Wildlife Sightings Abound at CSUB - California State University ...

Your CSUB
CSU Bakersfield News Magazine • Spring/Summer 2012
Wildlife
Sightings
Abound
at CSUB
Exclusive photo essay
by alumnus Brady
Cabe inside
+
Stories of triumph
as CSUB graduates
largest class ever
Chevron, CSUB:
A Partnership for Excellence

Your CSUB
CSU BAKERSFIELD NEWS MAGAZINE
Volume XVIIII, Number III • Spring/Summer 2012
Your CSUB is published three times
per year by the Office of Public Affairs and
Communications at CSU Bakersfield for
alumni, friends, parents and colleagues of
the university.
eDIToR / CReATIVe DIReCToR
Rob Meszaros
(661) 654-2456
rmeszaros@csub.edu
WRITeR / PhoTogRAPhy
Jennifer Burger
(661) 654-2138
jburger1@csub.edu
STUDenT ASSISTAnT
Brady Cabe
Direct comments and inquiries to:
office of Public Affairs and
Communications
CSU Bakersfield
9001 Stockdale Highway, 19AW
Bakersfield, CA 93311-1022
CSU BAKeRSFIeLD
Dr. Horace Mitchell
President
on The CoVeR:
A great blue heron perches on the
dragon tail sculpture in the pond
near Faculty Towers.
Visit Your CSUB online:
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address:
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Opinions expressed in Your CSUB do not
necessarily reflect the views of the editor or
represent the official policy of CSUB.
2 SpRING/SUMMER 2012
[Inside This Issue]
3 Student Life
Club helps kids brush up on dental hygiene
4 Personality
Stories of success, triumph as CSUB graduates largest class ever
10 Alumni news
Jeremy Adams: Teacher, Earl Warren Cup Founder, and now author
11 Class notes
Find out what your classmates have been up to
12 Cover Story
Into the CSUB Wild — A photo essay by alumnus Brady Cabe
16 Around Campus
MS in Science Ed.; Police get new rides; John Brock Award;
CSUB’s new sculpture; State Farm funds grant to train teachers
19 Philanthropy
Chevron/CSUB
4
10
12
16

[Student Life]
Club helps kids brush up on dental hygiene
CSUB student and Pre-Dental
Club president Sasan Jahanian
teaches kids at Panama
Elementary School about
proper dental hygiene.
“What do we do after we brush our teeth?
We spit it out!” says Sasan Jahanian as a
stream of water squirts out of the puppet’s
freshly brushed mouth. The children squeal
with delight and eagerly raise their hands to
answer questions about dental hygiene.
When Jahanian was brainstorming for
community service opportunities as part of the
Pre-Dental Club at CSUB, he wanted to make
an impact in a fresh way. During his job shadowing
under Dr. Wade Logan of the Capital
Dental Group, Dr. Logan suggested the idea of
working with school children, which Sasan has
built into the Creating Healthy Smiles for Kern
Kids program. The program teaches proper
dental hygiene to children in kindergarten
through second grade and also provides toothbrushes,
toothpaste and floss to the children.
“It’s a lot of fun. So far I haven’t had a
volunteer that has not liked it. The volunteers
are always asking about the next event,”
Jahanian said.
The children’s ear-to-ear smiles and gleeful
laughter are a good indication that the program
is not only educational, but it is also very fun.
Jahanian and his volunteers spend about 10
minutes with each group of eight to 10 children,
showing them proper dental hygiene techniques,
including brushing and flossing. They use puppets
with large teeth and oversized toothbrushes
that allow for the children to see exactly how
the toothbrush should be used.
“Seeing the excitement on these kids’ faces
when learning about how to properly brush
their teeth and floss is indescribably rewarding
and we hope to continue this program in the
future. Also, every school that we have visited
has asked us to return and teach the new batch
of kids next year,” said Rosemary Tran, the
club’s vice president.
Dental hygiene may seem like a basic skill,
but for many of these children, proper brushing
is not common knowledge. Even worse,
more than half of the children impacted by the
program do not know what dental floss is, let
alone how to use it properly. The program also
provides instruction to children with disabilities
and hearing impairments.
Although the program has been a hit among
the participating schools, there are challenges
to overcome as the program grows. The Kern
County Dental Society, which provides the
toothbrushes and floss for the children, has
a limited budget and the Pre-Dental Club is
seeking additional sources for donations.
As the program gains momentum and
is accepted by more school administrators,
Jahanian hopes to have at least five events
each quarter, impacting 300 children per event.
In the coming years, Jahanian would like to
see the program continue as he moves on to
pursue pediatric dentistry. He has completed a
bachelor’s in chemistry at CSUB and is now
working on a master’s in biology in preparation
for applying to dental school.
To get involved in the program as a
volunteer or a donor, contact Sasan at sasan.
jahanian@gmail.com or 856-308-6339.
YOUR CSUB 3

