Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty
S. Victoria Jaque
Professor, Tenured, Ph.D., 1994, University of Southern California, Exercise Science.
She is professor and graduate coordinator in both the Department of Kinesiology and Assisted Technology Studies and Human Services at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). She is Co-Director of the Performance Psychophysiology Laboratory at CSUN and co-author of the books, Creativity and the Performing Artist: Behind the Mask and Creativity, Trauma and Resilience. As an Exercise Physiologist, she has conducted research in a variety of areas, including the influence of physical activity on the development of peak bone mass in humans and rodents. Her current research focuses on developing a better understanding of how the autonomic nervous system responds to physiologic and psychological stressors in performing artists, athletes, healthy active individuals and patients with functional disorders. She is an active researcher in laboratory and field settings (concert halls, studios).
Danielle Jarvis
Professor, Tenured, Ph.D., 2015, University of Southern California in exercise science and biomechanics.
Dr. Jarvis teaches courses in biomechanics, dance, and athletic training. She is currently a Faculty Senator representing the College of Health and Human Development and serves on the Graduate Studies Committee. Dr. Jarvis is the director of LEAAP (Laboratory for Evaluating Athletic & Aesthetic Performance), where she conducts biomechanics research and oversees projects run by CSUN graduate and undergraduate students. Her research interests are in movement coordination during skilled athletic activities. Specifically, she studies joint demands during jumping movements and her current research focuses on lower extremity biomechanics during dance jumps. She also regularly choreographs and performs with the Los Angeles-based dance company LA Unbound.
Mariko Iwabuchi
Assistant Professor, Tenure-Track, Ph.D., 2019, Alliant International University - Los Angeles in Clinical Psychology.
She is an educator and licensed clinical psychologist with 6.5 years teaching undergraduate and graduate level courses in dance and psychology. She has assisted doctoral-level students with research and data analysis (including SPSS) as an instructor and teaching assistant for statistics and research methodology. She has extensive training and experience working with diverse adult populations, particularly students of color and students from marginalized communities for 5+ years. She has approximately 20 years of dance experience (e.g., hip-hop, locking, jazz, ballet, modern), and has choreographed and/or directed 20+ dance works from 2004 to 2020
Doug McLaughlin
Professor, Tenured, Ph.D., 2008, Pennsylvania State University in Kinesiology with an emphasis in the history and philosophy of sport.
He is the Chair of Kinesiology. His research interests focus on the metaphysics and ethics of games, play, and sport. Along with his expertise in sport and games, he is well versed in the philosophy of aesthetics, including dance history and philosophy. He has published research articles in the Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, Olympika, and Sport, Ethics, and Philosophy.
Paula Thomson
Professor, Tenured, PsyD, 1998, American Studies Behavioral Institute in Clinical Psychology.
She coordinates the dance program at CSUN and is a licensed Clinical Psychologist. She is Co-Director of the Performance Psychophysiology Laboratory at CSUN, and Professor Emeritus / Senior Scholar at York University’s Departments of Theatre and Graduate Studies (Canada). She is a reliable Adult Attachment Interview coder and actively conducts research investigating attachment, early trauma, and creativity. She is the co-author of two books, Creativity and the Performing Artist: Behind the Mask and Creativity, Trauma, and Resilience and author of multiple chapters and peer-reviewed articles. She is a Fellow with the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation and a member of the Mental Health Working Group with the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science. She was a professional dancer and continues work as choreographer and movement coach in dance, theatre, and opera. Past professional choreographic company work includes Canadian Opera Company, Canadian Stage Company, Stratford Shakespearean Festival, Northern Lights Dance Theatre, Ballet Jorgen, UCLA On the Edge of Chaos., and LACPA Theater of the Mind. In 2013, she was named one of the top 20 female professors in California.
Dan Weingarten
Professor, Tenured, MFA, 2004, California Institute of the Arts in Theatrical Design and Production Lighting Design.
He is Chair of Theatre (effective August 15, 2023) and has been designing lighting for
Theatre, Opera, Dance and Themed Environments for over 35 years. He has designed over 1800 productions. He has worked professionally with hundreds of directors, choreographers, and other visual and performance artists.
Andy Linden
Andy Linden is an Associate Professor of Sport Studies and Dance at the California State University, Northridge.
He received a Ph.D. in Kinesiology/History and Philosophy of Sport (2016) from the Pennsylvania State University, and a M.A. in Sport Humanities/Management (2012) and a B.A. in History (2010) from the Ohio State University. He is the Communications Officer for the North American Society for Sport History (NASSH) and the Journal of Sport History. His teaching and research focus on the intersections of culture, politics, and human movement, including sport, dance, and physical education.