Alumnus establishes endowment to fund student research

Dr. Brian Nowlin’s gift supports Student Research Scholars program

By California State University, Bakersfield

October 21^st, 2025

More California State University, Bakersfield students will be able to obtain scholarships for research projects thanks to the support of a fellow Roadrunner.

CSUB alumnus Dr. Brian Nowlin has donated $35,000 to CSUB to establish an endowment that provides an annual scholarship to students participating in the Student Research Scholars (SRS) program.

The program, funded through the President’s Associates, awards students scholarships of up to $2,000 to conduct a project that involves research, scholarship or creative activity in partnership with a faculty mentor.

“I’ve seen how working on a research project enhances students’ education experience and their employability. They just get so much out of that,” said Dr. Nowlin, a Bakersfield native who worked for over 37 years at the CSU Long Beach Research Foundation. “Sponsored research dollars are never easy to come by. At a time when public research funding is more fragile than ever, I believe more private research funding is needed. It feels good to support student success at CSUB.”

While Dr. Nowlin had donated to CSUB prior to creating the endowment, they were one-time gifts that were used to meet the immediate needs for students. He wanted to find a way for his giving to have a more long-term impact on students.

“Through an endowment, it’s not current-year dollars. The university will get the benefit of the investment earnings,” he said. “This money will be there forever. Students years from now will still be able to benefit from this.”

Director of Annual Giving and Stewardship Eric Weis thanked Dr. Nowlin for supporting student research through his endowment.

“Having experienced firsthand the profound impact of a CSU education, Dr. Nowlin — both an alumnus and employee of the system — embodies what it means to give back and invest in future generations,” he said. “We are sincerely grateful for his generosity, which will open doors for students to learn, grow and follow in his inspiring footsteps.”

Dr. Nowlin said he was excited to learn about the SRS program. He is familiar with student research projects through his work with the CSULB Research Foundation, a nonprofit auxiliary organization that provides administrative and support services for research and training projects.

“They are running their own project and, to me, that experience is just golden for any student,” he said about the SRS program. “When they leave the university, they have a degree and they can put on their resume that they ran a research project. We had so many students (at CSULB) who worked on our research programs who went on to doctoral programs because they got to do hands-on research.”

Sophomore economics major Ashlee Kresha was one of the students selected for the SRS program this year. Her project with Dr. Rich Ryan is focused on the local energy industry, specifically how the volatility of oil prices influences tax revenue and the local economy.

Kresha is working on the project while balancing her regular coursework, being a member of the university’s golf team and working as a social media specialist for Central Valley Commercial Brokers Inc. Her goal is to become a commercial real estate agent after graduating from CSUB.

“Golf has given me opportunities to connect with people in business and economics. The Student Research Scholars Program has given me opportunities to grow academically,” she said. “Both are helping me build toward a career I’m excited about.”

Kelbi Banducci, a senior majoring in biology with a concentration in biotechnology, is conducting a research project focusing on how caffeine consumption and stress impact students’ academic performance and study habits. She said she appreciates the SRS program for giving her the opportunity to conduct her own research.

“This program has helped me gain new skills that I wouldn’t have learned otherwise, and it’s teaching me how to think about research in an entirely different way,” she said. “For students at CSUB, where research funding is limited, this program is vital. It provides opportunities that otherwise would not exist and helps students develop skills that will benefit them in any career.”

Banducci said her project, and the program itself, wouldn’t be possible without the support of donors like Dr. Nowlin.

“I would like to thank the President’s Associates donors for their generous contribution to my academic and research success,” she said. “Without this program, I likely would not have been able to pursue my current research project. Your support has made a lasting impact on my career and future research endeavors.”

'CSUB set the stage for me'

When Dr. Nowlin first started attending Bakersfield College (BC), he wasn’t sure what he wanted to major in, so he initially focused on completing his general education courses.

“I was a first-generation college student, and in those days in the late 70s, there weren’t a lot of support systems in place for first-generation students. There was a lot I had to figure out on my own,” he said.

During his time at BC, Dr. Nowlin’s instructors recognized that he had an aptitude for business and recommended that he pursue the major.

“I liked learning about how organizations work, looking at all the parts that make up a business, every aspect of it. All the pieces of that puzzle were just interesting to me,” he said. “Once I locked into becoming a business major, it made the coursework more enjoyable. I knew where I was headed.”

Dr. Nowlin transferred to CSUB and pursued a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He said he had a great learning experience during his time at the university.

“For a smaller CSU, the quality of the faculty was very good. There were some who had real-life experience that helped them convey what we needed to know,” he said. “It wasn’t just someone teaching from a book; these were people who had done it out in the field. To learn from that quality of professor was helpful to me.”

Dr. Nowlin graduated from CSUB in 1981. He also holds a master’s degree in human resources from Chapman University and his doctorate in organizational leadership from Pepperdine University.

Dr. Nowlin worked in Bakersfield in the human resources field for several years. Then, in 1986, he decided to leave his hometown to move to Southern California and work for the CSULB Research Foundation as a personnel officer. He was the only person handling human resources duties for the organization at the time.

“So much of my initial work was just figuring out how they did certain aspects of HR and make improvements wherever possible,” Dr. Nowlin said. “I had to establish a lot of the basics. They didn’t even have an employee handbook when I started, so I developed one. That was an initial thing I took a lot of pride in. It was a great experience because I was able to make it my own.”

Dr. Nowlin thrived at the foundation. As the department grew over the years, so did his responsibilities. He took on payroll and property administration duties and was promoted to being the associate executive director/human resources director, a role he held for about 20 years.

Dr. Nowlin became the leader of the entire organization in 2010 when he was promoted to chief operating officer.

“That’s where my interest in different challenges and seeing different aspects of the business really paid off for me,” Dr. Nowlin said. “Having all of that experience under my belt when the position came up was crucial, because all the departments now reported to me. It was a big challenge that made me want to learn even more. I’m a lifelong learner.”

Dr. Nowlin held the role for 14 years, after which he decided to retire. At the time of his retirement, Dr. Nowlin was also a member of the foundation’s board of directors.

When he first joined the CSULB Research Foundation in 1986, Dr. Nowlin said it employed a total of around 200 people. By the time he left, it was employing around 1,600 people a year. The foundation’s Human Resources and Payroll Department now has eight employees.

Dr. Nowlin said he wouldn’t have had such a successful career without the educational foundation he received from CSUB.

“CSUB set the stage for me. It gave me a desire to learn,” he said. “It taught me how to plan, research, organize and execute. I think I’ve carried those principles with me throughout my career and in my life. When you have a plan of how to approach things, even if it’s something you’ve never done before, it’s not as daunting of a task.”

Dr. Nowlin said his donations to the university are his way of giving back and supporting the next generation of leaders. He plans to continue adding to his endowment so that more CSUB students will have the opportunity to conduct their own research.

“I feel a debt of gratitude to Cal State Bakersfield,” he said. “If the endowment benefits even one student, it’s worthwhile. I hope it continues to help students for many years to come.”

Visit the President's Associates website for more information about the Student Research Scholars program. To contribute to the Dr. Brian Nowlin Student Research Scholars Endowment, visit give.csub.edu and select the endowment from the dropdown menu.