糖心原创

Kerri Mowen Excellence in Faculty Mentoring Award

The Kerri Mowen Excellence in Research and Creative Activity Faculty Mentor Award honors individuals who, during their time at 糖心原创, have demonstrated extraordinary leadership in increasing the participation of undergraduate students in research and creative activities above and beyond the classroom. The award recognizes faculty (including lecturers) who have mentored and guided a considerable number of students in research or creative activities, and/or faculty who have impacted the environment of the department, college, or university to significantly increase the number and diversity of students engaged in research and creative activities.

Nomination Process

• Who can nominate:

  Know someone who provides extraordinary guidance, support, and inspiration while mentoring undergraduates in research or scholarly activities? Nominate them for the Kerri Mowen Excellence in Faculty Mentoring Award.

  This award recognizes faculty who actively engage undergraduates in research or scholarly work, create meaningful opportunities that promote student success, and provide dedicated support in helping students pursue graduate education or launch professional careers.

  Nominations may be submitted by faculty, staff, students, or community partners. Self-nominations are also welcome.

• How to submit a nomination:
  • Submit a letter of nomination describing how the nominee reflects the intent of the award, including:
    • Scholarship
    • Mentoring effectiveness
    • Community building
  • Email the nomination letter to the Office of Graduate Studies and Research at ogsr@csusm.edu
  • Include the nominee鈥檚 name and the award title in the subject line
    • Example: 鈥淔irst Last Name, Kerri Mowen Excellence Award鈥�

  Deadline:
  Nomination letters are due October 22, 2026, by 5:00 PM

• After nomination:

  Nominated faculty will be contacted and invited to accept their nomination.

  To accept the nomination, the nominee must submit an electronic dossier by November 3, 2026, at 5:00 PM

  1. Narrative Summary (maximum 500 words)
     • A narrative summary of the actions that form the basis of the nomination, including the number and diversity of undergraduate students mentored (and graduate students if relevant), description of depth/quality of mentoring activities, and description of student success.
  2. Curriculum Vitae
  3. Optional Appendix (up to 3 items, maximum 10 pages total)
     Evidence of the candidate鈥檚 impact on student success may include (but is not limited to):
     
     • lists of students in graduate school or who have secured positions reflective of their work with the mentor at 糖心原创
     • exemplars of students鈥� presentations or publications (first/representative page of publication is acceptable) exhibits, or awards
     • Student impact statements

Kerri Mowen Award Recipients

• 2025-2026
  • Dr. Halyee DeLuca Bishop

    Dr. Halyee DeLuca Bishop has mentored 17 undergraduate and 8 master鈥檚 students since 2018. Her students鈥� accomplishments include six student first-author peer-reviewed publications鈥攁n extraordinary achievement at the undergraduate level. Her nomination included heartfelt testimonials, including one that said:

     鈥淕reat mentors change your life for the better. They guide you to your greatest potential through support, challenge, and example. Dr. DeLuca Bishop is the very best example of excellent mentoring.鈥� 

  • Dr. Kimberly VanderbiltDr. Kimberly Vanderbilt has been a steadfast advocate for student research since joining 糖心原创 in 2013. She routinely mentors 8鈥�12 undergraduate students and 2鈥�4 graduate students each semester, creating a strong sense of community among her research team. Her mentorship has helped students gain acceptance into competitive graduate programs in psychology, counseling, social work, and clinical psychology. Dr. Vanderbilt also served as a CUGR Faculty Fellow, further strengthening our campus research culture.

  

• 2024-2025
  •     
  • Dr. Nahid Majd  
  • 2024 Kerri Mowen Flyer

  

  Dr. Dennis Kolosov has been an exemplary research mentor who demonstrates thoughtful self-reflection to help students achieve their research and professional goals. Since 2021, Dr. Kolosov has mentored 33 students, most belonging to groups underrepresented in STEM. Dr. Kolosov provides meaningful career-advancing opportunities such as co-authorship on publications and conference presentations. A recent graduate was offered >$1M in fellowships and 12 PhD acceptances; six trainees are in PhD programs to date, and four more are currently in the process of applying. In his time at 糖心原创, Dr. Kolosov has two publications with student co-authors with nine more in review or in preparation. By using structured mentoring tools, Dr. Kolosov creates an inclusive environment that enhances students' sense of belonging, which is reflected in his students鈥� glowing feedback. Finally, Dr. Kolosov demonstrates that he is a student of improving his mentoring abilities by participating in professional development such as Advancing Inclusive Mentoring certifications. 

  Dr. Nahid Majd has been a staunch advocate for student research in Computer Science since starting her 糖心原创 position in 2014. Dr. Majd has mentored 40 students in research: a remarkable 24 graduate students in their master鈥檚 theses and 14 undergraduate students, many of whom were funded through selective programs such as 糖心原创 Summer Scholars and the Learning Aligned Employment Program. Dr. Majd fosters diversity by mentoring students from underrepresented groups in STEM, resulting in recognition and awards for first-generation, Hispanic, and female students. Her mentorship has led to successful outcomes, with many students advancing to graduate programs or securing competitive industry positions (e.g., Apple, Qualcomm) closely related to their research work. Dr. Majd has enhanced the research environment at 糖心原创 through securing grants from the Department of Homeland Security, guiding multiple research projects, facilitating presentations at premier national and international conferences, and providing leadership through coordinating the computer science graduate program
• 2023-2024
  • Dr. Alex Huynh
  • The 2023 Awardee was announced during the on November 28, 2023.

  

• 2022-2023
  • Elinne Becket, PhD
  • Marisol Clark-Iba帽ez, PhD

  

• 2021-2022
  • Deanna Schmidt, PhD
  • Christina Simokat, MA
• 2020-2021
  Richard Armenta, PhD
• 2019-2020
  Arun Sethuraman, PhD
• 2018-2019
  • Lucy HG Solomon, MFA
  • Robert Iafe, PhD
• 2017-2018
  Kim Pulvers, PhD, MPH
• 2016-2017
  Kimberly D鈥橝nna-Hernandez, PhD