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The textbook, “ Group Counseling: Strategies and Skills,” written by West Virginia University faculty members Ed Jacobs and Christine Schimmel, along with Bob Masson and Riley Harvill, has been recognized by the Textbook and Academic Authors Association with the McGuffey Longevity Award.

Jacobs and Schimmel are both faculty members in the School of Counseling and Well-Being in the College of Applied Human Sciences.

Zabrya Robson, a behavior health counselor at Community Care of West Virginia, came to West Virginia University knowing she wanted to help others. She earned her undergraduate degree at WVU, and then when looking for a master’s program to pursue counseling, she once again chose WVU largely because of the flexibility of the clinical rehabilitation and mental health counseling program.

In 2019, even before the pandemic and many lives and professions turned into hybrid worlds, Margaret Glenn and her colleagues were investigating the use of novel technologies in simulation education. Glenn readily admits she was not familiar with much of the technology that existed then but saw a presentation about how immersive videos could help people expand their experience of different subject matter via a virtual reality headset. Five years later, WVU is leading the way in the field of Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling with its innovative use of virtual reality technology.

Glenn, a professor in the School of Counseling and Well-Being, serves as the principal investigator in the development of the Accessible, Innovative, & Relevant Training for Vocational Rehabilitation (AIR4VR) project. It is funded by the US Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration’s Innovative Training Program. Glenn’s team also includes David Smith from the Reed College of Media who serves as a co-principal investigator. The project is in its fifth and final year and recently received funding for an additional year.

Nothing was ever going to come easy for Gage Smith.

The factors working against him based simply on life’s circumstances made the chances of him even getting to West Virginia University as a student equal parts remarkable and improbable.

Two students in the College of Applied Human Sciences have earned scholarships from the WVU Foundation to help them defray costs and support the completion of their theses or dissertations. 

Megan Hut, from Tiel, the Netherlands, is one of four WVU doctoral students to receive the WVU Foundation Distinguished Doctoral Scholarship. She is pursuing a doctoral degree in educational theory and practice 

The College of Applied Human Sciences celebrate Commencement on Saturday, December 16, at 2 p.m. at the WVU Coliseum. Here is a look at several graduates from the College who will be earning their degree this weekend.  

Isaac Bond is a West Virginia native who maximized his time in the sport management program by utilizing in-person and online classes in order to work during his time at school. Katie Merrill, one of the first graduates of the mental health and addiction studies program on Saturday, credits the faculty for their personal investment into her success. 

Kim Floyd, associate professor in the WVU School of Counseling and Well-Being, has been awarded the Teacher Education Division (TED) Social Justice Award in recognition of her significant contributions to special education, teacher education, and the TED organization. The award ceremony took place in Long Beach, Calif., in October of 2023.

Floyd, a two-time recipient of the Outstanding Teacher award at WVU, has consistently demonstrated her commitment to advancing education through dynamic and timely curriculum development. Her teaching practices focus on socially and culturally responsive methods, earning her a reputation for excellence in the field.

On a whim, Marissa Mangione gave West Virginia University a chance. She got a flyer in the mail at her home Richboro, Pa., (just outside of Philadelphia), and wanted to visit campus. Despite roots in Pennsylvania and ties to Penn State, she came to Morgantown and realized almost immediately that she wanted to be a Mountaineer.  

"I was either going to go to West Virginia or Penn State,” she admits. “WVU checked all the boxes for me: I wanted a big school, a big community, and a lot of opportunities. And I also loved the spirit for the football team."

The West Virginia University campus is invited to celebrate the start of the academic year with the College of Applied Human Sciences on Thursday, September 7, 3-5 p.m. at the Evansdale recreation fields. All students, faculty and staff are welcome to attend.

The fair will feature free snacks, drinks, games, prizes, music, and more. Students will be able to meet college faculty and staff, including a meet and greet with Dean Autumn Cyprès, and learn more about various clubs and organizations on campus. 

The Center for ActiveWV in the West Virginia University College of Applied Human Sciences is pleased to announce the receipt of a $768,000 grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's High Obesity Program. The grant, awarded under a five-year cooperative agreement, will support the growth of CAHS's existing HOP grant and the implementation of the Be Wild, Be Wonderful, Be Healthy: Expanded program.

The Be Wild, Be Wonderful, Be Healthy: Expanded program aims to enhance the capacity and partnerships of CAHS in developing and implementing targeted approaches to improve access to healthy foods and physical activity opportunities for residents in eight counties across three distinct geographical regions of West Virginia. These counties include Clay, Braxton, Calhoun, Logan, Boone, Lincoln, Summers, and Monroe.

In the heart of Talcott, a small town nestled in the scenic landscapes of West Virginia, Michaela Wynes, with the help of her cousin Malik, has embarked on a remarkable journey to uplift her community with the founding of the Wynes Facility for Families and Children. The non-profit organization is dedicated to improving the lives of young individuals in their hometown.

While 2020 was the year when most people struggled due to the COVID pandemic, it was the following year that Michaela had her own personal struggles. She conceded that things had piled up on her and her mental health struggled along with her ability to be herself. At one of the moments that she felt at her lowest, her mom came in and she realized how grateful she was that she had her family.

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.

The College of Applied Human Sciences at West Virginia University is proud to announce that two of its graduate programs have been recognized in the 2023-24 edition of the U.S. News and World Report's Best Graduate Schools rankings.

The clinical rehabilitation and mental health counseling program in the School of Counseling and Well-Being has been ranked as the 19th-best rehabilitation counseling graduate program in the country, placing it in the top quartile of programs nationwide. This ranking was determined through peer assessments.

The College of Applied Human Sciences will cap its inaugural academic year at Commencement on Saturday, May 13, at 9 a.m. at the WVU Coliseum. Here is a look at several graduates from the College who will be earning their degree this weekend.

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.