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Dana Voelker, Sport and Exercise Psychology assistant professor, joins the ranks of six West Virginia University faculty members who were selected for the 2018 Foundation Award for Outstanding Teaching, which honors exceptional professors who go above and beyond to inspire their students.

In addition to Voelker, this year’s honorees include: Malayna Bernstein, director, Learning Sciences Programs; Edward Flagg, assistant professor, Physics and Astronomy; Todd Hamrick, teaching associate professor, Fundamentals of Engineering; David Martinelli, professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering; Carrie Rishel, professor and director, Integrated Mental and Behavioral Health Training Program. 

Sixty-one students and one CPASS faculty member descended upon Indianapolis, Indiana in early March to attend the Sport Management Worldwide Football Career Conference and NFL Scouting Combine. The weekend event gave students an in-depth view of the National Football League.

Students representing all CPASS majors enjoyed the scenic six-hour drive across four different states. Once in Indy, students attended a networking social sponsored by Sport Management Worldwide (SMWW). Students had the opportunity to meet people from across the country and make connections with industry professionals.

A unique major now available through the West Virginia University College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences focuses on the importance of regular physical activity in promoting health, reducing risk for chronic disease and improving quality of life.

Students in the Physical Activity and Well-being major will complete specialized training in movement sciences, personal training and physical activity instruction. The students will choose an area of emphasis to further customize degrees in adventure and outdoor learning, aquatics, recreational sport or well-being.

Omur Dugan, from Turkey, is a visiting scholar at CPASS, working with Gonzalo Bravo, associate professor in sport management. Her research areas include ethical and gender issues in sport management, with a focus in career development and barriers for women in sports. Dugan focused on gender issues in senior management in Turkish sport organizations during her doctorate degree. 

While at WVU, Dugan will develop the project "Glass Ceiling Syndrome and Career Development of Women in NCAA" with Bravo. “I've known Dr. Bravo from his international publications and the international sport management network we have. I will also collaborate in a project with one of Dr. Bravo's graduate students on a similar topic.  

A newly established endowment will support the West Virginia University College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences. The Ted Slahetka Athletic Training Scholarship will provide scholarships for qualified students in the college.

The endowment will offer aid for undergraduate students majoring in Athletic Training at WVU CPASS. The gift amount is $25,000. Walter and Cynthia Slahetka established the scholarship in honor of their son, Ted, a third-year WVU Athletic Training student.

Sean Bulger, professor, Physical Education Teacher Education, was quoted in a U.S. News and World Report story exploring online degree program residencies. Bulger explains arrangements in the online master's programs in sport management and physical education teaching residencies. Read more from Bulger in the article link. 

At the online master's programs in West Virginia University's College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, Bulger says, students pay for transportation and typically on-campus housing, on top of tuition and fees. Experts suggest that prospective students look into whether their financial aid will help cover those expenses.

The West Virginia University campus celebrated the Third Annual Diversity Cup Five vs. Five Coed Soccer Tournament on October 7, hosted by the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences and in partnership with WVU Campus Recreation and the WVU Sport Management Club. 

The popular event embraced the spirit of sport, friendship and inclusiveness as part of Diversity Week 2017. This year’s winning team is Club WV, coached by Brandon Wayda, WVU Engineering major.

West Virginia University’s Reed College of Media has developed the only known undergraduate major in the country to focus on sports and adventure media.

With its big-time college sports programs and beautiful natural setting, the Mountain State is a mecca for sports and adventure enthusiasts, and also the perfect setting for the new major designed to prepare students for careers in sports journalism and adventure media communications.

A  West Virginia University professor and Olympic Gold Medalist who helps athletes learn the art of mindfulness was inducted into the U.S. International Shooting Hall of Fame this past August in Colorado Springs, Colorado. 

WVU’s  Ed Etzel received the award, alongside three other American sharpshooters. A licensed psychologist, Etzel is a professor in the  College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences. His research interests focus on performance psychology and its influence on athletes’ mental health.

