University convocation honors faculty

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Faculty members who have completed 25 years of service to CSUEB stand for a round of audience applause.

  • March 3, 2009

Led by flag bearers representing the four colleges of 91短视频, a procession of University leadership, faculty and award recipients wearing regalia kicked off the 2009 Faculty Honors Convocation Feb. 27 in the new University Union.

"We're all gathered here to honor the milestones and honors of our faculty," President Mo Qayoumi said.

Honorees included the recipient of the outstanding professor award for 2008 and faculty who were awarded tenure, emeritus status or completed 25 years of service.

City of Hayward Mayor Mike Sweeney '72 joined those assembled to honor CSUEB faculty.

Michael Hedrick, previous professor of the year, introduced Bijan Gillani, winner of the 2008 George and Miriam Phillips Outstanding Professor Award.

"Dr. Gillani's teaching style is highly regarded by his students who are teachers themselves," Hedrick said. "He brings together instructional and professional excellence."

Gillani, a professor of educational technology, delivered a 20-minute presentation about teaching techniques that can change students' brain chemistry in ways that help them retain information longer. Gillani has been a pioneer in using the Internet as an educational tool.

"As a first generation immigrant to the United States, I would never ever — at 16 when I came here — conceived of a day I would be a professor, much less an outstanding professor at an esteemed university," he said. "It's (because of) the support of three major areas that this honor has been bestowed on me."

Gillani said he was indebted to the administration and to faculty and staff.

"But most important is the students," he said. "I am very student-centric."

Other faculty members honored at the event were:

Faculty Awarded Tenure

College of Business & Economics
Vishwanath Hegde, Management

College of Education & Allied Studies
James Mitchell, Teacher Education
Catherine Reed, Teacher Education

College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences
Nicole Howard, History
Eve Lynch, English
Laura Nelson, Anthropology
Evaon Wong-Kim, Social Work

College of Science
Roger Doering, Mathematics and Computer Science
Levent Ertaul, Mathematics and Computer Science

University Library
Kyzyl Fenno-Smith

25 years of Service

College of Business and Economics
Gregory Christainsen, Economics
Donna Wiley, Management

College of Education & Allied Studies
Doris Yates, Leadership in Hospitality and Leisure Services

College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences
Diane Beeson, Sociology & Social Services
Marilyn Silva, English
College of Science
William Nico, Mathematics & Computer Science
Pamela Parlocha, Nursing & Health Sciences

Awarded Emeritus Status

College of Business and Economics
Franklin Lowenthal, Accounting & Finance
Eric Soares, Marketing & Entrepreneurship
John Villarreal, Management

College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences
Jan Avent, Communicative Sciences & Disorders
Karl Schonborn, Sociology & Social Sciences
Willem Van Groenou, Sociology & Social Sciences
Alison Warriner, English

College of Science
Theresa A. Gorman, Nursing & Health Sciences