[Personality]
Stories of success, triumph as CSUB
graduates largest class ever
This June, California State University, Bakersfield graduated a record
2,116 students, eclipsing the 2,000 threshold for the first time in its 42year
history. As the graduates crossed the stage, they carried with them
unique stories of personal accomplishments and obstacles overcome.
Here we highlight a few of those stories from students who will no doubt
inspire future generations to reach for their dreams of higher education.
Lindsey Watkins
Psychology was not within Lindsey
Watkins’ radar. Even though her mother
has a Ph.D. in psychology and teaches
neuroscience at CSUB, she wanted to find
her own path.
Watkins went to a very large university
in Texas and declared chemistry as
her major. But she felt unknown among
the sea of students and, after ending an
unhealthy relationship, fell into a deep
depression.
“Maybe I was seeking control after
feeling so lost. At first I just wasn’t
hungry. Then I remember a distinct point
when I decided I was going to continue to
not eat,” she said.
Meanwhile, her mother, Isabel Sumaya,
knew something was wrong. She
packed her bags and went to bring her
daughter back to California.
“When she opened the door, I wanted
to cry,” Sumaya said. “She was skin and
bones and I knew if I didn’t take her
home with me that day she was going to
die there.”
Watkins returned to Bakersfield and
began a journey of recovery and self-discovery.
She found a therapist who not only
4 SpRING/SUMMER 2012
helped her overcome her depression, but
inspired her to help others as well.
“Knowing the healing purpose of
therapy, I knew that was my passion,”
Watkins said.
“Ironically, it took her struggle for life
to find her passion in life,” her mother
said.
Watkins enrolled at CSUB, majored in
psychology, then entered the Master’s in
Counseling Psychology. Her experience
working in the University Counseling
Training Clinic at CSUB showed her that
counseling others “felt like home, like
where I was meant to be.”
Clinic director Kathleen Ritter is impressed
by Watkins’ sparkle and desire to
learn – just a few of the reasons she was
chosen as the Outstanding Graduate of the
program.
Also, “she reaches out to her fellow
students like she does to her clients,” Ritter
said.
Watkins’ next step is to complete 3,000
internship hours and become a licensed
marriage and family therapist. Eventually
she’d like to open a low-cost counseling
clinic similar to the one at CSUB.
Watkins says CSUB has played a huge
role in her personal and professional
growth.
“I came in so frail, but I’m coming out
so confident,” she said. “All of my professors
cared about my success and growth
in such a way that inspired me to be a better
me. I can’t thank (them) enough for all
the knowledge, wisdom and growth they
have instilled in me.”
More stories on page 6
This June, California State University, Bakersfield
graduated a record 2,116 students, eclipsing the 2,000
threshold for the first time in its 42-year history.

Recent CSUB grad Lindsey Watkins says
CSUB has played a huge role in her
personal and professional growth.
YOUR CSUB 5

