Latest News

The College of Applied Human Sciences recognized four faculty members – Rawn Boulden, Patrick Hairston, Erin Jordan and Erin McHenry-Sorber – for outstanding work in the 2022-23 academic year at its all-college assembly on May 10.

Rawn Boulden was the recipient of the 2023 CAHS Outstanding Researcher Award. The award acknowledges a faculty member whose research has made significant contributions to one’s discipline in the past year. In the past year, Boulden’s work investigated issues of school counseling in rural areas, with special emphasis on Appalachia and culturally sustaining school counseling practices. His research portfolio included six peer-reviewed journal articles published or appearing in the press during the award period.

The College of Applied Human Sciences will cap its inaugural academic year at Commencement on Saturday, May 13, at 9 a.m. at the WVU Coliseum. Here is a look at several graduates from the College who will be earning their degree this weekend.

Sam Gambill's memories of going to baseball games are set mostly against the backdrop of Camden Yards, the home of the Baltimore Orioles. The venue, which sparked a renaissance in the aesthetics and design for Major League Baseball facilities, is now the backdrop for Gambill's learning experience as a member of the grounds crew for the Orioles.

"The first time walking out there and being on the field and being able to pick out every seat I had sat in over the years was a really special moment for me and something that I will cherish forever," Gambill said.

After COVID-19 moved classes online in 2020, a West Virginia University expert in adapted physical activity discovered that apps aren’t created equal when it comes to accessibility.

Even so, Samantha Ross, an assistant professor in the College of Applied Human Sciences, knew apps like Chrome or YouTube could still benefit users with disabilities, delivering multiple alternative ways to access information, from screen readers that turn written words into spoken language, to closed captions that convert spoken words into text. And once schools reopened classrooms, she observed that apps continued to be a big part of how K-12 teachers engaged classes.

The School of Sport Sciences recently had several faculty, students and alumni recognized for outstanding work across multiple fields and disciplines.

Tsuda named SHAPE Research Fellow
Emi Tsuda, assistant professor, was named a SHAPE Research Fellow at the organization’s annual conference. Fellow status is reserved for members who have made significant and sustained contributions to scholarship (research, creative, or scholarly activity) and related service in the areas of interest to SHAPE America. The purpose of Fellow status is to promote scholarship as an integral component of SHAPE America, recognize accomplishments in scholarship and promote participation in research activities of SHAPE America.

The WesMon Baseball League, through an alliance with the West Virginia University School of Sport Sciences in the College of Applied Human Sciences, begins its relationship with the Positive Coaching Alliance this spring to support a positive sports experience for local athletes and parents. PCA is a national non-profit developing “Better Athletes, Better People” by working to provide all youth and high school athletes a positive, character-building sports experience.

PCA will host an interactive workshop for coaches in the WesMon Baseball league this Friday, March 31, at 6 p.m., at The River Church in Westover. Attendees will explore why and how to pursue both winning and the more important goal of teaching life lessons through sports.

Betsy Robbins, student success coordinator in the College of Applied Human Sciences, has been named a recipient of the 2023 Nicholas Evans Professional Staff Advising Excellence Award.

At the direction of the Office of the Provost, the WVU Academic Advising Council selects honorees for the Nicholas Evans Awards for Advising Excellence to recognize  outstanding advising and mentoring provided by faculty and professional advisers at WVU. The awards are in honor of Nicholas Evans, a lifelong proponent and exemplar of undergraduate advising at WVU.

Leveraging the power of social media, a new study led by WVU College of Applied Human Sciences is tapping into Facebook to deliver health education and promotion programs to a digital audience.

Professor Peter Giacobbi is leading a research study funded by Facebook/Meta via its non-profit foundation, Global Impact. His team is investigating the feasibility and impact of a physical activity and sleep intervention for adults ages 50-65 in private Facebook groups.

Sport management senior Rocco Agostino became the most recent student from West Virginia University to get real-world experience working at the Super Bowl in Phoenix on Feb. 12. Follow his nine-day trip through the journal below that starts with boarding the flight in Pittsburgh and ends with confetti on the ground at State Farm Stadium to get a behind-the-scenes look at one of the world’s largest sporting events.

The West Virginia University College of Applied Human Sciences celebrated the launch of the newest season of its podcast, Time Out, on Tuesday night with a panel discussion on the future of Title IX. Over 70 guests attended the event at Kegler’s Sports Bar and Grille.