By: Sydney Baird

Dr. Rae Emrick is a former Student, a former Athletic Director, and the current Athletic Director.  

Dr. Emrick graduated with her degrees from West Virginia Wesleyan in 1995 then went to Marshall University and West Virginia University. Once she graduated from Marshall with a Master of Science degree, she came back to WVWC and became a member of the athletic training staff. She spent 25 years on the athletic training staff here at Wesleyan. 

While here at Wesleyan, she has had a lot of different roles, which were staff, faculty and academic and administrative roles. Her roles have been closely related to the athletics here at Wesleyan. Dr. Emrick served as the Department and Program Director of the Athletic Training Program. For 15 years Dr. Emrick also served as the Associate Athletic Director as well as Senior Woman Administrator under three athletic directors. 

Dr. Emrick actually took a brief leave from West Virginia Wesleyan in August 2022 to February 2023. She left Wesleyan because she decided that after 25 years that it was a good time for her to retire. So, she did. Dr. Emrick says, “I didn’t plan on coming back but President Moore called her and asked her to come back and help out with the Athletic Director position.” She was hesitant at the beginning; she didn’t know if she wanted to come back. After a little thinking, Dr. Emrick returned to Wesleyan to assist in the position of Senior Associate Athletic Director. Then after a few months she interviewed for the Athletic Director job and as you can tell, she got the job and has been serving as the Athletic Director here at West Virginia Wesleyan. 

Throughout Dr. Emrick’s career here her leadership has been recognized and honored. In 2007, Rae was named Athletic Training Educator of the Year by the West Virginia Athletic Trainers’ Association (WVATA). The National Athletic Trainers’ Association Intercollegiate Council for Sports Medicine (NATA ICSM) recognized her as the 2018 NCAA Head Athletic Trainer of the Year NCAA DII. Also, Dr. Emrick was awarded the WVWC Exemplary Teaching Award in the fall of 2018. Dr. Emrick to the position of Vice Chair of the Faculty for the 20-21 academic year and then she served as Chair of the Faculty and ex officio member of the Board of Trustees for the 21-22 year. Most recently in 2022, she was honored with the WVATA Service Award.

Dr. Rae Emrick has had an amazing and decorated career here at Wesleyan that hasn’t even ended yet.

Photo from wvwc.edu