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Dana Voelker, CPASS associate professor and director of undergraduate online education, received the 2020 Diane Gill Paper of the Year Award from the Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal, recognizing her research on body image and weight and appearance pressures in competitive sport.

Voelker was honored for her publication, “It’s Just a Lot Different Being Male Than Female in the Sport: An Exploration of the Gendered Culture Around Body Pressures in Competitive Figure Skating,” with Dr. Justine Reel at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

In fall 2021, a newly funded project kicked off to promote wellness within the West Virginia University community through adapted sport. Mountaineers on the Move will incorporate wheelchairs into physical activity courses, allowing the WVU community to learn and participate in an inclusive environment.  

Andrea Taliaferro, associate professor, said the two-year project, funded through the WVU Office of Health and Promotion and Wellness, is focused on preparing current and future physical activity professionals regarding inclusive beliefs.

CPASS welcomes three new faculty members to campus this fall. Patrick Hairston, sport management teaching assistant professor, Peter McGahey, coaching and performance science teaching assistant professor, and Brent Oja, sport management assistant professor, bring a clear vision, specialized expertise and strong industry connections to support student success.

Hairston, McGahey and Oja will focus on challenging students to enhance their critical thinking skills, develop best practices, engage in research and discover their passion as they prepare for viable career options.

Members of the Center for ActiveWV and the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences at West Virginia University have launched a new online professional development resource for teachers, administrators, program coordinators, parents and others with an interest in promoting physical activity among youth.

“This free Active Academics® Training was created to help reach members of our West Virginia and broader communities with a resource to learn about physical activity recommendations and benefits, as well as tips for integrating physical activity in the classroom and throughout the day,” Eloise Elliott, Ware Distinguished Professor at CPASS, said.

A College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences graduate has landed a remarkable position at Facebook Inc. in Menlo Park, Calif., leveraging his doctoral training and experience in health care and user design.Spencer Ingels, PhD, Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology (2018), serves as a new user experience researcher (UXR) on the health team at Facebook. Ingels, whose hometown is Berkeley, CA, says he is focused on conducting research to inform and improve how products, tools and features are used to support better health.

“Currently much of this work is focused on understanding our users’ experience with Covid-19 and evaluating interventions to support prevention behaviors and vaccination,” Ingels said. “I am most excited to start work focusing on understanding how Facebook's tools as an online support network can be used to support better health outcomes.”

Johannes Raabe, assistant professor, Sport and Exercise Psychology at the West Virginia University College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, was recognized by a national group for his research exploring the perceived challenges and coping mechanisms of female NCAA Division I strength and conditioning coaches. Raabe, who serves as a faculty member in both the CPASS undergraduate and doctoral SEP program, received the 2021 Young Investigator Grant from the National Strength and Conditioning Association Foundation.

“It is a true honor to be recognized with this prestigious award, which will allow me to expand my work on the coach-athlete relationship to investigate coaches’ own psychological functioning,” Raabe said. “These efforts will help coaches to not only facilitate athletes’ development but also cope with the challenges of the profession, experience well-being and perform at a high level in their own right.

An ongoing research project will study the benefits of yoga for mental health and the experience of those who have taught and practiced yoga. The study, led by Suzanne Vogler, graduate student, College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, needs yoga instructors and practitioners to complete an online survey and participate in a virtual interview.

"More than 80 yoga practitioners have already shared their experiences, but we want to hear from you. All participants will have the opportunity to volunteer for an additional virtual interview where we invite participants to share their own yoga story and the experiences they have had," Vogler said.

An ongoing research-focused collaboration provides current West Virginia University Sport Management graduate students with the opportunity to work directly with sports industry specialists. Students highlighted real world business challenges as identified in the marketplace and used data and problem-solving solutions to overcome market environments, financial concerns and other complex issues.

“The relationship is designed to support students entering the industry with hands-on experience they can use to further their career path. It’s amazing that these industry mavens graciously contribute their time and expertise to guide our students throughout the process. The students take ownership and have learned immensely. I credit their transformation to the mentors and their patient, direct engagement and support,” Floyd Jones, associate professor, College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, said.

College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences’ Sport and Exercise Psychology 474 Research Methods and Capstone students have established a solid foundation for future graduate studies and professional careers. During their final presentations, the students presented a broad range of projects, covering psychological impacts of injuries, influence of social media, impact of involuntary retirement, eating disorder prevalence in female sports and interventions for athletes during COVID-19.

The groups, under the guidance of Scott Barnicle, SEP program coordinator and teaching assistant professor, completed the spring 2021 semester within the classroom setting. “I’m so proud of our SEP seniors for making it up research mountain this semester. It is always wonderful to see them present their projects. Some are off to graduate school in the fall while others are heading into the working world. It was a terrific spring semester with them all,” Barnicle said.

A partnership between the Center for Applied Coaching and Sport Sciences at West Virginia University and the Morgantown Hockey Association is providing quality youth sport programming in the area. The ongoing collaboration provides funding for a graduate assistant position within the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, devoted to enhance coaching and player development. 

As a GA, Brett Anderson is working with Kristen Dieffenbach, the Center director, national leader in the field of coach development, and CPASS associate professor, to support MHA’s youth development program. Anderson, coaching and sport education on campus master’s student, coordinated the Morgantown Hockey Association youth development program this season. Originally from Killam, Alberta, Canada, he has coached around the world.