[Personality]
Jessica Boles
Jessica Boles followed in her family’s footsteps
when she enrolled at CSUB five years ago;
both of her parents attended CSUB, as did her
uncle, aunt, cousin and sister.
“It helped make the transition easier with the
support built in already,” she said.
She also knew it was close to home, affordable,
and offered a quality education. But one
thing she didn’t know was that CSUB would
lead to a career she’d never heard of before.
Boles graduated with a double major in
English and Theatre, and will embark as a dramaturg,
a perfect blend of her love for literature
and drama. The position entails researching the
historical context of a play and working with
directors and actors to maintain the integrity of
the work on stage. This August, Boles will start
a nine-month dramaturgy internship with the
Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts in
Santa Maria.
“Hopefully that will channel me into professional
work or eventually to grad school,” she
said.
Boles credits the mentorship of English
professor Michael Flachmann for pointing her in
this direction. She helped him conduct research
for the Utah Shakespeare Festival, for which
Flachmann serves as dramaturg.
“He helped me figure out what I want to do
with my life,” Boles said.
6 SpRING/SUMMER 2012
Flachmann is equally impressed with his
student.
She is “the most brilliant and talented
student I’ve known in the past 30 years of
teaching at the university level,” he said.
Many at CSUB will remember Boles for
her standout roles on stage – most notably as
Roxie in “Chicago,” for which she received
the Outstanding Performing Arts Project award
from the School of Arts and Humanities.
As a dramaturg, “Jessica’s performance
experience and knowledge of the rehearsal
process will help her to be responsive to the
needs of those she will be working with,”
said Mandy Rees, chair of the theatre department
at CSUB.
Behind and in front of the curtain, Boles
has been a model among her fellow students.
For this reason, she was selected for
Outstanding Graduate in both Theatre and
Boles graduated with a double major in english and
Theatre. She will embark as a dramaturg, a perfect
blend of her love for literature and drama.

Bertha Cuate graduated with a dual master’s in Spanish and early Childhood education from CSUB.
She is also celebrating the first bachelor’s degree among her six children as her son Miguel, 23,
graduates from CSUB with a BA in english.
English, as well as for the entire School of
Arts and Humanities.
English Department Chair Andy Troup
shared this memory of Boles:
“The Theatre Department was performing
‘The Merry Wives of Windsor’ that quarter,
and several cast members, including Jessica,
were in my class. For our unit on King Arthur,
I planned an activity in which the students
would debate whether Lancelot and Guinevere
were truly guilty of adultery. Jessica and her
theatre buddies transformed my activity into
a one-act play. No one will ever forget the
discussion we had that day!”
Bertha and Miguel Cuate
As a child in El Salvador, Bertha Cuate was
not allowed to go to school. Instead, she had
to help her mother raise her eight siblings. She
made her Bible her textbook and vowed to
give other children the opportunity for education
someday.
This month, Cuate, 56, is graduating with a
dual master’s in Spanish and Early Childhood
Education from CSUB. She is also celebrating
the first bachelor’s degree among her six
children as her son Miguel, 23, graduates from
CSUB with a BA in English.
“(As a child) I didn’t have a toy to play
with. All I had to do was work,” she said. “So
I thought, I need to learn more about early
childhood education. How can we advocate
for their rights to be children?”
Cuate was in her early 20s when she
escaped from El Salvador shortly after civil
war broke out in 1980. Family members and
friends were being killed. She ended up in Los
Angeles, where she married and started a family.
Eventually they settled in Bakersfield.
After her daughter graduated from high
school, Cuate took a class with her at Bakersfield
College. Thus began the journey of her
dreams: to attain higher education. She completed
her associate’s degree at Taft College,
then came to CSUB for a bachelor’s in child,
adolescent and family studies, with a minor in
Spanish.
She chose master’s degrees in early childhood
education and Spanish so she would be
able to teach in both languages. Also at CSUB,
she worked with associate professor Cary
Larson-McKay to translate children’s books to
support early literacy.
Continued on page 8
YOUR CSUB 7

