After the weekend of commencement ceremonies, CSUN’s Faculty Senate celebrated the many achievements of CSUN professors with its Honored Faculty Awards Reception on May 24. Due to the pandemic, the reception was the first held since 2019, and it included awards for the academic years 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22.

Award sponsors included the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Office of Faculty Affairs and the Northridge Chapter of the California Faculty Association.

Provost Mary Beth Walker spoke at the reception and Faculty President Michael Neubauer presented emeritus status awards to more than 60 faculty members for 2020 and 2021.

Faculty also were recognized for milestones in their years of service at CSUN. Neubauer, Provost Walker and Theresa White, faculty vice president, presented the awards honoring 25, 30, 35, 40 and 50 years of service.

Other honors included the Preeminent Scholarly Publication Award, Exceptional Creative Accomplishments Award, Extraordinary Service Award and the Outstanding Faculty Awards. Highlights of the Outstanding Faculty Award winners are listed below.

Outstanding Faculty Awards

2020 – Scott Plunkett (Psychology) and Elena Angelina Miranda (Geology) 

Plunkett has mentored numerous students in research, and his dedication to his students and his encouragement has been noted by his colleagues. He has been honored with various awards throughout his career, recognizing his teaching and connection with students.

Miranda’s teaching and experience has been credited with attracting a large and diverse group of undergraduate students, including women and underrepresented minorities. Her colleagues noted that her efforts have resulted in those students contributing to scholarly papers and presentations given at national conferences.

2021 – Gabriela Chavira (Psychology) and Lawrence Stoffel (Music)

Chavira has performed extensive research with her students and has worked closely with scholars in BUILD PODER, the university’s undergraduate biomedical research training program.

Stoffel’s work over the past 18 years at CSUN has been recognized with a number of awards, including the California Music Educators Association Hall of Fame Award. He also was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Design and Manufacturers in the United Kingdom. Stoffel’s colleagues noted that he often serves as a mentor to junior faculty members.

2022 – Virginia Huynh (Child and Adolescent Development) and Nyssa Silbiger (Biology)

Huynh has accomplished a vast amount of research on systemic racism, racial and ethnic family norms, and the effects of the COVID-19 virus. She also has been recognized as a champion of equitable online education. She has taught online for many years.

Silbiger encourages Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) to become involved in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). She has been honored with grants to aid her scholarship and teaching career.

For more information on the honorees and awards, visit https://www.csun.edu/faculty-senate/faculty-awards.

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