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Dana Voelker, Sport and Exercise Psychology assistant professor, joins the ranks of West Virginia University faculty members  selected for the 2018 Foundation Award for Outstanding Teaching, which honors exceptional professors who go the extra mile to inspire their students.

“Dana Voelker is a dedicated teacher who does a great job of interacting with students and facilitating their learning inside and outside of the classroom,” said Jack Watson, professor and chair in the Department of Sport Sciences. “Students love her teaching style and are challenged to push themselves outside of their comfort zones in her classes.”

Office Administrator, Dean’s Office, 35 years

Joanne works diligently to keep the Dean’s Office organized and running smoothly, all the while bringing a smile and levity to every situation. She is known for her creative and humorous storytelling abilities, generating a chuckle in any crowd. Her smile is infectious, and her personality lights up each room that she enters. Her colleagues will miss these delightful qualities that Joanne brings to work with her every day

Jeremy Yeats, PhD, is a native of Colorado and has been an assistant professor at Adams State University for six years. The past two years, he has served as graduate coordinator for the coaching master’s program. He earned his doctorate in sport and exercise science, with an emphasis in sport pedagogy from the University of Northern Colorado; an MA in educational psychology from the University of Colorado at Denver; and a BA in health and physical education from the University of Hawaii at Hilo. His teaching philosophy centers on a constructivist framework, where learners use their prior knowledge, have learning experiences, construct new meanings, use reflections and start the cycle over again with a new set of prior knowledge. His teaching style reflects a student-centered and culturally-responsive classroom, which helps create an active community of learners.

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.