[Personality]
Tyree Boyd-Pates’ enthusiasm is infectious at CSUB.
he first chased his passion for theater, then tried
settling down in business. Then he chose a happy
medium – communications with an emphasis in
public relations. he also added a minor in African
American studies. he has applied to three programs
on the east Coast and will decide in July where to
attend.
“Bertha is a person with a wide view of
the world and has a gentle, caring approach
to others,” Larson-McKay said. “She is very
supportive of fellow students in class and she
cares deeply about providing the support others
around her need.”
Today Cuate teaches early childhood education
at Taft College and works as a tutor. One of
her sons attends Taft College, another attends BC,
and another is taking time off from CSUB but
plans to return. Her daughters also attended BC.
Miguel said he and his siblings are inspired
by their mother’s dedication to education.
“She’s always told us, look at where she’s
come from and the sacrifices she’s made. We are
in a country that allows us to get an education.
There is no obstacle to it other than our own
commitment,” he said.
Neither of them are done with their educa-
8 SpRING/SUMMER 2012
tions. Miguel plans to be a teacher and is applying
to CSUB for either a master’s in English
or a certificate in TESOL (Teaching English to
Speakers of Other Languages). Bertha is applying
to the Doctoral Program in Educational
Leadership at CSUB.
“I feel proud of myself because I accomplished
one of my dreams. But this is not the
end of my dream,” Bertha said.
Tyree Boyd-Pates
Tyree Boyd-Pates’ enthusiasm is infectious at
CSUB. In five years here, he has made friends
from the residence halls to the Student Recreation
Center. In fact, it’s a safe bet that no other
student has pounded the pavement at CSUB as
much as Tyree, who has led more than 150 tours
of prospective students while working for University
Outreach. Everyone knows Tyree.
“Tyree has a gift of connecting with students.
He is a recognizable young man on campus due
to his desire to bring change in other students’
lives,” said Steven Watkin, Outreach Director.
The Outreach Office reeled in Tyree to attend
CSUB. Raised by his grandmother in Los Angeles
due to his mother’s substance abuse, Tyree
was unfocused in high school and graduated
with a poor GPA.
“I didn’t have many male influences. I was
kind of just bumbling around. I knew I wanted
to go to college, I just didn’t have the grades to
get me to college,” Tyree said.
When a contingent from CSUB visited
Tyree’s church and offered him admittance
through the Educational Opportunity Program,
he went for it.
As for his major, Tyree first chased his passion
for theater, then tried settling down in business.
Then he chose a happy medium – commu-

nications with an emphasis in public relations.
He also added a minor in African American
studies.
Through the McNair Scholars Program,
which prepares minority students for post-baccalaureate
studies, Tyree decided to research
an unfortunate phenomenon: Many of the African
American students recruited along with
Tyree have since dropped out of college. If he
can answer the question “why” then hopefully
he can also answer the question of “how” to
better retain this student demographic.
“The topic is very meaningful to Tyree as
he is one of those students that deeply cares
about making a difference in his community,”
said McNair director Isabel Sumaya.
Tyree hopes to continue his research as he
earns a master’s in African American studies.
He has applied to three programs on the East
Coast and will decide in July where to attend.
He says he would like to work in politics
or grassroots organizing. Whatever his future
career, it will include mentoring and encouraging
young people to go to college.
“A deep passion of mine is showing others
that they can go to college, because I have,”
he said. “It’s a huge milestone to have this
degree, not only for me but for my community
back at home.”
Juan Serna
Juan Serna knew early on that he wanted
to make a difference in young people’s lives.
This month, he takes one step closer to his
dream as he graduates from CSUB-Antelope
Valley with a degree in Human Services.
“When I was in junior high, I saw a lot of
my friends going into gangs and doing drugs
and I felt like they were throwing their lives
away. So I want
to inspire others
to use their
potential to grow
and take advantage
of resources
they have at
school,” Serna
said.
Human
Services is an interdisciplinary degree that
includes psychology, sociology, criminal
justice and child development. As part of his
education, he interned at Change Lanes Youth
Support Services, where he worked with atrisk
youth who are on probation or in trouble
at school.
This fall, Serna will begin a three-year
Master’s of Social Work program at CSU
Northridge with the hopes of working fulltime
with at-risk youth and other disadvantaged
groups.
Serna’s inspiration for higher education
comes from his parents. As migrant farmworkers,
they barely made enough to sleep on
floors of rented rooms and garages. His mom
and dad encouraged their only child to go to
college – an opportunity they themselves wish
they’d had.
“Even though they didn’t go to school,
they knew education was the best route to get
out of poverty,” Serna said.
Serna started his college education at
Antelope Valley College, then transferred next
door to CSUB-AV. During the second week of
school, he became very sick and was hospitalized.
His diagnosis of valley fever did not
deter him. As soon as he could, he returned to
classes – IV still attached to his arm for daily
antibiotic treatments – and powered through a
year of recovery.
“Juan is extremely dedicated to his
education,” said psychology lecturer Allison
Evans. “He took seven courses with me and
consistently scored in the top 5 percent. He
beat valley fever that first year and never let it
interfere with his education.”
Serna says the tight-knit CSUB-AV campus
has been a great support system for him.
As a member of the Student Life Advancement
Committee, he has helped enrich the
student experience by organizing guest speakers
and events. He was recently honored as the
Outstanding Graduate Student there.
“The campus is actually very alive,” Serna
said. “Here you see the same people almost
every day and you develop a close relationship
with them. It’s also easy to talk to the
teachers, to get to know them. They have all
been very supportive.”
Juan Serna’s inspiration for higher education comes from his parents. As migrant
farmworkers, they barely made enough to sleep on floors of rented rooms and garages.
his mom and dad encouraged their only child to go to college – an opportunity they
themselves wish they’d had.
YOUR CSUB 9

