Your Psychology Faculty
Congratulations to all the undergraduate and graduate psychology award winners!
Undergraduate Awards
Delmar Nicks Award: Richard Hurtado
Nominated by: Dr. Sun-Mee Kang & Dr. Elise Fenn
This award is given to a student who has shown exceptional scholarship and some service to the Department of Psychology. Scholarship includes involvement of research and presentation of the work through professional conferences or publication. Service includes activities such as involvement working with Psi Chi honors society or participating as a Peer Educator through one of the university’s psycho-educational programs. Named in honor of Dr. Delmar Nicks, who was one of the CSUN founding faculty in 1958.
Richard Coleman Award: Natalie Paredes
Nominated by: Dr. Mark Otten & Dr. Sun-Mee Kang
This award is given to a student who has demonstrated high scholarship and an exceptional record of service to the Department of Psychology, University, and/or community. The award is named in honor of Dr. Richard Coleman, who was a disabled war veteran and developed a tutoring program for undergraduate students taking statistics and research methods. He was on campus full-time and when he was not teaching, he spent many hours tutoring students who needed assistance with statistics.
Judge Julian Beck Award: Gabriella Hinojosa
Nominated by: Dr. Justin Kantner & Dr. Gabriela Chavira
This award is given to a student with an exceptional scholastic record as demonstrated with a G.P.A. of 3.5 or higher and service to the Psychology Department such as through the honors society Psi Chi or participating as a Peer Educator through one of the university’s psycho-educational programs. This is an undergraduate student who shows extremely high potential as a graduate student through these accomplishments. Named in honor of Judge Julian Beck, who was an early advocate for a State University in the San Fernando Valley and a long-time supporter of San Fernando Valley State/CSUN.
Nora Weckler Psi Chi Award: Ricardo Salinas
Nominated by: Dr. Elise Fenn
This award is granted to a student who is a member of the National Psychology Honorary society: Psi Chi. This student has also demonstrated exceptional scholastic achievement with a GPA of 3.5 or greater, additional service to the honor society and service to the Department of Psychology. Named in honor of Dr. Nora Weckler, who was the first Chair of our Department and started the Psi Chi chapter at CSUN in 1967.
Robert Dear Quantitative Research Award: Salma Yacoub
Nominated by: Dr. Mark Otten
This award is given to a student who has completed outstanding scholarship utilizing quantitative methods of data analysis through research or has demonstrated mastery of quantitative techniques in undergraduate coursework, as evidenced by dissemination of relevant research or scholastic performance in the relevant course. Named in honor of Dr. Robert Dear who taught rigorous psychology undergraduate statistical courses in the Psychology Department.
Undergraduate Behavior Analysis Research Award: Dylan Belusci
Nominated by: Dr. Tara Fahmie & Dr. Chunying Jin
This award is granted to an undergraduate student who has conducted outstanding scholarship in Behavior Analysis. This student has utilized experimental research methodology (single-subject or group design) to answer a socially significant research question.
Undergraduate Service Award: Natalie Gevoglanian
Nominated by: Dr. Sun-Mee Kang
This award is given to the undergraduate student who has made the most notable contribution to the well-being of the local community through volunteer, psychology-related service, or research.
Undergraduate Service Award: Victoria Dozortsev
Nominated by: Dr. Elise Fenn
This award is given to the undergraduate student who has made the most notable contribution to the well-being of the local community through volunteer, psychology-related service, or research.
Graduate Awards
Clinical Scientist Award: Raquel Aldana
Nominated by: Dr. Sara Berzenski
This award is given to the student in the clinical psychology graduate program who best represents the combination of clinical and applied research. Students who have demonstrated outstanding research and statistical skills in clinically-relevant research projects of theses are awarded this honor.
Tabachnick and Fidell Multivariate Statistics Award: Parker Anderson
Nominated by: Dr. Sara Berzenski & Dr. Abe Rutchick
This award is given to a student who has demonstrated outstanding achievement in the area of Multivariate Statistics. Named in honor of Drs. Barbara Tabachnick and Linda Fidell, who taught statistics classes in the CSUN Psychology Department and wrote the highly acclaimed book “Using Multivariate Statistics” that is used in our graduate statistics classes.
Graduate Qualitative Research Award: Kevin Pedraza
Nominated by: Dr. Sara Berzenski & Dr. Carrie Saetermoe
This award is given to a student who has completed outstanding scholarship utilizing qualitative methods and statistics or who has demonstrated skill at qualitative techniques in graduate-level coursework.
Robert Rainey Award: Aaliyah Churchill
Nominated by: Dr. Sara Berzenski
This award is given to the most outstanding student in Clinical Psychology. Named in honor of Dr. Robert Rainey, who helped develop the Clinical Psychology Program. This award recognizes a student who represents the highest levels of academic, research, and clinical skills.
Roger Moss Teaching Award: Hector Emmanuel Silva Benitez
Nominated by: Dr. Gabriela Chavira, Gidget Brogdon, & Dr. Yolanda Vasquez-Salgado
This award is named in honor of Professor Roger Moss, who started the Teacher Intern Program in 1968. Professor Moss was on the faculty at CSUN for over 40 years and inspired many students through his teaching and compassion. This award is conferred to a student who has demonstrated outstanding teaching skills in department intern programs (e.g., TIP, TRP, STP).
Scientist-Practitioner Award in Behavioral Psychology: Christina Warner
Nominated by: Dr. Tara Fahmie & Dr. Chunying Jin
This award is granted to the most outstanding graduate student in the area of Behavioral Clinical Psychology. The student has demonstrated outstanding clinical skills in conducting assessments and providing treatments that are conceptually systematic with Applied Behavior Analysis, guided by the profession’s code of ethics, and informed by empirical evidence
William Wilsoncroft Award: Lauren Knox
Nominated by: Dr. Stefanie Drew & Dr. Sara Berzenski
Named in honor of Professor William Wilsoncroft, who taught in the Psychology Department for over 30 years, this award is designed to be the most prestigious graduate award reserved for a student in the area of General Experimental Psychology who has demonstrated exceptional academic achievements. This student shows high potential in continuing his/her education in a doctoral program.
Graduate Service Award: Nicholas Lindgren
Nominated by: Dr. Debra Malmberg
This award is given to the graduate student (in any area) who has made the most notable contribution to the well-being of the local community through volunteer, psychology-related service, or research.
Scholar/Practitioner Award in Clinical Psychology: Mariana Marquez
Nominated by: Dr. Jill Razani & Dr. Omar Ruvalcaba
This award is given to a student who has demonstrated outstanding clinical skills that are informed by scholarly work. This award acknowledges graduate students with a particular interest in application of clinical psychology and therapeutic techniques. It is given to a student who has demonstrated excellent scholastic achievement and has also shown outstanding competence in assessment, engagement, and application of theoretical strategies in serving clients’ needs in an ethical, culturally-sensitive manner.
Graduate Behavior Analysis Research Award: Jessica Hernandez
Nominated by: Dr. Debra Malmberg
This award is granted to a graduate student who has conducted outstanding scholarship in Behavior Analysis. This student has utilized experimental research methodology (single-subject or group design) to answer a socially significant research question.