2021 Faculty Hall of Fame recipients announced

Four faculty members honored for their positive impact on CSUB's history

By California State University, Bakersfield

June 8^th, 2021

The Faculty Hall of Fame honors California State University, Bakersfield professors who have made an impact on students, on the campus and the community. Awarded faculty are selected after a review of the nominations by the Faculty Hall of Fame committee. All faculty awardees are retired from service. They are honored with a photo and plaque housed permanently in the Walter W. Stiern Library. This year, they were also honored through a virtual ceremony on the Walter W. Stiern Library’s YouTube channel.

This year's inductees are:

2021 Faculty Hall of Fame recipients announced

Dr. John “Jack” Coash

Professor of Geology, 1968-1987

Dr. Jack Coash was the founding dean of science and professor of geology at CSUB. Later he served as dean of arts and sciences until his retirement in 1987. Coash served CSUB for 19 years. He was also a veteran who served in the Army Signal Corps before attending Colorado College for his bachelor’s degree. He earned his M.S. in geology from the University of Colorado, Boulder and then his Ph.D from Yale University. Prior to arriving to Bakersfield, Coash served as a program supervisor at a summer institute for college teachers of geology in India followed by a position with the National Science Foundation in Washington, D.C. Coash not only founded the School of Science (later the School of Arts and Sciences), he also founded the Department of Geological Sciences and helped establish the California Well Sample Repository (CWSR) on campus. The first CWSR building was dedicated to the campus in 1976. The repository is the only permanent geological sample storage facility in California that provides data for public use.

“Jack was also instrumental in creating a degree program for the earth sciences (1970), replacing this with a Bachelor of Science degree in geology in 1981, and approval of the Master of Science degree in geology in 1986 just before his retirement. After his retirement, he continued academic pursuits, presenting a paper on teaching geology of the national parks to non-majors, and a paper entitled Perceptions of the Early Railroad Surveys in California. Jack maintained a close connection with the Geological Sciences Department and the university. Jack also supported the university and the repository financially. The John and Emily Coash Scholarship Endowment continues to support students of the department,” said Dr. Anthony Rathburn, department chair and professor of geology.

Dr. David H. Ost

Professor of Biology, 1970-2000

Dr. Davod H. Ost was one of the founding faculty of CSUB. He earned his bachelor’s degree in biology and mathematics from Augsburg College in Minneapolis. From there he went on to earn a master’s in biology from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D in biology and science education from the University of Iowa. In 1970, Ost joined the faculty at CSUB. He served as the chair of the Department of Biology from 1977 to 1984. As a teacher, Ost was innovative and an early supporter of active learning strategies that are still a part of the departmental pedagogy.

The curricula Ost created addressed teacher preparation and general education as well as the biology major. He was a key player in the general education curriculum revision that first required general skills reinforcement throughout the program, a feature that has been retained in subsequent revisions. Ost also served as one of the early directors of the Center for Professional Development. As extended university dean, he established CSUB’s Intensive English Language Center to prepare foreign students for matriculation into CSUB’s academic programs and was the catalyst for CSUB’s first online degree programs. Ost is a recipient of the Gustav Ohaus Award for Innovations in College Science Teaching.

Outside of CSUB, Ost had additional professional appointments where he served as the associate director of the Unified Science and Mathematics for Elementary Schools (USMES) national curriculum development project that was funded by the National Science Foundation. Ost was also elected to several leadership positions outside of the California State University system, including president of the Association for the Educators of Teachers of Science in 1978, council delegate to the American Association for the Advancement of Science from 1978 to 1980, member of the board of directors for the National Science Teachers Foundation in 1977, and as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1981. Ost has over 100 publications in scholarly journals, books and papers. His body of work contributes not only to the discipline of biology, but also to his philosophy in education. His dedication to the Department of Biology, science education, general education and to CSUB are difficult to summarize in just one paragraph, said Dr. Mark Evans, who nominated Ost for the honor.

Dr. Louis Wildman

Professor of Education, 1987-2021

Dr. Louis Wildman earned his bachelor's degree in mathematics and music from Lewis & Clark College, his master's degree in music education from University of Portland and his doctorate in education from University of Washington.

Prior to his work at CSUB, Wildman taught at the college level and held a number of educational leadership positions in school districts across the Pacific Northwest.

Wildman served at CSUB from 1987 to 2021. A cornerstone of his service was dedicated to educating and mentoring his students. Over his career, Wildman has been the recipient of numerous school, state and national awards recognizing his teaching. These awards include:

the “Meritorious Performance and Professional Promise” for excellence in teaching, service and research at CSUB;
The “CAPEA Award for Outstanding Service and Dedication to the California Association of Professors of Educational Administration," which he received in 1998;
the "Professor of Education of the Year" from the Association of California School Administrators; and
the “Living Legend” award for the National Council of Professors in Educational Administration, which he received in 2006.

Dr. Steve Suter

Professor of Psychology, 1970-2010

Dr. Steve Suter, a recipient of the Millie Ablin award for outstanding teacher, served at CSUB from 1970 to 2010. Over the course of his career, Suter authored several successful National Science Foundation “Student Science Teaching” grants, co-founded the CSUB Psychology Department Vision Laboratory, and served as the research ethics review coordinator. In addition to teaching specialized psychology courses, Suter taught foundational courses such as introduction to psychology, research methods and senior seminar.

According to nominator Dr. Jackie Kegley, who co-taught a course with Suter since 1978, Suter was “interested in doing something different in the classroom … I learned a great deal from him.”

Kegley added that Suter was among the first faculty on campus, and that he was instrumental in promoting research and engaging students through his innovative teaching.