[Alumni News]
Teacher, Earl Warren Cup founder, and now author
On the heels of being named Kern County
Teacher of the Year in May, California State
University, Bakersfield adjunct lecturer and
alumnus Jeremy Adams gave a talk and book
signing featuring his new memoir at CSUB.
Adams’ book, “Full Classrooms, Empty
Selves,” is about his experiences teaching
government and macroeconomics at Bakersfield
High School over the past 14 years.
During that time, he went from optimistic to
realistic, as it became apparent he was not
going to be “that one teacher that made a difference”
for every student, he said.
“I had to get over myself and realize that
sometimes the magic isn’t going to happen
for every student,” Adams said. “Now I have
much more patience with my students and
more faith in my fellow teachers to be the one
teacher I wanted to be.”
Adams graduated from BHS in 1994 and obtained
his bachelor’s degree in political science
from Washington and Lee University in Virginia
in 1998. After returning to Bakersfield, he began
teaching at BHS and earned his social science
teaching credential in 1999 and Master’s in
Education in Curriculum and Instruction in
2000 from CSUB. He also teaches political science
courses as an adjunct professor at CSUB.
One of his well-known accomplishments
at BHS is founding the Earl Warren Cup in
2006. The annual competition quizzes students
on government and civics trivia. Some
of the questions are recorded by national
figures such as former Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice and television news anchor
Diane Sawyer.
As Kern County Teacher of the Year,
Adams will represent Kern County in the
10 SpRING/SUMMER 2012
California Teachers of the Year competition
this year. He also is a recipient of the Jim
Burke Rising Star Teaching Award, the Kern
Reading Association Outstanding Student
Teacher Award, and a Beautiful Bakersfield
Award for education.
Through all of these accomplishments,
Adams said he has experienced many frustrations,
hopes and anxieties that he wants to
share with other educators and teachers-intraining
through his book.
“In this brilliant mid-career exposé,
Jeremy Adams takes a brutally honest look
at himself and the teaching profession as he
guides his readers to a profound understanding
of their place in the world of learning,”
writes Kim Flachmann, an English professor
at CSUB, in a review of the book. “The
author fills our hearts with both hope and
despair as he examines the future of education
in this inspiring ‘teaching memoir.’”
For more information, go to www.authorjeremyadams.com.
Calling all Roadrunners
Whether you are traveling the globe or have planted your roots in Bakersfield, we want to know
what you’re doing. Your alma mater misses you! Stay connected with CSUB and your classmates.
Connect Today: facebook.com/csubalumni • csub.edu/alumni • alumni@csub.edu • 661.654.3211

