Today, I invite you to join me in becoming a President’s Associate and supporting research at CSUB.
Every year, the best and brightest of CSUB’s students are given the opportunity to work with our world-class faculty members on cutting-edge research through the Student Research Scholars Program. The problem is one of supply and demand: We have so many gifted students, but only a limited number of available Student Research Scholar positions.
And that’s where our President’s Associates have the power to change the trajectory of a student’s future. Take the example of Ryan Delmore, the top undergraduate student of 2023. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Ryan was given the golden opportunity to do cancer research with his mentor – and CSUB alumnus - Dr. Karlo Lopez. Now, Ryan is pursuing his Ph.D. at the California Institute of Technology and hopes to return to Bakersfield one day.
Also this year, two CSUB students were afforded the rare opportunity to do groundbreaking research at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, made possible through the university’s unprecedented partnership with the lab and its foundation. The students worked with internationally recognized scientists on carbon management at a pivotal moment in the energy transition, which is taking place right here in Kern County.
For the future of our region and workforce, this university must remain a solutions-focused incubator of ideas and talent. But I want to take that goal even further: Together, let’s seize on this moment of transformation and build our program into a nationally recognized research institution.
I hope that you will become a President’s Associate today, and I thank you for your belief that research yields solutions, promise – and hope – for our region.
Dr. Vernon B. Harper Jr.
Interim President
California State University, Bakersfield
