California State University Northridge Athletics
10/22/2026 8:35:00 AM | General, Men's Soccer
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. – The CSUN Men's Soccer team celebrated and recognized nine CSUN faculty members as part of its Most Valuable Professor (MVP) Night on Saturday, Oct. 10, during the Matadors' Big West match against Cal State Fullerton at Matador Soccer Field.
"CSUN student-athletes continue to achieve at a high level thanks to the support of CSUN Faculty," said Ryan Swartwood, CSUN's Director of Athletics. "The MVP games are essential for our Athletics Department as we gather and celebrate our Faculty and express our gratitude for their contributions."
Participating student-athletes selected faculty members who have made a meaningful impact on their academic journeys, highlighting the strong connections between CSUN faculty and student-athletes. The MVP program celebrates these relationships and the faculty's ongoing support of student success in the classroom and beyond.
The following faculty members were selected for recognition:
- David Marley, Department of History – invited by Dominik Wicks
- Arlene Sagastumé, Department of Central American and Transborder Studies – invited by Adrian Jones
- Chris Garlington, Department of Systems and Operations Management – invited by Mika Ney
- Emelia Akhlaghi, Department of Systems and Operations Management – invited by Hagan Cupido
- Jill Quilici, Department of Psychology – invited by Ian Boras
- Sean Murray, Department of Biology – invited by Michael Blevins
- Sahil Panda, Department of Biology – invited by Michael Blevins
- Loren Naidoo, Department of Management – invited by Yart Van Lieshout
- Jennifer Marshall, Department of Communication Studies – invited by Ronaldo Mena
CSUN Athletics thanks all participating faculty for their ongoing commitment to supporting the academic and personal growth of student-athletes.
The MVP series continued with women's soccer on Saturday, Oct. 17. The next MVP event of the 2026-27 academic year is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 7, when the Matador Women's Volleyball team hosts UC Riverside at 4 p.m. at Premier America Credit Union Arena.
#GoMatadors
