The advice, activities and insight of the College of Education and Human Services
Visiting Committee help to connect the teaching and research activities of the
College more closely to the community beyond West Virginia University.
Current Members
- Rose Marie Antonucci
- Sharon DeWitt
- Shannon Fioravanti
- Eric Murphy
- Donna Hoylman Peduto
- Dr. Marc Williams
Rose Marie Antonucci
Rose Marie received her Masters of Science (M.S.) in Rehabilitation Counseling 1976 and Bachelors of Science (B.S.) in Psychology from West Virginia University 1973. She holds active certifications and licenses in the following: Certification of Rehabilitation Counseling (CRC) and Pennsylvania Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC).
Rose Marie has served as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor for the Disability Management Solutions Division of CIGNA Group Insurance in the Pittsburgh (PA) Claims Service Center for the past 20 years. Retired 4/20/17.
Prior to joining CIGNA Group Insurance, Rose Marie served for 12 years in both Senior Case Manager and Case Manager roles for Travelers Medical Management Services. Her career also includes having worked as a Mental Health Therapist, Case Manager & Psychiatric Therapist in both out-patient and in-patient facilities for 4 years.
- Provision of supervision, medical & vocational case management services, project management, marketing, training & serving clients with medical & psychiatric disabilities.
- Served as Liason & Mentor to Graduate Students & New VRC employees, Vocational Rehabilitation Presenter & Ergonomic Educator to in house claims business partners & external employer clients throughout tenure.
- Developed & served on various projects: CEU coordinator for network wide CRC & CCM colleagues; rehabilitation vendor recruiting, vetting, contracting to serve our customers throughout the country; internal employee recognition program; VR process developer for continuous improvement & efficiency.
- Active member of MS Clinical Rehabilitation & Mental Health Counseling program Advisory Board.
Sharon DeWitt
Sharon DeWitt graduated from California State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education and followed two years later with a Master of Arts Degree in Elementary Education from West Virginia University.
Sharon spent her entire career teaching elementary and middle school students in West Virginia, first as a Career Education Specialist at Shepherd College, and completed her career teaching sixth grade English at Mountaineer Middle School in Morgantown where she served as the Secretary of the Faculty Senate and as a PLC (Professional Learning Community) Leader.
Sharon is a life member of the Morgantown Service League and served as a member of the Morgantown Community Visions Foundation’s Vision 20/20. She is the Secretary of the Metropolitan Theatre Foundation Board and a Life and Old Gold member of the West Virginia University Alumni Association. She is a member of Women of WVU. She also serves on the Alumni Development Committee of West Virginia University, the Blaney House Visiting Committee, and the WVU College of Education and Human Services Visiting Committee beginning on July 1, 2017.
Sharon and her husband, Tom, also a WVU graduate, have homes in Morgantown, WV and Naples, Florida.
Shannon LeHere Fioravanti
Shannon LeHere Fioravanti (BSJ ’81) began her career in journalism and public relations in Morgantown, where she was a newscaster and reporter with WCLG AM and FM. Following graduation, Shannon worked for Mutual Broadcasting System in Washington, D.C., WASH-FM, and KDKA Radio in Pittsburgh. Shannon was named deputy bureau chief of Westinghouse Broadcasting’s Washington D.C. radio news bureau in 1988, and in 1992, was named The American Political Science Association’s first MCI Fellow in Telecommunications.
Following her fellowship, Shannon worked as a legislative aide to Senator Conrad Burns of Montana, and in 1993, joined Verizon Communications, where she was director of media relations and later of external affairs. Shannon is an honors graduate of West Virginia University and The Ohio State University, where she earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Journalism. She was a Kiplinger Fellow in Public Affairs reporting at Ohio State. Shannon has served as a member of the board of directors of OperaDelaware and the Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence, has chaired the Legacy and Development Committee of The Wilmington Children’s Chorus, and has provided communications support to Wilmington Christian School and The College School at the University of Delaware. A passionate advocate of education, especially among children with learning differences, Shannon serves on the Board of Visitors Committee in honor of her late mother, Rita Riffee LeHere, a 1943 graduate of the WVU College of Education and Human Services. Shannon and her husband Paul, a vice chancellor on Delaware’s Court of Chancery, reside in Wilmington. They are the parents of three children.
