This story is a slightly abridged version of the story posted in CSUN Today. Read the full story and see more photos in CSUN Today.
Mini-bios of New Emeritus Faculty below are courtesy the CSUN Faculty Senate, Faculty Affairs.
- At the 2017 CSUN Honored Faculty Reception, Emeritus Status was awarded to Marilynn Filbeck, Jerry Ann Harrell Smith, Richard MacDonald and Kyriakos Pontikis (see below).
- William Whiting (Kinesiology) was acknowledged for 25 years of service to CSUN.
- The installation of 2017-18 New Faculty Officers named Terri Lisagor (Family & Consumer Sciences) as Vice President of the Faculty, and Kim Henige (Kinesiology) as Secretary of the Faculty.
Left: Emeritus Faculty from HHD take the stage with President Dianne F. Harrison and Provost of Academic Affairs, Li Yi and new emeritus faculty from across campus at the 2017 CSUN Honored Faculty Reception in the Grand Salon of the University Student Union.
Just hours after the last graduates crossed the stage in front of the Delmar T. Oviatt Library to accept their diplomas on May 22, CSUN's top professors crossed another stage to accept high honors and shake hands with President Dianne F. Harrison. The president, Provost Yi Li and the CSUN Foundation hosted the annual Honored Faculty Reception, which included the awarding of emeritus status to 29 veteran professors, (four from HHD). Colleagues, students, relatives and administrators gathered in the Grand Salon of the University Student Union to pay tribute.
“As we have launched our new graduates, it is a great time to reflect on the contributions of our faculty and recognize the commitment of faculty who have been here for 20, 30 and 40 years,” Harrison noted. “I want to thank you all for your commitment to our students and our university, creating the kind of environment where our students learn best.”
Harrison presented psychology professor Ellie Kazemi with the afternoon’s highest honor, the Outstanding Faculty Award. Kazemi has demonstrated ongoing commitment to the community, including her work as a mentor in CSUN’s BUILD PODER undergraduate research training program, the president said.
“Since 2008, Ellie has provided significant contributions in teaching, research and mentoring in the Department of Psychology,” she said. Harrison noted that in a letter of recommendation, “one of her students wrote, ‘Everyone idolizes her.’ Pretty good testimony.”
Philosophy professor and Faculty President Adam Swenson, who served as master of ceremonies for the reception, presented the Distinguished Teaching, Counseling or Librarianship Awards to sociology professor Moshoula Capous-Desyllas, history professor Jeffrey Kaja and mathematics professor Mark Schilling.
Robert Gunsalus, vice president for University Advancement and president of the CSUN Foundation, presented the Extraordinary Service Award to psychology professor Debra Berry Malmberg, the Preeminent Scholarly Publications Award to English professor Iswari Pandy and the Exceptional Creative Accomplishments Award to psychology professor Luciana Lagana. The CSUN Foundation sponsors all of these awards, including the Outstanding Faculty Award.
Elizabeth Adams, associate vice president for student success, presented the Visionary Community Service-Learning Award to communication studies professor Jeanine Mingé. Adams spoke about Mingé’s long commitment to community partnerships between CSUN students, faculty and nonprofits such as R.U.T.H. (Resilience, Unity, Transformation, Hope) YouthBuild in Canoga Park, and the CSUN Performance Ensemble. This particular faculty award was sponsored by a grant from the California governor’s office.
Li thanked all of the honorees for their service.
“Your loyalty, professionalism and commitment to student success have not gone unnoticed,” Li said. “Thank you for your ongoing dedication to CSUN.”
Adams presented the 29 professors who had been awarded emeritus status by the president and the university, and the group assembled on the stage at the front of the Grand Salon. Esther Lin, daughter of mechanical engineering professor CT Lin, accepted on behalf of her father, who passed away on April 28.
This story is a slightly abridged version of the story posted in CSUN Today. Read the full story and see more photos in CSUN Today.
SP 2017
Olivia Herstein/ CSUN Today
Our 2017 Emeritus Faculty
Emeritus status is awarded to retired faculty whose work has contributed to and shaped the mission of the university. This honor maintains their status as members of the campus community, and honors them for their dedication throughout their careers.
