Degrees Offered
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Science
The WVU School of Sport Sciences empowers students through experiential, future-focused, and industry-connected learning to elevate health, wellness, and performance across dynamic industries. Through instructional innovation, meaningful discovery, and strategic partnership, we engage with individuals and communities to shape the future of sport, physical activity, and beyond.
Students in our majors – esports business and entertainment, health and well-being, physical education and kinesiology, sport, exercise, and performance psychology, sport leadership, sport management, and strength and conditioning – explore physiological, biomechanical, sociological, psychological, historical, and philosophical foundations of movement. Students in our minors and certificate programs enhance their primary fields of study through complementary areas such as sport analytics and biomechanics, sport coaching, personal training and group fitness, health coaching, and more.
Students in our programs engage in meaningful experiential learning across diverse professional settings, with opportunities to work at the intersection of sport, performance, health promotion, and emerging digital technologies. All students complete at least one immersive field experience prior to graduation to support the application of classroom knowledge in real-world environments.
Careers can include, but are not limited to, sport coaching, strength and conditioning, and athlete development; physical education teaching, sport instruction, and adapted physical activity; mental performance enhancement for athletes, military personnel, performing artists, and other performers; sport and esports facilities operations, management, marketing, and event coordination; athletic administration at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels; health and wellness coaching and more. Many advance to graduate studies.
Whether developing athletes, enhancing mental performance, advancing health and well-being, shaping the future of esports, or innovating in the management of sports, our graduates have opportunities to gain knowledge, skills, and experiences to make a meaningful impact across the diverse fields of human movement, performance, and wellness.
Basic Instruction Program
Courses offered in our basic instruction program are designed to engage students in sport and physical activity and are open to all students at the University. A wide variety of team, individual, and leisure sports and recreational activities are offered both in person and online. The aims of the program are to support: (1) an appreciation of the body and its capacity to move; (2) movement skills of games and sport; and (3) an appreciation of the value of continued activity over the lifespan.
Administration
School Director
- Dana Voelker - Ph.D. (Michigan State University)
Associate Director
- James Wyant - Ph.D. (West Virginia University)
Faculty
Professors
- Gonzalo Bravo - Ph.D. (The Ohio State University)
Sport Management, Executive Sport Management - Sean Bulger - Ed.D. (West Virginia University)
Physical Education and Kinesiology, Physical Education Teacher Education, Coaching and Teaching Studies - Kristen Dieffenbach - Ph.D. (University of North Carolina - Greensboro)
Strength and Conditioning, Sport Coaching, Coaching and Teaching Studies - Peter Giacobbi - Ph.D. (University of Tennessee)
Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, Sport and Performance Psychology - Cindy Lee - Ph.D. (The Ohio State University)
Sport Management, Executive Sport Management - Dana Voelker - Ph.D. (Michigan State University)
Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, Sport and Performance Psychology - Valerie Wayda - Ed.D. (West Virginia University)
Health and Well-being - Sam Zizzi - Ed.D. (West Virginia University)
Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, Sport and Performance Psychology
Associate professors
- William (Guy) Hornsby III - Ph.D. (East Tennessee State University)
Strength and Conditioning, Sport Coaching, Coaching and Teaching Studies - Emily Murphy - Ph.D. (West Virginia University)
Health and Well-being - Emi Tsuda - Ph.D. (The Ohio State University)
Physical Education and Kinesiology, Physical Education Teacher Education, Coaching and Teaching Studies - James Wyant - Ph.D. (Ph.D. (West Virginia University)
Physical Education and Kinesiology, Physical Education Teacher Education, Coaching and Teaching Studies
Assistant professors
- Ashley Coker-Cranney - Ph.D. (West Virginia University)
Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, Sport and Performance Psychology - Thadeu Gasparetto - Ph.D. (University of Vigo)
Sport Management, Executive Sport Management - Seungbak Lee - Ph.D. (University of Mississippi)
Sport Management, Executive Sport Management - Zachary P. Pedersen - Ph.D. (Indiana University)
Sport Management, Executive Sport Management - Xiaoxia Zhang - Ph.D. (University of Texas - Arlington)
Physical Education and Kinesiology, Physical Education Teacher Education, Coaching and Teaching Studies
Teaching associate professor
- Christiaan Abildso - Ph.D. (West Virginia University)
Health and Well-being - Jake Augustin - MS (Northern Illinois University)
Sport Management, Executive Sport Management - Gary Lhotsky - Ed.D. (Florida State University)
Sport Management, Executive Sport Management - Michael Ryan - Ph.D. (West Virginia University)
Strength and Conditioning, Sport Coaching, Coaching and Teaching Studies - Ryan Wamsley - MS & MPH (West Virginia University)
Physical Education and Kinesiology - Justin Wartella - Ph.D. (University of Nevada - Las Vegas)
Sport Management, Executive Sport Management
Teaching assistant professors
- Patrick Hairston - Ed.D. (Delaware State University)
Sport Management, Executive Sport Management - Zenzi Huysmans - Ph.D. (West Virginia University)
Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology - Peter McGahey - Ed.D. (Minnesota State University - Mankato)
Strength and Conditioning, Sport Coaching, Coaching and Teaching Studies
Service assistant professor
- Courtney Semkewyc - Ph.D. (Rutgers)
Sport Sciences
Professors emeriti
- William Alsop
- Dana Brooks
- J. William Douglas
- Eloise Elliott
- Edward Etzel, Jr.
- Andrew Hawkins
- Lynn Housner
- Andrew Ostrow
- Robert Wiegand
Associate professors emeriti
- Dallas Branch
- Linda Carson
- Bruce Wilmoth
- Daniel Ziatz