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Men's and Women's Soccer Honors CSUN Faculty on MVP Day

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - In the first MVP (Most Valuable Professor) Day of the 2024-25 academic year, the CSUN men's and women's soccer teams paid tribute to 31 professors as part of a Matador soccer doubleheader on Sunday (Sept. 22) at Matador Soccer Field.

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - In the first MVP (Most Valuable Professor) Day of the 2024-25 academic year, the CSUN men's and women's soccer teams paid tribute to 31 professors as part of a Matador soccer doubleheader on Sunday (Sept. 22) at Matador Soccer Field.

"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."

At halftime of CSUN men's soccer's 2-1 win over Santa Clara, each participating student-athlete honored one professor who significantly impacted their academic journey, underscoring the deep connections beyond the classroom. Each of the 16 CSUN professors was joined by the nominating student-athlete at midfield during the ceremony.

  • Stacy Bieber, a professor in the Department of English, was invited by student-athlete Ian Boras
  • Manisha Chase, a professor in the Department of Child & Adolescent Development, was invited by student-athlete Zack Harris.
  • Reid Denham, a professor in the Department of Business Law, was invited by student-athlete Tobias Brücher.
  • Pouyan Eslami, a professor in the Department of Systems and Operations Management, was invited by student-athlete Jake Shaked.
  • Dr. Ced Hackett, a professor in the Department of Africana Studies, was invited by student-athlete Marley Edwards.
  • Kent Hymel, a professor in the Department of Economics, was invited by student-athlete David Garcia.
  • Mariko Iwabuchi, a professor in the Department of Kinesiology, was invited by student-athlete Deryk Jones, Jr.
  • Erick Jimenez, a professor in the Department of Philosophy, was invited by student-athlete Jose Mendiola,
  • Kelly Mcvey, a professor in the Department of Business Law as invited by student-athlete Dorian Drucks.
  • Loren Naidoo, a professor in the Department of Management, was invited by student-athlete Finn Werner.
  • Dorothy Nguyen-Graff, a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, was invited by student-athlete Eyifehn Forfor.
  • Carlos Nunez, a professor in the Department of Finance, was invited by student-athlete Theom Samba.
  • Trev Stokes, a professor in the Department of Criminology & Justice Studies, was invited by student-athlete Merrick Cook.
  • Jaycy Trifone-Woodruff, a professor in the Department of Criminology & Justice Studies, was invited by student-athlete JT Danks.
  • Jessica Vey, a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, was invited by student-athlete Michael Blevins.
  • Gidget Viani, a professor in the Department of Psychology, was invited by student-athlete Odin Rosten.

Gallery: (9-24-2024) Men's Soccer MVP Day - Sept. 22, 2024

In Sunday's women's soccer nightcap - which ended in a 1-1 draw between the Matadors and Cal State Fullerton - 15 CSUN professors were joined by the nominating student-athlete at midfield during a halftime ceremony.

  • Kenneth Cran, a professor in the Department of Humanities, was invited by student-athlete Kayden Perigo.
  • September Ewing, a professor in the Department of Child & Adolescent Development, was invited by student-athlete Yoshi Rubalcava.
  • Eve Fleck, a professor in the Department of Kinesiology, was invited by student-athlete Kennedy Williams.
  • Paul Gale, a professor in the Department of Kinesiology, was invited by student-athlete Ella Witherspoon.
  • Amir Gharehgozli, a professor in the Department of Systems and Operations Management, was invited by student-athlete Ashly Torres.
  • Marissa Jenrich, a professor in the Department of History, was invited by student-athlete Cailey Jackson.
  • Denice Labertew, a professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, was invited by student-athlete Hayden Mauldin.
  • Christine LaMonica, a professor in the Department of Kinesiology, was invited by student-athlete Sunny Bowlin-Stacy.
  • Denise LaRette, a professor in the Department of Communication Studies, was invited by student-athlete Riley Liebsack.
  • Jennifer Lu, a professor in the Department of Accounting was invited by student-athlete Brooklin Woolf.
  • Christopher Ng, a professor in the Department of Business Law, was invited by student-athletes Cami Alarcon and Sami Kolin.
  • Victoria Richards, a professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, was invited by student-athlete Jordyn Canister.
  • Cody Russell, a professor in the Department of Biology, was invited by student-athlete Cassidy Imperial-Pham.
  • Ana Sanchez-Munoz, a professor in the Department of Linguistics/TESL, was invited by student-athlete Samantha Healy.
  • Kimberly Wells, a professor in the Department of English, was invited by student-athlete Jackie Victorio.

Gallery: (9-24-2024) Women's Soccer MVP Day - Sept. 22, 2024

The next Most Valuable Professor Day will be held Saturday, Oct. 19 during the women's volleyball match between CSUN and UC Davis.

#GoMatadors

Players Mentioned

Cami Alarcon

MF
5' 3"
Junior
2V

Sunny Bowlin-Stacy

F
5' 5"
Redshirt Junior
1V

Jordyn Canister

F
5' 6"
Redshirt Freshman
RS

Samantha Healy

D
5' 6"
Redshirt Sophomore
1V

Cassidy Imperial-Pham

F/MF
5' 3"
Junior
2V

Cailey Jackson

F
5' 3"
Junior
2V

Sami Kolin

D
5' 8"
Junior
2V

Riley Liebsack

GK
5' 6"
Redshirt Junior
RS

Hayden Mauldin

GK
5' 7"
Junior
2V

Yoshi Rubalcava

MF
5' 2"
Junior
2V

Players Mentioned

Cami Alarcon

5' 3"
Junior
2V
MF

Sunny Bowlin-Stacy

5' 5"
Redshirt Junior
1V
F

Jordyn Canister

5' 6"
Redshirt Freshman
RS
F

Samantha Healy

5' 6"
Redshirt Sophomore
1V
D

Cassidy Imperial-Pham

5' 3"
Junior
2V
F/MF

Cailey Jackson

5' 3"
Junior
2V
F

Sami Kolin

5' 8"
Junior
2V
D

Riley Liebsack

5' 6"
Redshirt Junior
RS
GK

Hayden Mauldin

5' 7"
Junior
2V
GK

Yoshi Rubalcava

5' 2"
Junior
2V
MF

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