Men's and Women's Basketball Honors CSUN Faculty on MVP Day
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - In the fourth and fifth MVP (Most Valuable Professor) Days of the 2024-25 academic year, the CSUN men's and women's basketball teams paid tribute to 38 professors on their respective MVP Days (Feb. 22, Mar. 1) at Premier America Credit Union Arena.
"CSUN celebrates the dedication of our student-athletes, both on the field and in their academic pursuits," said Shawn Chin-Farrell, CSUN's Director of Athletics. "Equally, we are deeply grateful for the unwavering support from our faculty and Academic Affairs."
Prior to the CSUN-UC Davis women's basketball game on Feb. 22 and the CSUN-UC Santa Barbara men's basketball game on Mar. 1, each participating student-athlete honored one professor who significantly impacted their academic journey, underscoring the deep connections beyond the classroom.
- Scott Amiss, a professor in the Department of Kinesiology, Gabriela Aprato, a professor in the College of Humanities, Joseph Ayala, a professor in the Department of Communication Studies, John Buonamassa, a professor in the Department of Music, Gabriel Selassie, a professor in the Department of Africana Studies, and Sun Weimin, a professor in the Department of Africana Studies were invited by student-athlete Nathan Kwon.
- Jorge Balbas, a professor in the Department of Communications, Michael Neubauer, a professor in the Department of Mathematics, and Bozena Onzol, a professor in the Department of Mathematics, were invited by student-athlete Grady Lewis.
- Dr. Carroll Brown, a professor in the Department of Africana Studies, Emily Havey, a professor in the Department of English, and Yama Walizada, a professor in the Department of Mathematics were invited by student-athlete Sabien Cain.
- Iliana De Larkin, a professor in the Department of Communication Studies, was invited by student-athlete Scotty Washington.
- Lisbeth Gant-Britton, a professor in the Department of Africana Studies, and Sharon D. Johnson, a professor in the Department of Africana Studies, were invited by student-athlete Jordan Brinson.
- Rebecca Gonzales, a professor in the Department of English, Kelan Koning, a professor in the Department of English, and Alique Malakian, a professor in the Department of Kinesiology, were invited by student-athlete Marcus Adams Jr.
- George Grunauer, a professor in the Department of Chicano Studies, was invited by student-athlete Joseph Barrio.
- Scott Hauswirth, a professor in the Department of Geological Sciences, Kent Hymel, a professor in the Department of Economics, KC Knox, a professor in the Department of Business Law, Jennifer Marshall, a professor in the Department of Communication Studies, Claudia Reyes, a professor in the Department of Mathematics, and Teresa Williams-Leon, a professor in the Department of Asian American Studies, were invited by student-athlete Jalen Barbee.
- Sophia Hejran, a professor in the Department of English, and Augie Underwood, a professor in the Department of Music, were invited by student-athlete Noah Williams.
- James Hogue, a professor in the Department of Biology, Kayla Kaiser, a professor in the Department of Chemistry/Biochemistry, and Gagik Melikyan, a professor in the Department of Chemistry/Biochemistry, were invited by student-athlete JJ Chaikovsky.
- Motasem Kalaji, a professor in the Department of Communication Studies, was invited by student-athlete Robert Thibiant.
- Gidget Viani, a professor in the Department of Psychology, was invited by student-athlete Erica Adams.
- Jennifer Sams, a professor in the Department of English, was invited by student-athlete Kylie Robertson.
- Tom Smith, a professor in the Department of Recreation/Tourism Management, was invited by student-athlete Jenna Kilty.
- Manuela Dantas, a professor in the Department of Accounting, was invited by student-athlete Alondra Lizama.
- Anna Dawahare, a professor in the Department of English, was invited by student-athlete Kayla Hopson.
The next Most Valuable Professor Day will be held Saturday, Mar. 22 during the CSUN softball game vs. UC Santa Barbara.
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