[Class Notes]
CATheRIne BenneTT (’80, BA Psychology; ’91, MBA)
is an attorney with Klein, DeNatale, Goldner, Cooper,
Rosenlieb & Kimball LLP.
AUDRey CoChRAn (’90, MSN) presented a clinical poster
at the Society of Urological Nurses and Associates at the
Hyatt Hotel in San Francisco, March 1-3. The title of her
exhibit was “You can’t build a better bladder if you ignore
the gut.” She has managed the Continence Rehabilitation
Program for Drs. John Owens and Umaima Jamaluddin for
the past 17 years.
KIMBeRLy LeFF (’93, BA English) is a teacher for the Kern
High School District.
DIAne McWILLIAMS (’99, BA Liberal Studies) is a teacher
at Maple School in Shafter, CA.
WILL LeVy, III (’99, MBA) is the Chief of Security at the
U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing. He manages a
team of nearly 200 employees who work round-the-clock
to safeguard currency production facilities in Washington,
D.C. and Forth Worth, Texas. In the four years he’s
worked at BEP, Levy has transformed the way the agency
approaches security, from a “bank-vault mentality” to one
that is more customer-focused (The Washington Post).
SAMAnThA TRAhAn (’99, BS Biology) is a Chemical
Analyst in Texas.
ThoMAS CLoBeS (’00, BS Biology; ’04, MS Administration)
just received his Ph.D. in Health Sciences from the
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. He is
applying the transtheoretical model of health behavior
change to improving outcomes with type 2 diabetics at
the University.
PATRICK WITCheR (’02, MA Education Administration) is
a Vice Principal for the Bakersfield City School District.
CLAUDIA De Leon (’02, BA Sociology) is a Social Service
Worker III for Kern County Department of Human Services.
JASon SCoTT PLUMe (’02, BA History) is a college
instructor at Xavier University of Louisiana.
AnThony JAQUeZ (’03, BS Business Administration) is
City Planner for the city of Bakersfield.
ASUCenA ALVAReZ (’06, BA Liberal Studies) is a teacher
at Belridge Elementary in McKittrick.
CoLLeen McgAULey (’08, MPA) was the first recipient of
the KIE-Downtown Rotary Community Ethics Award. She
is Executive Director of Court-Appointed Special Advocates
(CASA) of Kern County. The award honors community
members who exemplify ethical values either over a
lifetime or in a specific situation during the previous year.
The selection committee voted unanimously to choose
McGauley for her longtime role in giving a voice to abused
children in Kern County.
heCToR M. gUTIeRReZ RAngeL (’09, BS Business
Administration/MIS) is an IT Consultant for Occidental
Petroleum Corporation.
oLIVIA B. DUnCAn (‘08, BA Communications) is a
Production Assistant at the NFL Network. She is part of a
new morning show debuting in July called “NFL All Morning.”
Previously, she interned and worked at KBAK/KBFX
Eyewitness news for more than two years.
‘10
Roy e. BoSWeLL (’10, MA English) is an adjunct English
Instructor at Porterville College.
DAVID WeSCoTT (’11, Physical Education and Kinesiology
with an emphasis in Exercise) is the Assistant Manager
for the largest fitness facility in the Marine Corps. He is on
board Camp Pendleton training Marines and Sailors for
combat or back to full active duty status after injury. David
completed the CPT and TSAC facilitator’s course through
the NSCA, completed the level 1 sports coach through
USAW, and is currently studying to take the NSCA’s CSCS
in February.
STePhAnIe MARTIneZ (’11, BS Environmental Resource
Management) is working for the US Forest Service. She is
the Emergency Communications Center Manager.
JeSSICA BoLeS (‘12, BA English and Theatre Arts) is a
Dramaturgy Intern with PCPA Theatrefest.
RyAn MARTIn (‘12, BS Business Finance Major, Economics)
is working for Brinderson Engineering as a Cost Engineer.
YOUR CSUB 11

[Cover Story]
CSUB’s open spaces, undeveloped
acreage, and water and food
sources create a supportive environment
for a variety of wildlife.
The unique habitat provides a living
laboratory for biology students,
and a natural – and sometimes
surprising – vantage point for campus
visitors.
Look overhead and you might
see a hawk or owl hunting for prey.
Look underfoot and you might
see their dinner: gophers, ground
squirrels, or snakes. Watch out for
the occasional opossum, raccoon,
12 SpRING/SUMMER 2012
Photos by Brady Cabe
and skunk. The campus ponds are
home to frogs, fish, and aquatic
birds such as coots and egrets.
Of course, the stars of the show
are the endangered San Joaquin
Kit Foxes, which make their
homes throughout campus. They
den under planters, next to buildings
and parking lots, and at
the Environmental Studies Area
(ESA) in the southeast portion of
campus. They raise their pups on
a mix of wild prey and leftovers
tossed in the trash.
Continued on page 14

