A faculty member from the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences has been recognized for her exceptional commitment to teaching, research and service to the University, students and community.
The 2020-21 James and Karen Caveney Alumni Association Faculty Excellence Award recognizes Andrea Taliaferro, an associate professor in the Department of Coaching and Teaching Studies.
The annual award recognizes faculty who are highly productive in their research, exceptional in their teaching and instruction innovation, and outstanding in their commitment to the people of West Virginia. Candidates are also expected to have a good moral reputation and community standing. Dr. James Caveney and his wife, Karen, established the award in 2014. They, along with their three children and immediate family, hold 19 degrees from WVU.
“This particular award is targeted to faculty who are all-around star players,” said Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Maryanne Reed. “Dr. Taliaferro is an exemplary recipient of this award, excelling in all three areas of teaching, service and scholarship, while contributing to the wellbeing and positive health outcomes of West Virginia communities.”
Taliaferro was described by the awards committee as the faculty member with the most well-rounded combination of the Caveney Award criteria, having won Excellence in Teaching, Research and Service awards from her college every year since 2011 and the WVU Foundation Outstanding Teacher Award in 2019. In addition to a strong publication record, her research, teaching and service activities are consistently supported by extramural funding.
Taliaferro has dedicated a significant amount of her time on service-learning and community-engaged scholarship to create a meaningful impact on communities. Her research focuses on minimizing health disparities for individuals with disabilities through the improvement of inclusive physical activity opportunities in West Virginia school- and community-based settings.
She also takes an innovative and community-focused approach to teaching. For instance, Taliaferro directs and supervises service-learning experiences in adapted physical education. Through this program, WVU students across multiple majors gain hands-on clinical experience, and school-aged children with disabilities receive weekly physical activity programming.
As the 2020-21 Caveney award recipient, Taliaferro will receive a $6,000 professional development honorarium.
Read more about this and other awards on the WVU Faculty website.