Latest News

Paige Grove came to WVU partly because of how welcoming the campus felt on visits, and partly because her mother is an alumna. She found her direction in Youth and Family Sciences, with a focus on child life, a healthcare specialty centered on supporting children and families through serious medical experiences. Hands-on time at WVU Medicine Golisano Children's Hospital put that training into practice and pointed her toward a master's degree in child life at the University of Georgia this fall.

As part of West Virginia University’s May 2026 Commencement celebration, Emma Halstead, an elementary education major from the College of Applied Human Sciences, shares a thank you note to one of the faculty members who had a significant impact on her: Johnna Bolyard.

The College of Applied Human Sciences recognized outstanding students from across its two academic schools during its annual Student Awards Ceremony on Friday, April 24, at the Mountainlair on the WVU campus.

FULL PHOTO GALLERY

As part of West Virginia University’s May 2026 Commencement celebration, Alaina Fry a mental health and addiction studies major from the College of Applied Human Sciences, shares a personal letter to her high school self—reflecting on the growth, challenges, and moments that shaped her WVU experience.

As part of West Virginia University’s May 2026 Commencement celebration, Rachel Rapose, an elementary education major from the College of Applied Human Sciences, shares a personal letter to her high school self—reflecting on the growth, challenges, and moments that shaped her WVU experience.

Madison Zink was a Navy veteran before she was a Mountaineer. After her service, she took stock of what she wanted to do next and landed on elementary education, drawn to WVU in part by her sister's experience there. The program delivered what she was looking for: real time in classrooms, practical preparation, and professors who stayed engaged. Off campus, Zink found her footing through the WVU Veterans Club, where she served as vice president and built the confidence she'd need heading into a teaching career.

With teacher shortages mounting and a wave of principal retirements on the horizon, the WVU College of Applied Human Sciences is meeting the demand for school leaders through its online M.A. in Leadership Studies in Education program. Built around a place-based leadership model, the program prepares working educators to strengthen schools by drawing on community assets, including local partnerships and deeply rooted relationships. Erin McHenry-Sorber, a nationally recognized rural education scholar, shapes the program's approach with a particular focus on rural West Virginia schools. A new summer 2026 start term is now available.

Nate Whiting spent decades writing poems for fun, for his students, and for his family, never thinking much would come of it. The WVU education alum and former physical education teacher finally had someone convince him otherwise. Now he's the author of the "Whimsies of an Accidental Poet" series, rhyme-driven children's books built around big imagination and the belief that kids deserve to laugh.

Hannah Decanio, a master’s student in the school counseling program at West Virginia University, was named the 2026 Graduate Student of the Year by the West Virginia School Counselor Association and received the award at the organization’s annual conference Feb. 26–27 at the Waterfront Hotel in Morgantown.

The award recognizes a master’s student in school counseling for scholarship, advocacy, and leadership potential.

Shauna Riggs came to WVU seeking independence without losing the sense of community she values as a West Virginian. As an elementary education major, she has found both, building her confidence in the classroom while also performing as a member of the "Pride of West Virginia" marching band. Between full days at school and evenings on the practice field, Riggs has learned to manage the demands of teaching and music while becoming the educator she set out to be.

Ian Finegan had never been to West Virginia when he applied to WVU. From just north of Baltimore, he was looking for a college that felt like the right fit, both personally and academically. He found that in Morgantown at WVU, where an initial interest in one major eventually turned into two. With guidance from academic advisors, Finegan chose to pursue degrees in Mental Health and Addiction Studies and Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, a decision that still has him on track to graduate a semester early and continue on to graduate school.

Each school day, University school counseling interns are taking their training into more than 18 public schools in nine counties and districts in West Virginia and Pennsylvania, serving close to 10,000 students.

Alaina Schrader, a lecturer with the School of Education and Counseling in the WVU College of Applied Human Sciences, says those interns are doing important work.

In classrooms where instruction is increasingly structured, Courtney Shimek’s work makes a case for the value of play, conversation, and curiosity in how young children develop literacy. Shimek, the 2024-25 CAHS Research of the Year, studies early childhood literacy and teacher preparation that focuses on how children develop understanding through authentic classroom experiences and how teachers can be prepared to support that process. Through her research and teaching, she encourages educators to remain flexible and reflective as they respond to how students engage with language in the classroom.

Sean Bulger and Liz Rexroad from CAHS were among the 10 exceptional employees recognized at the inaugural Outstanding Mountaineer Awards.

Kimberly Manning always aspired to be the kind of teacher that would not just support the academic goals of children, but also their social and and emotional development. She came to WVU from Oakland, N.J., and has continued to nurture that aspiration along with balancing her fieldwork, classwork, and campus life. She also added a transformative study abroad experience in South Africa in the summer of 2025 that helped expand her understanding of teaching and learning.