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CPASS sport management graduate and guard for WVU men’s basketball, Jevon Carter, was named Male Athlete of the Year at the 2018 Blue and Golden Globe Awards.

Overall, 260 Mountaineers were acknowledged for GPAs of 3.0 or better and 40 of those were honored for 4.0 GPAs. The top graduating senior from each Mountaineer program invited his or her most influential professor to the awards banquet and, as the top graduating senior out of men’s basketball, Carter chose to bring his longtime adviser Theresa Scafella. “She’s been with me since my freshman year … put me in all the right classes I needed to make sure that I was on time to graduate,” Carter said.

The globalization of sport has never been more evident than it is today, and the cross-cultural reach of sport continues to explode at the recreational, amateur and professional levels. It is the mission of FiT Publishing, the publishing division of the International Center for Performance Excellence (ICPE), to support CPASS’s international educational initiatives by disseminating the most recent research in the sport sciences field — by both national and international scholars — to a global audience in the form of our journals and books. 

In 1992, FiT Publishing began publication of its first journal, Sport Marketing Quarterly (SMQ). Today, SMQ is recognized internationally as a premier sport marketing journal, with a subscriber base in more than 20 countries, an upcoming impact factor rating, and, recently, video podcasts to accompany each issue. The International Journal of Sport Finance (IJSF) serves as a high-level forum for the worldwide dissemination of current research on sport finance topics, with the objective to advance knowledge of the topic area from both a globally diversified and multidisciplinary perspective. 

As one way to recognize employees, WVU created 150 Celebration Coins to show appreciation for individuals who shine with the principles of service, curiosity, respect, accountability and appreciation. Only 150 distinctive gold coins were created to honor faculty and staff who exemplify these values and strive to excel each day in their respective roles. CPASS recipients of the 150 Celebration Coins include the following: Sharon Sisler, business planning officer; Joanne Pollitt, office administrator; Tracy Wheeler, operations manager; and Sean Bulger, professor (via WVU online program).

After a six-hour road trip, and four states later, 61 CPASS students and faculty converged on Indianapolis, Ind., for the Sport Management Worldwide Football Career Conference and NFL Scouting Combine in early March.

The students attended a daylong networking event with speakers from NFL Network and ESPN along with analysts, agents, team general managers, former NFL coaches and front office personnel.

A study abroad journey designed to give students the opportunity to work with local underserved youth combined sport performance, safety and sport psychology in Costa Rica, Central America.

The faculty-led trip offered preparation in injury prevention, sport drills and sport psychology lessons. During the trip, students examined the role of sport within the Costa Rican culture by attending professional sporting events, community rodeo, local-styled dance and adventure activities while focusing on sports medicine and culture in Costa Rica. 

In February, nine CPASS students and sport management faculty attended the Curt Roberts Step Up to the Plate event commemorating the late Curt Roberts, the first African-American drafted by the Pirates.

Frank Coonelly, Pittsburgh Pirates president, served as the keynote speaker. Following Coonelly’s presentation, students and Pirates front office members formed a panel to discuss inclusion in the workplace and career advice.

The CPASS Office of Student Success (OSS) provides students professional advising and academic support services. And in collaboration with the WVU Career Services Center, the OSS will expand its programming during the upcoming academic year to incorporate an increased focus on career readiness to prepare students for a diverse job market. 

Career Development specialists Jessica DiLello and Çağla Çelik will partner with College faculty and staff to offer greater access to career-related learning experiences and individual consultations. “[This] represents an exciting next step in helping us to meet the needs of our students,” said Lindsay Augustine, interim director of enrollment management.

The 2018 Don Nehlen Lecture Series featured Coach Mack Brown, former University of Texas head football coach, and Dr. John Ivy, professor emeritus, University of Texas. The event included a discussion about optimizing performance in Division 1 football. Brown, along with Ivy, who oversaw the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education at the University of Texas, reviewed their unique partnership in combining coaching and the science of sport. Coaches, athletes, students and community members learned more about enhancing physical performance and outcomes.