New Emeritus faculty in the College of Health and Human Development, Spring 2017, are:
Marilynn Filbeck, Family & Consumer Sciences
Dr. Marilynn Filbeck joined the faculty of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences in 1988, specializing in teacher education, curriculum and assessment. She taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses including consumer affairs, research, and teaching methods. She wrote and directed projects to establish educational frameworks, implemented program standards, and developed curriculum guides as part of her extracurricular work with the California Department of Education, Home Economics Education Unit/Careers and Technology Division. These accomplishments were supported by grants she secured for the University. She engaged in similar projects with the Los Angeles County Office of Education and the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Marilynn was CSUN's Director of Assessment and served as Associate Dean for the College of Health and Human Development (HHD), retiring from the latter in 2012. She has been a special assistant for the Dean of HHD, overseeing college assessment and student success initiatives. Also, Marilynn has collaborated to develop faculty mentoring for student retention and graduation. She says her greatest joy has been working as a team member and collaborator with CSUN's students, faculty, staff and administrators.
Jerry Ann Harrell Smith, Family & Consumer Sciences
Dr. Harrel-Smith served as the Executive Director for the Child and Family Studies Center (CFSC)for 14 years. The Center is a laboratory/teaching model preschool accredited through the NationalAssociation for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the American Association ofFamily and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Dr. Harrel-Smith's leadership was critical in carrying out the mission of the Center in serving hundreds of preschool children and their families with developmentally appropriateprograms and in collaboration with the CHIME Institute. In 2004-2010, Dr. Harrel-Smith served as an Intern Supervisor for the Head Start Hispanic-Latino Serving Institutions Program. This grant, funded through the United States Department of Health and Human Services (USD HHD), was designed to develop collaborative community partnerships to support Head Start teachers working in Hispanic-Latino settings to earn college degrees. She made great contributions to this community outreach program. Dr. Harrel-Smith also worked on a variety of serving-learning projects, including Vitality Across the Lifespan (VAL), providing educational presentations to low income communities on the dynamic interaction of nutrition and physical activity.
Richard MacDonald, Family & Consumer Sciences
For 36 years, Dr. Richard MacDonald has been a highly valued faculty member in the Family and Consumer Science Department (FCS), coming to CSUN in 1979 after being a professor in Hawaii for 10 years. He has 49 years of professional experience. Dr. MacDonald received a National Teaching Fellowship and a National Advanced Study Grant for his doctoral work. He is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and a Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE). Dr. MacDonald's training was a perfect match for the interdisciplinary and applied nature of the FCS Department. His professional affiliations are as follows - Clinical member of the American Academy of Behavioral Medicine and the American and California Associations of Marriage and Family Therapists, and Clinical Supervisor and Diplomate for the American Board of Sexology. He is a member of the National Council on Family Relations and of the Center for Sex Research at CSUN. Dr. MacDonald has shown continuous excellent performance in his academic responsibilities and has made many contributions to CSUN, his field, and to the community. As a member of the Center for Sex Research at CSUN, his major administrative assignment for 27 years was that of Coordinator of the Human Sexuality Minor. His work has been seen in a variety of publications, and he has given many presentations at symposia and professional conferences.
Kyriakos Pontikis, Family & Consumer Sciences (awarded posthumously)
Dr. Kyriakos Pontikis earned his Bachelor's degree in Architecture from Oklahoma State University and his Master's and Ph.D. in Architecture from UC, Berkeley. After practicing as an architect for several years, Kyriakos joined the Family and Consumer Sciences Department in 2006. He brought with him not only a solid professional background, but also a unique knowledge of building methods, and a strong focus on learning through nature and the importance of sustainable design. Besides being an Architect and Interior Designer, Kyriakos was an artist and painter and looked for beauty in every detail. He surrounded his life with beauty and his admiration of aesthetic and nature was reflected in his focus on sustainable design. Among the most devoted service to the university was through the Sustainability Initiative which he helped set up. As a scholar, Kyriakos collaborated with Architects and Designers from across the globe. He was a beloved educator and mentor to undergraduate and graduate students, junior faculty, and other colleagues. Kyriakos always saw the big picture of each situation, as if he was seeing the complete architectural and interior design projects. He strongly believed in accessible public higher education and advocated for all students from all backgrounds.
Kyriakos passed away in 2015, yet his work continues to influence those who follow.
Read about all of CSUN's 2017 New Emeritus Faculty at the Faculty Senate website.