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An upcoming virtual workshop will feature the expanding partnership between West Virginia University and the Universidade Federal do Parana (UFPR) in Brazil. The April 9, 2021 one-day event, entitled “Research Across Borders,” will emphasize opportunities to expand and develop new collaborations in research, faculty development and graduate student exchanges.

The event is organized by the WVU College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences and the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources and supported by the WVU Office of Global Affairs along with the UFPR Agency for International Affairs.

Eileen Harvey will assume the director of Fitness Information Technology Publishing role, following the retirement of Barb Dalton. FiT Publishing, an international publisher in sport sciences, operates in the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences. 

FiT publishes books, peer-reviewed journals and digital products in sport psychology, sport and cultural studies, sport management and physical education. FiT Publishing’s most popular books are available in hard copy and digital formats.

A College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences staff member was honored for her superior dedication during a recent Office of Student Success Zoom meeting. Melinda Gallagher, OSS student success coordinator for online graduate students, received a 2020 WVU Values Coin for her commitment and enthusiasm in her daily role.

“Melinda has been an awesome addition to our office and the glue holding us all together during the past pandemic year. She goes above and beyond her duties, always eager to jump into a project or take on a new challenge,” Elizabeth (Betsy) Robbins, OSS student success coordinator said.

Recent transitions within the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences Office of Student Success will further boost the college’s student services offerings related to recruitment and retention. Through staff expansion and reorganization, along with additional opportunities to establish new program initiatives, OSS is well positioned to enhance student services.

Melinda Gallagher and Colton Metzger have joined the team as new student success coordinators. Gallagher will work directly with online graduate students while Metzger will assist undergraduate Health and Well-being students. Cole Smith and Kimberly Cameon have joined OSS in their current roles as web/graphic designer and communications specialist, respectively. Lindsay Augustine will lead OSS initiatives as the newly named assistant dean for student and enrollment services.

Michael Stokes was the first member of his family to earn a bachelor's degree from a major university. Growing up in a small town, Stokes worked hard to succeed. Through perseverance, the Norvelt, Pa. native says has realized his early career dreams. 

Stokes, B.S. sport management (2020), secured a position following graduation as an assistant equipment manager for the WVU baseball and basketball teams. “Landing my dream job right out of college at the age of 26 is truly a blessing. I still can’t believe I get to wake every day and do what I do,” Stokes said.

Five West Virginia University graduates, representing three colleges, share stories about how they set their sights on a career in the sports industry and achieved their dreams. For some, it started with a focus on their family’s love of sports, for others, it began with an early interest in team sports. For Billy Bunting, Bill Eagan, Brandon Golden, Michael Pehanich and Keith Tandy, West Virginia University offered the perfect pathway to connect them with the career of their choice.

From communications, to coaching, premium club member relations and sales, each of these Mountaineers play a leadership role with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization. Bunting, Eagan, Golden, Pehanich and Tandy face daily challenges to achieve goals and build meaningful relationships. As they discuss their experiences while in Morgantown, they reflect on why they chose WVU and how faculty guided them to excel, all the while developing a work ethic that remains with them today.

A College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences faculty member has received the 2020 Diane Gill Paper of the Year award from the Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal, recognizing her research on body image and weight and appearance pressures in competitive sport. 

Dana Voelker, associate professor and director of undergraduate online education, was honored for her publication, “It’s Just a Lot Different Being Male Than Female in the Sport”: An Exploration of the Gendered Culture Around Body Pressures in Competitive Figure Skating, with Dr. Justine Reel at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

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.