Eric Murphy
Eric Murphy serves as the assistant director of the WVU Center for Service and Learning, where he coordinates special projects, volunteer service activities, diversity and inclusion, and national service.
Murphy is a clinically trained wellness educator. For the past 5+ years he has worked for West Virginia University as the Monongalia County Families and Health Extension Agent, educating the community about topics pertaining to healthy family dynamics, consumer science, personal asset development, diabetes education, parenting and overall wellness.
After receiving a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts with an emphasis in special education and art Education from Fairmont University, Murphy earned two master’s degrees from West Virginia University, an MA in community counseling, and an MS in community health promotion.
Donna Hoylman Peduto
Director of Operations, West Virginia State Board of Education
As Director of Operations for the West Virginia Board of Education (WVBE), Ms. Peduto is a key liaison to the WVBE members, the West Virginia Department of Education executive leadership, Governor’s Office, chairs of the legislative education committees, as well as other leaders and organizations around the state. In positions at both the WV State Board of Education and WV Department of Education she has had experience in drafting policy and code, i.e. School Innovation Zones Act, WV Code §18-5B. and Policy 3236. Through her affiliation with national organizations such as Council of Chief State of School Organization, she is also familiar with drafting national education policy.
Prior to coming to the WV Board of Education, Ms. Peduto served as Director of the Learning Lab Network Sites for the Stupski Foundation; a San Francisco based educational foundation, committed to establishing a national network of high schools to incubate effective and innovative practice within the K12 environment.
Additionally, she has served in the Offices of Professional Preparation and Organizational Effectiveness at the West Virginia Department of Education as Assistant Director, and was Director of K-12 Initiatives at the EdVenture Group, where she supported the development and execution of projects related to K-12 technology training, curriculum, and research and consulting.
Ms. Peduto also has experience in evaluating state and national education projects for the USDOE, the National Science Foundation and other state and national organizations.
Ms. Peduto is a graduate of West Virginia University with both a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and a Master of Arts in Reading.
Dr. Marc Williams
Over the past 25 years, Dr. Marc Williams has been widely regarded as a sports marketing pioneer and has worked for three of the largest sports brands in the world: Champs Sports, Footaction and Reebok. He led a team to help Champs Sports become a billion-dollar brand. Today, he is considered one of the leading educators in the world in STEAM education and serves as the host of the award-winning LinkedIn show, “Dr. Marc’s Masterclass.”
CNN named Dr. Williams as one of the Top 20 Inspirational Speakers in the World. His insights have been featured in media outlets such as CBS Evening News, BBC World News and CNN.
Currently, Dr. Williams is the Global Scholar Practitioner at Florida Memorial University. He is creating an innovative STEAM major that will provide students with careers in technology, augmented reality, virtual reality, animation, esports, sports, communications, entrepreneurship and marketing. He is also the commissioner of the HBCU esports Association.
Dr. Williams’ work in sports marketing is well-documented, and he was instrumental in many firsts in the athletic retail industry. He negotiated the industry’s first hip-hop apparel deal with Grammy Award-winning artist Eve and record label Ruff Ryder, and the first videogame product placement deal with Activision/Blizzard for their Streethoops Basketball game. Dr. Williiams was the co-creator of one of the most successful grassroots basketball tours, The AND1 Mix Tape Tour.
Throughout his illustrious career, Dr. Williams negotiated product placements in 120 music videos, 50 videogames and 75 feature films, including the Oscar Award-winning film “Sideways.” In addition, he has worked with legendary icons such as Michael Jordan, Beyoncé, Jay Z, Aaliyah, Venus Williams, Maroon 5 and Will Ferrell, to name a few.
Dr. Williams is the author of two books: “Defeating Cancer: A Holistic Approach to Living an Empowered Life” and “The Art of Networking.”
Dr. Williams earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology from William Paterson University, his master’s degree in sports management from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and his Ed.D. in education leadership and curriculum from West Virginia University.