Kirsha Weyandt Trychta

Kirsha Weyandt Trychta is an Associate Professor at West Virginia University College of Law, serving as Director of the Academic Excellence Center since 2015. She teaches criminal law and evidence curriculum while coaching intercollegiate advocacy teams, and holds leadership roles in the Association of American Law Schools Section on Academic Support and Association of Academic Support Educators.

Her educational background includes:

• B.S. in Honors Psychology from University of Pittsburgh (2003), recipient of Chancellor’s Undergraduate Research Fellowship
• J.D. from Duquesne University School of Law (2006), where she earned Carol Los Mansmann Award for Excellence in Appellate Advocacy

Professor Trychta specializes in academic support methodologies within legal education, with deep expertise in criminal law pedagogy, evidence application, and competitive trial advocacy training. Her work integrates practical courtroom skills development with theoretical legal frameworks to enhance student performance in high-stakes litigation environments.

Her distinguished honors include:

• Carol Los Mansmann Award for Excellence in Appellate Advocacy
• Chancellor’s Undergraduate Research Fellowship for liver cancer patient research

As Director of Academic Excellence, she provides comprehensive academic support to all law students while mentoring championship-caliber advocacy teams. Her professional leadership extends to national academic support organizations where she shapes best practices in legal education.

The Academic Excellence Center under her direction serves as WVU Law's central hub for academic skill development, bar preparation, and competitive moot court programming.