Thank you, Icarus! But if I am writing this article in January 2018, should I say "Throughout last year" or "Throughout the last year"?? And "who provided me with knowledge in sociology and several other areas" or "who have provided me with knowledge in sociology and several other areas"? Please, I really need help

Here is my suggestion. It is hard to be careful for run-on sentences. It sounds more eloquent when you can break them up into smaller sentences. It makes you sound like you are giving each statement more thought instead of one long thought strung together. "I can’t help but thank my professor and adviser, who has helped me throughout this past year, especially in December. I would also like to thank the professors from the social sciences department , who have provided me with, not only knowledge in sociology, but also several other areas."