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This fall, two College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences graduates will join the WVU 2015 Sports Hall of Fame induction class.

On September 26, prior to the West Virginia-Maryland football game, WVU Sports will recognize six honorees for their extraordinary contributions made both as student-athletes and in their careers.

A team of students at Fairmont State University, led by CPASS grad Dr. Amy Sidwell, was one of ten nationwide winners of the 2014 Ford Community College Challenge. The students’ plan, titled ‘Bridging the Gap: Sustainable Nutrition through Community Revitalization,” stems from sharing knowledge and creating a partnership between Fairmont State University, advisors and the community.

Each winning team was awarded a grant of $25,000 to support their work. The Bridging the Gap project reclaimed tennis courts that were no longer in use and turned them into the Fairmont Community Garden.  Dr. Amy Sidwell, assistant professor, Health and Physical Education, FSU, created the project along with her students.

West Virginia University’s Gonzalo Bravo, associate professor of sport management, CPASS, will speak before the Sport Committee of the House of Representatives within the Brazil Ministry of Sports on June 23, 2015 in the city capital of Brasilia, in Brazil.

Since being selected as the host of the two largest sporting events in the world, the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and the upcoming 2016 Rio Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian government is currently examining the present and future impact of sport in its country. To further explore national systems, the Brazil House of Representatives has invited sports authorities and experts to evaluate the development of a future Brazil sport system.

Three Olympians will visit the West Virginia University campus next week as part of the 2015 National Coaching Conference hosted by the WVU College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences.

Edward Etzel, 1984 Rifle and gold medalist and West Virginia University faculty member, Melinda Rhoads, 1984 Team Handball and 4th place in the Games and Clarissa Chun, 2008 and 2012 wrestling and bronze medalist in London, will attend the opening reception of the conference June 9 from 6 to 9 p.m. in Hall B at the Waterfront Place Hotel.

With the recent hosting of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Soccer and the upcoming Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, scholars around the world have focused their attention on Brazil.

This past spring semester five College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences students were enrolled in the special topic course Sport in Brazil. Gonzalo Bravo, associate professor in CPASS sport management, served as the architect behind this course as well as the lead-faculty of the Brazil study abroad trip this summer.

Faculty members in the West Virginia University College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences were recently recognized for outstanding teaching, research and service for the 2014-15 academic year.

Samuel Zizzi, professor, sport exercise psychology, was recognized as teacher of the year. Zizzi was recognized as a research Fellow by the Association for Applied Sport Psychology in 2012. In addition, he is a manuscript reviewer for a variety of journals in the fields of SEP and public health. His research pursuits span both sport and exercise psychology.

College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences graduate students have been immersed in a unique sports marketing experience as interns for the West Virginia Black Bears, a minor league baseball team.

A collaboration between Rich Baseball Operations and the WVU graduate sports management students began in September 2014. Rich Baseball Operations approached CPASS professor Dr. Dallas Branch to partner with his sports marketing class to execute a “Name the Team” fan contest.

In recognition of their exceptional community service, the undergraduate Sport and Exercise Psychology Club has received the Student Organization of the Year award from the Center for Service and Learning. The group was honored at the Excellence in Civic Engagement Award ceremony held on April 15.

“Being involved in community service is one of the core missions of the SEP club. This award recognizes the club and its members for their efforts in giving back to West Virginia University and the Morgantown community,” said Dr. Damien Clement,CPASS associate professor.

A partnership between the United States Tennis Association and West Virginia University will provide valuable training through a conference held on campus this summer. The training will offer lifetime leisure activities to the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences’ Physical Education Teacher Education Master’s degree program.

“This conference is a way of helping teachers add a lifetime activity component to physical education class,” said David Robertson, a CPASS coaching and teaching studies doctoral student. Robertson is coordinating the summer experience.

The Philadelphia Flyers are the recipients of this season’s Dick Dillman Award. The Flyers staff is led by College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences former student Zack Hill. The Dillman Award honors the team judged to have the top public relations department in the National Hockey League each season.

“It is a great honor to be recognized by my peers as well as the national media,” Hill said.