Brenda Naimy, a lecturer in the Division of Special Education and Counseling in the Charter College of Education at Cal State LA, was recognized for excellence in teaching and outstanding achievements during University Convocation 2022. 

Naimy was presented an Outstanding Lecturer Award on Aug. 18 for her significant achievements in scholarly inquiry or creativity, as well as professional activities and community service.  

A veteran educator, Naimy has taught classes in the college’s Orientation and Mobility Graduate Program for more than two decades. The specialized program prepares students pursuing careers in education and rehabilitation for people with visual impairment, where they impart skills to blind and visually impaired individuals to further their independence. 

Naimy is recognized for her creative and engaging teaching style. She is also known for her sleep-shade classes, an immersive experience where students are blindfolded several hours per week and learn how to travel independently on campus and in community environments. In this course, students also practice teaching each other the skills of independent movement and travel, simulating the experience of teaching a visually impaired individual how to navigate life.  

Naimy co-chaired a statewide committee that passed legislation to amend California’s Education Code to address the rights of visually impaired students and also served as a board member of the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals. 

Before teaching at Cal State LA, Naimy worked as an orientation and mobility specialist at the Foundation for the Junior Blind, eventually becoming director of educational services. She has published articles in the Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness, coauthored the book Basic Spanish for Orientation and Mobility and contributed to numerous educational publications.  

A Culver City resident, Naimy received her master’s degree in special education at Cal State LA.  

Photo: Brenda Naimy, Cal State LA's Outstanding Lecturer Award recipient. (Credit: J. Emilio Flores/Cal State LA)