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Sam Zizzi, the Dr. Pat Fehl Endowed Professor in the WVU College of Applied Human Sciences, was one of five finalists for the 2025 West Virginia Professor of the Year award, presented by the Faculty Merit Foundation of West Virginia.

The award was presented on April 9 at a banquet in the Great Hall of the West Virginia State Capitol Culture Center in Charleston. Peggy Fink, Associate Professor of Nursing at WVU Tech, was named the 2025 Professor of the Year. The other finalists recognized at the banquet were Rico Gazal, Glenville State University; Rebecca Giorcelli, Fairmont State University; and Barbara Ladner, West Virginia State University.

Nic Menarchek came to WVU with his sights set on NASA. One Sport Management class later, he had a new direction. Now a graduating senior, he works as a student manager and data analyst for WVU Baseball, gets hands-on time with some of the most advanced sport science technology in the country, and is interviewing with Major League teams.

The Center for Active WV is hosting two Mountaineer Mile Walk events this spring, and students and Morgantown community members are invited to lace up and join in.

Miss Morgantown Lizzie Romanak will lead participants through a 1-mile walk at the Evansdale Turf Fields adjacent to the WVU Rec Center on April 18 at 10 a.m. and again on May 8 at 4 p.m. The events are free and open to all with no registration required. Promotional items and giveaways will be available while supplies last.

JoAnn Outten-Kenton earned her master's degree in athletic training from WVU and spent years working the sidelines as a sports medicine professional. In 2008, a helmet to the shin during a Friday night football game set off 14 years of failed surgeries, chronic pain and a life on crutches. An above-the-knee amputation and a pioneering osseointegration procedure finally gave her back what the injury took. In April 2025, at 54, she won the Boston Marathon Handcycle Division.

Gonzalo Bravo and Cindy Lee, professors in the sport management program at West Virginia University, recently delivered a one-day continuing education workshop for sport administrators, teachers, and coaches in Harare, Zimbabwe.

The workshop, hosted by the Sport Leaders Institute of Zimbabwe (SLIZ) in partnership with the WVU School of Sport Sciences, brought together 35 sport professionals. Led by SLIZ President Maradza Mhiribidi, the event focused on how sport can be leveraged as a driver of economic and community development.

Growing up 20 minutes from Morgantown, Dominic Viani always imagined himself as a Mountaineer. Now a senior in the Physical Education and Kinesiology program, he's preparing for a career in education inspired by a former coach and his grandfather, a longtime physical education teacher. At the same time, Viani is building his own reputation by logging up to seven nights a week as a basketball official while completing his student teaching residency at the very elementary school he once attended as a kid.

West Virginia University alumna Kelly Ross has built a career in professional sports communications, now serving as manager of internal communications for the Pittsburgh Pirates. In this PRSA feature, she shares insight into how she approaches messaging, audience awareness, and storytelling at the highest level of sport.

Gary Lhotsky, a Bridgeport native who serves as a teaching associate professor for the  School of Sport Sciences in the College of Applied Human Sciences, has been selected for the February Faculty Feature. 

Ian Finegan had never been to West Virginia when he applied to WVU. From just north of Baltimore, he was looking for a college that felt like the right fit, both personally and academically. He found that in Morgantown at WVU, where an initial interest in one major eventually turned into two. With guidance from academic advisors, Finegan chose to pursue degrees in Mental Health and Addiction Studies and Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, a decision that still has him on track to graduate a semester early and continue on to graduate school.

Sam Zizzi, Dr. Pat Fehl Endowed Professor in the School of Sport Sciences in the College of Applied Human Sciences, is among five finalists for the 2025 Professor of the Year award from the Faculty Merit Foundation of West Virginia.

Sean Bulger and Liz Rexroad from CAHS were among the 10 exceptional employees recognized at the inaugural Outstanding Mountaineer Awards.

Luca Ziegler, a graduate student in  sport, exercise and performance psychology and  clinical mental health counseling at the  WVU College of Applied Human Sciences, says athletes have to stay open, aware, and engaged under pressure, whether they’re competing on the world stage or in a local match. That psychological flexibility helps shape their performance.

West Virginia University has launched an online Master of Science in Sport and Performance Psychology through the College of Applied Human Sciences, expanding graduate pathways in a field where WVU already holds a national reputation for academic and professional excellence.

The fully online master’s degree provides training in performance enhancement, motivation, resilience, positive coaching, and athlete well-being. The program is designed for recent graduates and working professionals seeking applied preparation in mental performance settings, with asynchronous courses that support both full-time and part-time enrollment.

What began as a temporary stop at West Virginia University turned into a 25-year career for Sam Zizzi, now the Dr. Pat Fehl Endowed Professor in the College of Applied Human Sciences. A reknowned expert in sport, exercise and performance psychology, Zizzi studies why motivation fades, how mindfulness reshapes performance, and what helps people sustain healthier habits in real life. Read more about how Zizzi’s research, teaching and service continue to impact performance and well-being.

Editor's note: The WVSEL event has been postponed due to weather conditions. The new date will be announced soon. 

West Virginia University Esports will host the West Virginia Scholastic Esports (WVSEL) Fall Finals on Friday, December 12, at the WVU Student Recreation Center.