This great egret takes a break from
hunting frogs and small fish in the
pond near Faculty Towers.
A family of San Joaquin Kit
Foxes plays in the afternoon
sun on campus.
YOUR CSUB 13

“They are our dumpster divers,”
said Marlene Benton, coordinator of
the Facility for Animal Care and Treatment
(FACT) at CSUB, which rehabilitates
injured and orphaned birds of
prey.
FACT resides within five wooded
acres of the 20-acre ESA. The many
mature trees here and elsewhere on
campus provide shelter for nesting birds
of prey, such as red tailed hawks and
barn owls. Two years ago, two juvenile
red shouldered hawks were raised in a
sycamore in the middle of the residence
halls. Last year, a great horned owl
raised two owlets in a magnolia tree
next to Science III.
“Normally they would not overlap
hunting territories, but because we’ve
got the prey available, they are able to
occupy the same spaces,” Benton said.
Biology graduate student Tory
Westall has found the same to be true of
the kit foxes on campus. For her thesis,
she has been monitoring extended family
groups, which are adapting to their
tight-knit surroundings by helping raise
younger siblings rather than disperse to
new territories.
“They typically have larger family
groups in town than in their natural
habitat,” Westall said.
This spring, the campus was treated
to one kit fox family with four young
pups who entertained passersby in front
of the Walter Stiern Library.
The menagerie of wildlife at CSUB
used to include even more species,
said Dr. Ted Murphy, who taught
biology from 1972 until 2001 and
This bee swarm was
discovered in a tree
behind Hardt Field.
14 SpRING/SUMMER 2012
founded FACT in 1975. As CSUB first
transitioned from farmland to college
campus, there was a large population of
ground-dwelling burrowing owls. There
were also badgers, coyotes, weasels,
and jack rabbits.
“There were also roadrunners on
campus,” Murphy said of the CSUB
mascot. “But I haven’t seen one of
those in umpteen years.”
Both Murphy and current biology
professor Dr. David Germano
have found the CSUB campus to be
a great spot for class field trips and
student research, particularly for
their vertebrate diversity classes.
It’s also an added bonus for the
entire community, who can witness
wildlife within urban Bakersfield
just by visiting campus.
“People like seeing the animals on
campus. It reminds them that we share
the planet with a lot of other things,”
Germano said.
For the health and safety of the wildlife
as well as humans, CSUB experts
offer these tips:
• Leave baby birds where you find
them – falling is part of learning to fly.
Parents continue to care for babies if
they’re on the ground.
• Don’t feed the kit foxes. There is
plenty of wild food for them on campus.
Plus, the food will attract harmful
species such as feral cats and red foxes.
• Don’t touch the wildlife – it could result
in getting bit or hurt. If you find an
injured or distressed animal on campus,
contact FACT at 661-654-BIRD or
Campus Police at 661-654-2112.

A mallard swimming in the
pond near Faculty Towers
preens in the morning sun.
A finch scours the
campus trees for
food.
YOUR CSUB 15

[Around Campus]
MS in Science Ed.
CSUB has announced that applications
are now being accepted for the
new Credential Track of the Master’s of
Science in Science Education. The twoyear
program, which is being funded by
the National Science Foundation, will
result in both a Master of Science degree
and a California Teaching Credential
in an appropriate science discipline.
Program director and CSUB associate
professor Carl Kloock says the program
is a perfect fit for someone who
has a bachelor’s in any science field, but
lacks a teaching credential, and has a
desire to teach science at the middle or
high school level.
Applicants will also be eligible to
apply for the Robert Noyce Teacher
Fellowship, a National Science Foundation-sponsored
program offering up to
$60,000 in support, including a $10,000
per year salary stipend for graduates of
the program teaching science for up to
four years.
For more information, including
full entrance requirements and application
instructions, go to csub.edu/
ScienceEd, or call (661) 654-3021.
Applications will be accepted until
all program spots are full.
16 SpRING/SUMMER 2012
Police get new rides
Congratulations to CSUB’s Police Chief
Marty Williamson for being named
2011-12 Alumnus of the Year (BA
criminal Justice ‘94; MA Public Administration
‘97). Marty has also taught
as an adjunct lecturer at CSUB in both
public administration and criminal justice
for many years. He is the public safety
director, emergency preparedness and
response manager, and is in charge of
parking services. Most recently, Marty
was instrumental in securing a grant that
allowed the University Police to purchase
four electric police carts, which will save
the department money by reducing maintenance
and fuel costs of its traditional
patrol vehicles.

