Andrew Ostrow

Andrew Ostrow received the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences Distinguished Service Award in 2014 in recognition of his teaching, scholarship, and leadership in sport and exercise psychology.

Ostrow earned his bachelor’s degree from Brooklyn College, his master’s degree from the University of Maryland, and his doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley. He joined the West Virginia University faculty in 1973 and served for 35 years before retiring in 2008.

At WVU, Ostrow developed and taught undergraduate and graduate courses in areas such as research methods, statistics, sport psychology, and psychological assessment. He chaired and served on numerous thesis and dissertation committees and received several CPASS Outstanding Teaching Awards. He authored and edited books on the psychological aspects of aging and physical activity and was the editor of the Directory of Psychological Tests in the Sport and Exercise Sciences.

Ostrow was the founding program coordinator for the Sport and Exercise Psychology program at WVU, guiding its growth into one of the nation’s leading doctoral programs. With colleague William Alsop, he co-founded Fitness Information Technology (FiT Publishing) in 1984. Under their leadership, FiT published more than 75 scholarly and professional works in sport management, sport and exercise psychology, physical education, and athletic coaching, along with several academic journals and online resources. In 2004, Ostrow and Alsop donated the assets of FiT to CPASS, creating the International Center for Performance Excellence to foster cross-cultural relationships through sport.

His professional recognition includes the NASPE/AAHPERD Distinguished Achievement Award in Sport Management and the Midwest AAHPERD Scholar Award.