Dancing with the Herd - Brandon & Ashley

Brandon Dennison - Student Experiential Learning for the Office of Student Research Brandon is Ashley Dennison's husband and father to their boys: Owen and Will. He currently serves as Vice President for Workforce and Economic Development at Marshall University. He holds a Ph.D. in Human and Community Development. Prior to joining the Marshall team, Brandon founded Coalfield Development where he still serves as Executive President. Coalfield Development works to build the Appalachian economy from the ground up. Brandon is leaning on Ashley’s beauty and charm to be competitive in this competition.

Ashley Dennison is a Maine native who loves the life she has built in West Virginia with her husband, Brandon. She holds a BS in Business Administration from High Point University and an MA in Humanities from Marshall University and has worked in multiple roles in the philanthropic/nonprofit sectors, as a RYT 500 yoga teacher, and as a substitute teacher for Cabell County Schools. Her most enjoyable and time-consuming job is taking care of their two sons, Owen and William. She is not at all worried that agreeing to participate in this was a mistake. She’s really not. It’s going to be amazing.

Dancing with the Herd is a student-led, fundraising event, planned within the Honors College and presented by Marshall Health Network, where famous Marshall University couples and groups perform choreographed routines while raising money for student-centered funds at the Marshall University Foundation and the Big Green Scholarship Foundation. We have partnered with the Marshall Contemporary Dance Company, and each couple has been paired with a team of student or faculty choreographers to bring their performance to life. During the event, a panel of judges will provide feedback and scores. The winners of The Marco Mirrorball Trophy will be determined using a rubric that weighs both the judges’ scores and the total amount of money raised. Your donation directly supports the participating couples and the student-focused causes they champion. 

The event will take place on Friday, November 20, 2026, in the Brad D. Smith Foundation Hall. For additional information, please contact Connor Waller at waller45@marshall.edu or Piper Cook at cookpi@marshall.edu.