CSUSB’s 2022-23 Outstanding Faculty

Surprising faculty with awards is a longtime and much celebrated CSUSB tradition in recognizing outstanding faculty. Each spring, President Tomás D. Morales, fellow faculty, staff and administrators walk into the winning faculty member’s classroom, lab or meeting to surprise them with their award. This academic year recognized five faculty from the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration, College of Natural Sciences, College of Arts and Letters, and College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.

Golden Apple Award for excellence in teaching:

Stuart Sumida, professor of biology

The nominating committee wrote that in addition to his exemplary teaching, Sumida has been actively involved in a variety of activities related to curriculum development and support of students. He has created four new courses and redesigned several others. In addition to teaching Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II, he has developed all the laboratory manuals, which are now in the third edition of publication.

Outstanding Professor:

Montgomery ‘Monty’ Van Wart, professor of public administration

“Since joining CSUSB in 2005, Dr. Van Wart has served the university with distinction, particularly in his dedication to excelling in all areas of teaching, research and service,” said the nominating committee. “When evaluating his accomplishments in these three areas, we conclude that Dr. Van Wart has consistently achieved exceptionally high levels of performance during his time at CSUSB.” In being named the CSUSB Outstanding Professor, Van Wart becomes the John M. Pfau Endowed Professor, named for the university’s first president.

Outstanding Faculty Advisor:

Sharon Velarde Pierce, ’13, ’14, ’17, associate professor of public administration

In a nominating letter, the committee said Pierce’s “demonstration of compassion, authentic care and dedication are common themes that emerge from student comments and letters of recommendation. The student remarks highlight the compassion, grace and support Dr. Pierce consistently provides. She receives near-perfect SOTE scores semester after semester and is a positive impact on her students’ professional trajectories.”

Outstanding Service:

Jeremy Murray, professor of history

The committee cited Murray’s commitment to enhancing the student experience, bridging across disciplines, and integrating the broader local community. “Dr. Murray also ensures that his service actively engages the larger community, connecting students with agencies and community members, and bringing community members to campus,” the nominating committee said.

Outstanding Lecturer:

Lacey Kendall, ’12, lecturer of communication studies

“Professor Lacey Kendall is a passionate, engaged and dedicated lecturer who has excelled in the area of teaching and supporting student development,” wrote the nominating committee. “When evaluating Professor Kendall’s track record as a teacher, (the committee was) incredibly impressed that she has achieved and sustained consistently high levels of performance in that role.”