​Self-described “pedagogy geek,” Matthew Atherton loves to explore new and interesting teaching techniques and share them with his colleagues. Aside from constantly tinkering with his own classes, as Associate Director of Teaching and Learning for the CSU San Marcos Faculty Center, he puts together workshops and the annual Summer Teaching Institute to share the scholarship of teaching and learning. Atherton has written articles about the use of technology and popular culture in the classroom to best achieve learning outcomes. He finds it important to assess these techniques in a way that is meaningful and can be used to share them with others. He is a faculty member in Sociology & Social Sciences and has done research on criminology and education, and the recipient of CSU San Marcos​​ President’s Outstanding Faculty Award for Teaching Innovation and Excellence.​