Bonnie Gasior, Ph.D.

Bonnie Gasior, Ph.D., Spanish professor at Cal State Long Beach, is recognized for her cross-departmental efforts to enhance the college experience for all students.

Dr. Gasior developed the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) as a Provost Leadership Fellow. In response to the rising number of reported mental illnesses and distresses on college campuses, Gasior's MHFA is a certification course for CSULB faculty and staff members to become first responders for mental health. MHFA empowers non-health care professionals to recognize signs of mental disorders in students and to intervene in crisis situations.

For the past four years, Gasior advocated for student athletes as CSULB's Faculty Athletic Representative. On campus and on-call, Gasior was the liaison between student athletes and their teachers and ensured students were academically healthy by working closely with the Compliance Office and developing academic integrity workshops. From academic awards to misconduct, Gasior was involved in every issue with insight from both the student and faculty perspective.

Gasior is also a founding committee member of the Paideia Fellowship at CSULB, which focused on transforming the classroom structure to provide invigorating and community-building first-year experiences. The pilot program begins fall 2019 and Gasior was instrumental in writing the course outline, which includes high-impact practices.

“The common thread across Bonnie's roles is her unwavering commitment to student success. She is a powerhouse on our campus with a continuous record for innovation," says Beth Manke, Ph.D., associate dean of CSULB's College of Liberal Arts.​