, Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology doctoral major, is one of only four recipients who was selected for the 2021 WVU Foundation Distinguished Doctoral Scholarship, as announced by the Office of Graduate Education and Life.

OGEL says that graduate students provide incredibly valuable research, teaching and services to the WVU campus and the greater Morgantown community. OGEL provides the awards to help these highly qualified students defray the costs of their education and promote the dissemination of their research to a broader audience.

A collaboration with area schools and service organizations allows West Virginia University College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences students to provide physical activity for individuals with special needs. This arrangement started during the 2020 fall semester as an alternate experience for the Friday Adapted Physical Education Program, which could not be held due to the pandemic, and will continue through the 2021 spring semester

CPASS students worked with SteppingStones conducting in-person lessons and through virtual adapted classes at Mylan Park Elementary School. CPASS students created pre-recorded activities housed in a resource library for use by Monongalia County Schools.

An online resource that focuses on providing teachers and parents with lesson ideas integrates physical activity throughout the school day, while promoting learning, health and wellbeing. Active Academics®, an interventional program housed in the Center for ActiveWV in the West Virginia University College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, serves as a resource that teachers can use to access engaging lesson ideas across a variety of subject areas that build movement into the learning process.

“National recommendations agree that children should get at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity. Since children spend much of their day in school and learning environments, it is important for educators to integrate physical activity opportunities throughout the school day to help meet these guidelines,” Eloise Elliott, Ware Distinguished Professor with CPASS, said.

Despite barriers and delays caused by COVID-19, partners around the state have found imaginative solutions to empower communities striving to overcome West Virginia’s health-related challenges.

A year ago, the Center for ActiveWV, at the West Virginia University College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, set out to empower communities to create opportunities for physical activity through a statewide initiative. Amid a global pandemic, access to physical activity in communities has become a valuable tool to boost immune systems and manage stress.

West Virginia University sport management students have learned firsthand how to combine data analytics and technology within sports. The students partnered with  Athstat, an international application service, to compile data analytics and technology in the sport of rugby during the virtual marketing project.

College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences SM 387-Issues in Sport Studies and SM-167 Intro to Sport Management students met with Athstat representative and team leader Kisset Chirengende through Zoom presentations. Chirengende provided a behind the scenes look into the sports industry while introducing the class to the company’s sport-related analytics technology. He selected students to lead the project marketing team: Daniel Yoo, Jake Ours, Konnor Davis, Broc Glover and Joseph Beutel.

Undergraduate students within the West Virginia University College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences will soon have expanded opportunities for online learning. Beginning January 19, 2021, Dana Voelker will serve as the college’s director of undergraduate online education to enhance the college’s online programming.

Voelker will team up with WVU campus partners, including WVU Online and WVU Career Services, along with the CPASS Office of Student Success, to increase the college’s online education efforts.

Brooke Pataky, athletic training major with a minor in sport and exercise psychology, strength and conditioning, and nutrition, plans to graduate with her bachelor’s degree in 2023. After earning her degree, she wants to help athletes perform at their best in a Div. 1 college or professional sports setting.

As a high school student, Pataky discovered a passion for treating athletes and helping them return to the field or court. Pataky, from Fredericksburg, Va., says she chose athletic training as a major after enrolling in a sport medicine class taught by the school’s athletic trainer.

In a recent online brief, the Health and Well-being major, housed in the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, was identified for its cutting-edge degree-certification pathway. The article, by Higher Ed Dive, focused on four-year schools that are embedding industry credentials into their programs to prepare graduating students for the workforce.

“Combining industry certifications and college degrees is advantageous for everyone,” Valerie Wayda, CPASS associate dean for undergraduate education academic affairs, said. “CPASS strives to blend innovation within the college to ensure student success.”

Samantha Strejeck earned two degrees from West Virginia University, a Sport Management MS (May 2017) and Strategic Communications with a concentration in Public Relations, minor in Leadership Studies BS (2015). Strejeck talks about her passion for sports, experiences as a CPASS sport management student and her internships with WVU Athletics. Strejeck, who grew up in Annapolis, MD, explains how experiential learning opportunities at WVU helped launch her career in the professional sports industry.

Read below to learn how Samantha Strejeck turned hands-on learning experiences while at WVU CPASS into establishing her career goal in social media in sports and then landing her dream position with the NFL.

An ongoing collaboration with the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI) and the Human Performance Innovation Center (HPIC), which allows CPASS students to gain practical learning in support of classroom work, has taken another step in growing this unique educational experience and partnership.

Guy Hornsby, assistant professor, Coaching and Performance Science, recently received an adjunct faculty appointment with RNI and the HPIC. "This partnership establishes a more formal relationship between CPASS and RNI HPIC that I believe creates a nice bridge between the two programs. It is particularly attractive for our coaching and performance science students working in the HPIC lab and in sport science roles with WVU athletics,” Hornsby said.

Two CPASS graduate students attended a virtual experience titled A Long Talk About the Uncomfortable Truth. The format featured a three-day course focusing on discussions about race and diversity. The purpose of the session is to erase racism and dismantle systematic oppression in America. 

A CPASS senior is using flexibility within his studies to gain useful experience outside of the classroom. Caden Roberts is pursuing his love of sports through a Bachelor of Science degree in sport management with a minor in scholastic coaching. He is scheduled to graduate in May 2021. 

Roberts, from Martinsburg, W.Va., credits his CPASS degree for equipping him with the vital tools he needs to become a successful coach and sport manager. “I chose CPASS because they provided curriculum and opportunities to grow as a basketball coach. Adaptability within the major has allowed me to continue to pursue relevant work and experience in the field,” he said. 

We want to introduce you to four graduate coaching and sport education students who gained valuable professional experience from coaching youth and college level athletes to coaching coaches. These hands-on learning opportunities allow graduate students to build their resumes while focusing and building on their primary career interests. Graduate students employ classroom learning to the field, while applying technique, psychology and administrative elements. Sport coaches must develop the essential skills and knowledge required to work with athletes in a variety of contexts across their lifetime.

Hometown: Killam, Alberta

Alfred “Al” F. Ware, a devoted West Virginia University College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences alumnus, died on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at the age of 93 after a short illness in Franklin, Tennessee.

Ware, of Rupert, and his late wife, Dolores “Dee” Ware, had an unwavering history of support for CPASS through their wide-ranging philanthropy and leadership roles.

Blake Costalupes is passionate about exploring mindfulness interventions within sport and exercise psychology, focusing on student-athletes’ goals to help them excel.

Costalupes’ research, “A Smartphone Mindfulness-based Intervention Pilot Study with Competitive High School Baseball Players,” was selected for publication of the special student edition of the Journal of Kinesiology and Wellness.