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The Weight Management Program, a community-based diet and exercise program, reached 33 counties through approximately 100 fitness centers around the Mountain state.

The innovative arrangement, developed by Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA) and managed by West Virginia University, was recognized nationally for the fee-for-service model housed at community-based fitness centers, designed to promote healthy living. PEIA will continue to oversee the program.

Eloise Elliott, PhD, Ware Distinguished Professor, CPASS, and William Neal, MD, School of Medicine, were invited speakers at the recent Appalachian Translational Research Network (ATRN) Summit in Lexington, KY, in September.

Their talk,  The West Virginia CARDIAC Project: Surveillance, Research, and Interventions, focused on successful community-academic research collaborations and how community partnerships are integral to the success of all three components of the Project.

A WVU sport and exercise graduate assistant was one of 10 people recognized by the Association for Applied Sport Psychology and the AASP Foundation in their 2018 award cycle.

Sport and Exercise Psychology doctorate student Zenzi Huysmans, from the Kingdom of eSwatini in southern Africa, was awarded the Distinguished Doctoral Student Practice Award.

An on-line master of science program blends industry best practices and practical skills. A new major offers internships for real hands-on experience in the field, preparing graduates to lead physical activity programs in community, campus, commercial and resort settings. An innovative collaboration provides an opportunity to use applied sport science within a combination of service and research to help coaches and athletes better understand the training process.

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.

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.

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

A new, faculty-led development program at CPASS is setting a high bar. The program seeks to fulfill a big part of the College’s strategic international mission — increasing student engagement, opening up collaboration between multiple institutions, building an international dimension into existing programs and connecting students with opportunities across the world.

CPASS maintains a strategic priority of increasing student engagement in our international mission. The College continues to support major-specific study abroad trips. However, study abroad has limitations and reaches only a small number of students. In an interactive and global workforce, other academic innovations are needed to provide a higher percentage of students with international learning experiences.

What better way to introduce children to science, technology, engineering and math than through sports and exercise? During this summer’s WVU National Youth Sports Program, the Mountaineer Area RoboticS team, (MARS) stopped by to share their passion about competitive robotics and mental skills. 

Eleven MARS volunteers visited NYSP to promote interest in STEM education. They incorporated their knowledge about robotics in NYSP activities, engaging the campers through active learning. 

William Way, Sport and Exercise Psychology doctoral student, participated in the CPASS 2018 Student Research Day. Way won first place in the Graduate Ethics category. For most students, research can sound intimidating, but Way has a view on research that many admire.

During the event held in April, students from both graduate and undergraduate programs exhibited research for faculty review. Even though Way was presenting his own research, being a WVU doctoral student has given him the opportunity to teach a few undergraduate courses.

The College of Physical Activates and Sport Sciences hosted 2018 Student Research Day, providing a forum for students to present their research topics and receive direct feedback from faculty.

The event, held April 27, CPASS building main lobby, featured the work of both undergraduate and graduate students. “The 6th annual CPASS Research Day was a huge success, with 35 student posters presented during the event. These posters represented a broad range of projects and took the form of both research and applied topics,” said Jack Watson, professor and chair, Department of Sport Sciences. 

Leigh Skvarla (formerly Bryant), has blended her passion for research and performer wellness, leading her to receive an NCAA grant. Skvarla, along with Mary Jo Loughran, submitted the topic, “The development of a web-based program to assist coaches as they support the mental health needs of student-athletes,” which has been funded by the NCAA.

Skvarla, SEP 2017 PhD graduate, is an adjunct professor at Chatham University, Pittsburgh, PA. Additionally, she serves as a mental skills trainer and peak performance consultant at KPEX Consulting in Pittsburgh.

Faculty from the West Virginia University College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences will host a workshop focused on sport and coaching science and long-term athlete development. WVU faculty will conduct the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) West Virginia State Clinic on the WVU Morgantown campus in early February. 

Strength and conditioning coaches and educators will provide scientific and applied based presentations and roundtable discussions on February 3, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. in the WVU Mountainlair Gold and Blue rooms. The Center for Applied Coaching and Sport Science at CPASS will sponsor the event. 

Omur Dugan, from Turkey, is a visiting scholar at CPASS, working with Gonzalo Bravo, associate professor in sport management. Her research areas include ethical and gender issues in sport management, with a focus in career development and barriers for women in sports. Dugan focused on gender issues in senior management in Turkish sport organizations during her doctorate degree. 

While at WVU, Dugan will develop the project "Glass Ceiling Syndrome and Career Development of Women in NCAA" with Bravo. “I've known Dr. Bravo from his international publications and the international sport management network we have. I will also collaborate in a project with one of Dr. Bravo's graduate students on a similar topic.  

Billy Cedar, a student in the college’s first year on campus master’s program and successful strength and conditioning graduate assistant in a Morgantown area high school, was awarded a student travel grant from the Eastern Tennessee State University’s Center of Excellence for Sport Science and Coach Education for their upcoming Coaches College December 1-2, 2017 held at ETSU. Read more about Billy in the following Q&A series.

The opportunity to serve as a graduate assistant is what initially drew me to WVU and CPASS. The blend of practical experience and classroom education made CPASS an easy decision when choosing my graduate education. My favorite aspect of the Athletic Coaching Education master’s program is the diversity of the classes we take. The program offers a well-rounded curriculum that is raising the standard for what quality coaching can be.