The NSCA State Conference, a CPASS-hosted event, provided unprecedented access to renowned sport sciences professionals this year. This first-ever workshop of its kind in West Virginia featured speakers typically found on national platforms, while allowing area coaches an opportunity to benefit from the locally based clinic. Industry professionals included a former head of physiology at the U.S. Olympic Committee, a two-time Olympian, the director of applied performance at Baylor University, a former NSCA president and a long-term athlete and resistance training expert. They discussed topics ranging from sport and coaching science to resistance training to long-term athlete development.

“The audience had direct access to world leaders in the field of strength and conditioning and sport science who presented at the state clinic,” said Guy Hornsby, WVU CPASS athletic coaching education teaching assistant professor. And, perhaps most importantly, CPASS students gained priceless knowledge and networking opportunities.

The Society of Health and Physical Educators has nationally recognized CPASS for having met or exceeded the Initial Physical Education Teacher Education Standards in preparing our undergraduate students.

Among other categories, the report reviews students’ success in passing the physical education specialty test. WVU’s PETE students boast a pass rate of 100 percent on the Praxis II physical education exam. “The high pass rate on the Praxis II specialty test speaks volumes about the scope and sequence of the undergraduate PETE curriculum, along with the quality of the faculty who deliver it,” said Valerie Wayda, chair, Coaching and Teaching Studies Department, CPASS.

BestColleges.com has recently named the CPASS Online Master’s in Sport Management program one of the top 50 best in the nation for 2018. The ranking highlights accredited, not-for-profit institutions who have developed exceptional academic online programs for students looking to advance their knowledge, skills and career in sports management. “The online Master’s in Sport Management program ranking highlights schools that have established quality academic curriculums while remaining accessible, affordable and flexible for today’s students,” said Jack Watson, professor and CPASS associate dean. “Earning a position on the ranking demonstrates the determination of WVU to provide an exceptional online program that values academic excellence and student outcomes.”

Hoping to build on the success of the inaugural Day of Giving last fall, West Virginia University Foundation officials have announced plans to conduct a second WVU Day of Giving on November 14, 2018. Once again, CPASS will invite alumni, faculty, staff and friends to join in the online fundraising event.  

“In one 24-hour period last November, our generous alumni and friends stepped up to give nearly $3 million to WVU,” said B.J. Davisson, Foundation senior vice president of development and chief development officer.

Booth received her bachelor’s degree in physical education with an athletic training emphasis from WVU and went on to earn a master’s and doctorate from other universities. Booth was the first woman to serve as the District IV Director on the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Board of Directors, and as the NATA secretary, treasurer, chair and member of the NATA Finance Committee. CPASS was Booth’s sixth Hall of Fame induction. Booth now works as the administrator for the Division of Palliative Care at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

Colt received his bachelor’s degree in physical education with a minor in athletic training from WVU while playing on the men’s soccer team from 1972 to 1976 and went on to earn master’s and a doctorate in education. Colt worked at Temple University before dedicating 27 years of athletic training expertise to Northwest Missouri State. He also spent time at the United State Air Force Academy from 2008-2012 and was vice president of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association. Colt currently works as program director for the Athletic Training program at the University of Missouri.

What would it be like to watch a pulse-pounding, championship game from just behind the sidelines? How would it feel to hold the trophy high and slip a championship ring on your own finger? These CPASS graduates know. They’ve been at the helm or on the crew of some impressive sports programs recently.

Michel received his master’s and doctoral degrees from CPASS in 2012-2013. He says WVU is the epicenter of the sport and exercise psychology graduate universe.Ten months after Michel was hired by the Houston Astros, in 2017, the team won the World Series for the first time.

We sat down with faculty experts to answer key questions about the educational centers on our campus that have become vital to research and student engagement at CPASS.

Expert: Kristen Dieffenbach, associate professor of Athletic Coaching Education