Younes Nazarian to Receive Honorary CSUN Degree

California State University – Northridge will confer an honorary doctorate on Los Angeles entrepreneur and philanthropist Younes Nazarian during this year’s commencement ceremony, the university announced Monday. Nazarian will receive a Doctor of Humane Letters from the David Nazarian College of Business and Economics on May 19. The college is named for Nazarian’s son, who graduated from CSUN and founded the investment firm Nimes Capital. Before immigrating to the U.S. from Iran in the wake of the Iranian Revolution, Nazarian owned one of the country’s largest construction equipment businesses. Upon arriving in the U.S., he became co-owner of aerospace manufacturer Stadco and served on the board of directors of San Diego-based wireless telecommunications company Qualcomm. CSUN’s performing art center, the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts, was named for the businessman and his wife after they made a major donation to the center. “The Nazarians’ generosity is unlike any CSUN has ever experienced,” said CSUN President Dianne F. Harrison in a statement. “Beyond the enormous benefit of their financial support, the Nazarians’ investment provides a powerful statement in support of CSUN’s important role in Los Angeles.”