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Student Spotlights

Our students are making a difference in their communities and beyond. Read about their experiences and how they are applying their knowledge in real-world settings.

I don't know about other programs, but I know that this one is very family-oriented. I know that all of the faculty here truly want to see the students here be successful.

Dominic Viani

Class: 2026 Hometown: Fairmont, WV

B.S., Physical Education and Kinesiology

Read More : about Dominic Viani

I was once that 17-year-old kid who had no clue where I wanted to go to college. I had never even been to the state of West Virginia until I applied to WVU. When I was researching schools that I think would be good short-term and long-term, I came across WVU, and now I love everything about it.

Ian Finegan

Class: 2026 (December) Hometown: Perry Hall, Md.

B.A. Mental Health and Addiction Studies; B.S. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology

Read More : about Ian Finegan

The sport management program prepared me for my next chapter by helping me discover who I am both professionally and personally. The hands-on experiences, internships, and support from my professors have given me the confidence to step into the sports industry knowing I have real skills to offer.

Emily Chittester

Class: 2025 Hometown: DuBois, PA

B.S., Sport Management

Read More : about Emily Chittester

Latest News

News and notes from around the School of Sport Sciences.


              Dominic Viani referees a basketball game, wearing a striped official’s shirt and holding a whistle while watching the court.

Viani returns home to teach but calls his own game

Monday, March 09, 2026

Growing up 20 minutes from Morgantown, Dominic Viani always imagined himself as a Mountaineer. Now a senior in the Physical Education and Kinesiology program, he's preparing for a career in education inspired by a former coach and his grandfather, a longtime physical education teacher. At the same time, Viani is building his own reputation by logging up to seven nights a week as a basketball official while completing his student teaching residency at the very elementary school he once attended as a kid.

Read More: Viani returns home to teach but calls his own game

              Gary Lhotsky smiles while wearing a navy WVU Mountaineers shirt in an indoor setting.

Faculty Feature: Gary Lhotsky

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Gary Lhotsky, a Bridgeport native who serves as a teaching associate professor for the  School of Sport Sciences in the College of Applied Human Sciences, has been selected for the February Faculty Feature. 

Read More: Faculty Feature: Gary Lhotsky

              Ian Finnegan stands outdoors in front of a partially frozen river, wearing a blazer over a white shirt.

Finegan combines two majors for one unique educational experience

Tuesday, February 17, 2026

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.

Read More: Finegan combines two majors for one unique educational experience

              Sam Zizzi smiles outside of the Applied Human Sciences Building. He is wearing a tie and glasses and the WVU Rec Center is in the background on a sunny day.

From WVU eNews: Zizzi among 5 finalists for 2025 West Virginia Professor of the Year

Friday, January 30, 2026

Sam Zizzi, Dr. Pat Fehl Endowed Professor in the School of Sport Sciences in the College of Applied Human Sciences, is among five finalists for the 2025 Professor of the Year award from the Faculty Merit Foundation of West Virginia.

Read More: From WVU eNews: Zizzi among 5 finalists for 2025 West Virginia Professor of the Year

Read more stories about the School of Sport Sciences.

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