A new agreement between West Virginia University and the Federal University of Parana will promote opportunities for research, faculty exchange and a grant collaboration between the universities.

A delegation of four high-ranking university administrators from UFPR, Curitiba, Brazil, will visit the WVU campus on Monday (Sept. 18). The UFPR delegation, which includes UFPR President, Ricardo Marcelo Fonseca, Vice-President of Planning, Budget and Finance, Fernando Mezzadri, Director of International Affairs, Andre Duarte, and Graduate Programs Coordinator André Rodacki, will sign a Memorandum of Understanding with WVU.

Emi Tsuda will be joining CPASS as a visiting assistant professor for 2017–2018. She completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Tsukuba, Japan, and is a licensed physical education teacher in Japan. In 2012, she arrived in the U.S. and completed her master’s and doctoral degrees in physical education teacher education at The Ohio State University. Her research focuses on examining the role of motor competence to engage in physical activity and exploring ways to assist teachers in providing effective physical education to enhance student motor skill learning. She is interested in how the tasks teachers develop and select impact student learning. Tsuda’s research specifically focuses on early childhood to middle childhood physical education.

James Wyant will be joining CPASS as an assistant professor of Physical Education Teacher Education in fall 2017. He is a West Virginia native who has experience working in K-12 schools, implementing after-school physical activity programming for underserved youth and mentoring students of all levels. He provides expertise in assessment and evaluation, as well as teacher training. In addition to teaching courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels, he coordinates student teaching experiences for the Physical Education Teacher Education program. He is interested in researching the physical education labor market and instructional technology in physical education. Wyant is looking forward to working with the faculty and students at West Virginia University.

This year FiT Publishing is celebrating more than 30 years in operation and 13 years in the Mountaineer family. In 1984 Fitness Information Technology, Inc., was founded by William L. Alsop and Andrew C. Ostrow (professors emeriti of WVU) in Morgantown, with the goal of being recognized as a premier publisher in the sport sciences field. In 2004 — just in time for the College’s 72nd year — FiT was gifted to CPASS in honor of Andrew Ostrow’s father Philip Ostrow and, under the umbrella of WVU, FiT has flourished.

Today, FiT honors its original mission to be a leading publisher in sport sciences as the principal publishing arm of the International Center for Performance Excellence in the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences. FiT now publishes three journals, one of which is recognized internationally as a premier sport marketing journal with a subscriber base in more than 20 countries, and this year, FiT will publish more than 10 textbooks including upcoming titles “Experiential Learning in Sport Management: Internships and Beyond,” “Enhancing Performance and Quality of Life,” and “Being Mindful in Sport and Exercise Psychology: Pathways for Practitioners and Students,” co-edited by WVU CPASS professor Sam Zizzi.

The sport management  graduate program at West Virginia University’s College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences is listed as the 44th best sport management program worldwide (Top 50), and 10th in the United States, according to a global ranking and rating agency evaluating masters and MBA programs.

The CPASS sport management program has appeared in the rankings for the past four years. Eduniversal Best Masters has released results for 2017 in its list of 50 best masters in sports management. 

The College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences has joined forces with WVU Extension Service to develop a program that encourages quality time between fathers and their children at local Monongalia Elementary schools.

Known as iFather, program organizers kicked off spring sessions at Skyview Elementary in March and have since held events at neighboring Ridgedale, Cheat Lake, Mountainview and Brookhaven schools.

Gonzalo Bravo, CPASS associate professor, was recognized at the West Virginia University Second Annual Scholarship Celebration. The event, organized by the Office of the Provost, honored WVU faculty who produced a major piece of scholarship work during the 2016 academic year.

CPASS Dean Dana Brooks and Sport Sciences Department Chair Jack Watson joined President E. Gordon Gee and Provost Joyce McConnell earlier this spring to honor award recipients at the Wise Downtown Library.