David Nazarian Receives Honorary Doctorate from Alma Mater

June 5, 2024

David Nazarian stands at a podium

Business leader and CSUN graduate David Nazarian '82 received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at the 2024 commencement ceremony for the college that bears his name.

Nazarian is CEO and founder of Nimes Capital. In his 30-year career, Nazarian has established a consistent track record of identifying opportunities ahead of the pack, actively managing those investments and executing effective monetization strategies across a diverse range of investment classes and industries.

Nazarian’s history as a visionary investor and business builder began with his active involvement in his family’s early identification of the potential for wireless communications technology which ultimately became part of Qualcomm Inc., one of the most successful corporations in the history of the telecommunications industry.

In addition to his business activities, Nazarian is extremely active in the greater Los Angeles community through his support of numerous charitable organizations, including his role as chair of the Investment Committee and a member of the Board of Directors of the UCLA Foundation, his involvement with the Board of Governors and Investment Committee for the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and his membership on the USC Marshall School of Business Board of Leaders.

After earning his bachelor’s degree in business administration from CSUN, Nazarian received his MBA from the University of Southern California.

In March 2014, Nazarian pledged to help lead a $25 million fundraising drive and launched that effort with a $10 million cash gift. In recognition of his gift and pledge of continued support, CSUN named its college of business the David Nazarian College of Business and Economics. The gift enhances entrepreneurship and international programming, provides professional development and career assistance to students, and elevates the success of women in business.