John Brock Award
The prestigious John Brock Community
Service Award will be presented
to Jon Van Boening, President and
Chief Executive Officer of Bakersfield
Memorial Hospital.
Van Boening originally joined Bakersfield
Memorial as Vice President,
Operations and led several strategic
and restructuring programs that have
allowed Memorial to become and
remain a cutting edge leader in healthcare services in its market.
Van Boening graduated from the University of the Pacific with a Bachelor of
Science, Pharmacy. He also earned a Master of Science in Administration -
Healthcare Management from California State University, Bakersfield.
The award will be presented at the annual John Brock Award dinner on
Sept. 8, 2012 at Seven Oaks Country Club.
Proceeds from the event fund the John Brock Endowment, which provides
scholarships for students in CSUB’s School of Business and Public Administration.
Tickets for the event are $150 per person and can be purchased from
the CSUB School of Business and Public Administration at 661-654-2157.
YOUR CSUB 17

[Around Campus]
CSUB’s new sculpture
International sculptor Jems Robert Koko
Bi recently finished a larger-than-life
sculpture of Martin Luther King,
Jr. in the form of a giant head constructed
of wood. The sculpture
now stands outside of the Walter
Stiern Library on the north side
of campus. Koki Bi is the 27th
annual artist to come to CSUB
through the Visiting Sculptor
Program. The piece is the second
profile in a series of four that the
artist says he wants to construct around
the world. The first, of Nelson Mandela, is
on display in Germany. For the first time,
the Visiting Sculptor Program was funded by
an online campaign through Kickstarter.com,
which brought in more than $4,000, plus additional
donations from the community and alumni
art students. The largest donation came from CSUB
philosophy professor Dr. Jacquelyn Kegley, designating
her as the project founder.
State Farm funds grant to train teachers
Through a new after-school tutoring program funded by a $15,000 grant from State Farm
Insurance, CSUB teacher candidates are working to increase the academic achievement and
aspirations of students in the Beardsley School District. An estimated 30 CSUB teacher candidates
will be compensated to provide nearly 6,000 hours of after-school academic support
this year in the areas of literacy, math, science and social studies. They will also promote
complex thinking skills that enable independent learning and intellectual self-confidence.
Between 60 and 80 students per week at each of Beardsley’s four school sites benefit from
the program, according to district superintendent Richard Stotler.
18 SpRING/SUMMER 2012

[Philanthropy]
A partnership for
Excellence
CSUB chemistry
professor Dr. Andreas
Gebauer (left) and
CSUB president Dr.
Horace Mitchell
(right) present a token
of appreciation to
Bruce Johnson, VP of
Chevron.
The state of California has become an
unreliable partner in higher education. In
the past year alone, the CSU’s budget has
been slashed by $750 million — or more
than 30 percent. This is in addition to other
severe cuts in recent years.
It is this disinvestment in higher education
that makes community support all the
more important. Chevron has long been
an invaluable partner with CSUB. Since
2007, Chevron has donated more than $2
million to science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics (STEM) initiatives at the
University.
But, Chevron’s dedication to education
transcends more than just four-year universities.
Earlier this year, Chevron announced
a $1.55 million donation to local middle
schools, high schools, and community colleges.
This year, Chevron has donated
$920,000 to CSUB to help fund five
initiatives aimed at increasing educational
opportunities for current and prospective
college students.
These include:
• $400,000: REVS-UP 2012, which offers
hands-on research experience for high
school students and teachers during the
summer
• $200,000: CSUB-Chevron High School
Academy, which provides free, college-level
science courses to students in the Kern
High School District.
• $100,000: School of Natural Sciences,
Mathematics, and Engineering’s Student
Center, which provides advising and registration
help for current, prospective and
transfer students
• $130,000: Dual credit geology courses for
high school students where they earn high
school and college credit concurrently;
• $90,000: The development of a bachelor’s
degree in engineering sciences.
YOUR CSUB 19