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Meet Katie Schoepfer, coaching and sport education master’s student who plans to graduate in May 2022. Schoepfer, from Waterford, Conn., has used her connections and academic experiences to become successful both inside and outside of the classroom. Recently, she was selected to serve as head coach of the U.S. Soccer Under-15 Girls’ National Team.

“My role is to identify and develop young soccer talent all over the country. I make every effort to introduce athletes to standards, culture and style of play of U.S. Soccer to set them up for a long career within the U.S. Soccer Federation,” Schoepfer said.

A vision of boundless opportunities within the sports industry has inspired a sport management master’s program student at the College to create an organization to support student networking and career objectives.

Lauren Burchfield, a sport management master’s program major with emphasis in comprehensive sport industry management, says she formed the Sports Leadership and Development Association for graduate students and other individuals with a keen interest in establishing a solid career pathway.

An online master’s student is building her business knowledge through networking and faculty expertise, all while developing her career as an assistant women’s soccer coach.

Sarah Ghaffoor states that the Sport Management Online Master’s Program supports her career pathway by connecting coursework to functional situations. “CPASS has helped me develop in my current position while looking to my future goals,” said Ghaffoor, who has combined an emphasis on comprehensive sports industry management with her major (she’s projected to graduate December 2021).

What do sport and exercise sciences have in common with chemical engineering? Probably not much. But the distant relationship between these two academic fields was not an obstacle for faculty and students from West Virginia University’s College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences and the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering in the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources. The groups joined forces with their counterpart programs at Universidade Federal do Parana in Brazil to create a one-day virtual workshop in April 2021 that gathered more than 140 participants.

The partnership originated in fall 2017 when WVU signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Universidade Federal do Parana. It was championed by CPASS in collaboration with the School of Physical Education at UFPR and was the result of several years of research and faculty exchanges. The MOU looks to act at the university level, not just the departmental level, so the collaboration was expanded in 2018 to include the Department of Chemical Engineering in the Statler College, which also partnered with its equivalent department at UFPR.

In fall 2021, a newly funded project kicked off to promote wellness within the West Virginia University community through adapted sport. Mountaineers on the Move will incorporate wheelchairs into physical activity courses, allowing the WVU community to learn and participate in an inclusive environment.  

Andrea Taliaferro, associate professor, said the two-year project, funded through the WVU Office of Health and Promotion and Wellness, is focused on preparing current and future physical activity professionals regarding inclusive beliefs.

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.

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.

Although many West Virginia University students are in a virtual learning environment this semester, CPASS Sport Management Club members continue to participate in especially engaging virtual sessions with industry professionals to develop connections in the field they love.

“My goal is to help students learn from industry professionals and to guide them in understanding that everyone’s path is different. Everyone has diverse experiences. We want to take advantage of the opportunity offered through the SM Club to speak with these individuals,” Natalie Gerber, SM Club president, explained.

The College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences’ newest staff member is focused on making learning accessible and engaging for CPASS students. Michele Korgeski, from Dunmore, Pennsylvania, says when she joined the college, she immediately noticed that administration and faculty care and want to help each student thrive.  

“My goal is to provide a consistency in learning, so the student and instructor can focus on the content they are learning and succeed in their studies,” Korgeski said.

Three majors in the West Virginia University College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences continue to earn high rankings while preparing graduates for in-demand careers in the dynamic physical activity and sport industry.

The college offers MS degrees for professional learners that can be completed fully online. These nationally recognized programs have chalked up numerous rankings, highlighting both the value of a degree and quality of the student experience.