As we wrap up 2025, it’s a fitting time to reflect on some of the milestones and stories that defined the year for California State University, Bakersfield and the campus community.
Here is a snapshot of some of the biggest news that came from CSUB this calendar year, as well as some of our favorite feature stories that highlight the achievements and incredible persistence of our `Runners. Click on the links below to read the full stories.
The fall commencement ceremonies marked a significant milestone for a father and his daughter, who shared the stage as they both graduated from CSUB. Destiny Armendariz graduated with her master’s degree in educational counseling while her father, 50-year-old Diego Armendariz, earned his bachelor’s in psychology. While it was happenstance that they both finished their degree programs at the same time, Destiny and Diego were both excited to be able to share this moment together.
The university has unveiled its first official beer. CSUB launched `Runner Gold in October and began selling the cans at sports games. The light lager is the result of a cooperative effort between Temblor Brewing Company and Lengthwise Brewing Company, which also sell the beer on tap at select locations. All sales proceeds at CSUB venues, and a portion of sales from Temblor and Lengthwise locations, go to the Athletics Department to support student-athletes.
Students interested in becoming music teachers now have access to a new degree that aims to help them enter the workforce. CSUB launched a Bachelor of Music degree in music teacher preparation this fall that will replace the music education concentration that has been offered as part of the Bachelor of Arts music program. All students who are still in that program will be able to earn the degree and graduate before it will be phased out and replaced by the new degree, which offers new courses focused on ensuring that graduates are able to teach any form of music across all K-12 age groups.
This year, CSUB celebrated the impact the Fab Lab has had on campus for over a decade. When it opened in 2014, the university’s Fab Lab was the first of 10 initial fabrication labs funded by Chevron nationwide. CSUB was the first campus in the California State University and University of California systems to have one. Since its opening, the Fab Lab has served as a hub of creativity and innovation where students can complete projects that turn their ideas into reality.
The CSU system is allocating $1 million to CSUB over five years to provide more support for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) students as part of its AANHPI Student Achievement Program. The goal of the funding is to increase the recruitment, retention and graduation of students from this population. It will allow the university to provide more events and programming tailored to AANHPI students, new and expanded course offerings, peer mentorship and more. The new funding comes after CSUB received $200,000 from the CSU last year to establish an AANHPI Student Achievement Program on campus.
CSUB welcomed the first cohort of its new Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program this fall, only the second doctoral program in the university’s history. The three-year program helps prepare registered nurses who hold bachelor’s or master’s degrees in nursing for becoming certified as nurse practitioners. The program was made possible in part through a $1 million grant from Kern Health Systems. Eighteen students are part of the first cohort of the program, which aims to address the critical shortage of health care providers in the region.
Veteran Julie Esty graduated from CSUB this spring with bachelor’s degrees in both psychology and criminal justice. Esty, who has struggled with mental health challenges since she was a teen, wants to become a therapist who works with juveniles in the prison system. She plans to pursue a master’s degree in clinical psychology and one day hopes to get a Ph.D.
CSUB welcomed Dr. Deborah Thien this summer as the university’s new provost and vice president for Academic Affairs after a nearly 20-year career at CSU Long Beach. She held several roles at the university, including being a geography professor, an associate dean of enrollment management and student success and, most recently, as the dean of the College of Liberal Arts. As provost, Dr. Thien — who was born and raised in Canada — aims to set the conditions for faculty, staff and student success at CSUB.
As part of her research lab at CSUB, Assistant Professor of Biology Rae McNeish and some of her students have been exploring the Kern River and conducting research on how water flows and quality have impacted wildlife along the river. The effort has provided valuable data on how to maintain the integrity of the river’s ecosystem.
CSUB opened its new Thomas D. Wallace Student Success Center in Dorothy Donahoe Hall Room 101K in the spring. The space serves as a hub for students where they can get access to resources, receive mentorship and build connections with other students, faculty and staff. The goals of the center are to foster a sense of belonging for Black students on campus and to give them more academic support to help them reach graduation. The space was named after retired Vice President for Student Affairs Thomas Wallace.
CSUB has officially been classified as a research university by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The university was one of 12 CSUs to receive the new “Research Colleges and Universities” classification, which is for institutions that do not offer many or any doctoral degrees and spend at least $2.5 million on research a year. CSUB offers two doctoral programs, one in educational leadership and the other in nursing practice.
CSUB was also designated as an Opportunity College and University by the Carnegie Foundation this year as part of a new Student Access and Earnings Classification, which measures whether an institution’s student enrollment reflects the communities it serves and how graduates’ earnings compare to their peers in their region.
With support from Chevron, CSUB opened a new outdoor makerspace this spring for engineering students. The makerspace — located behind the Engineering Complex — is used by students to work on projects, including woodworking, metalworking, installation and energy research. It also offers space for vehicle, robotic and drone testing and provides increased capacity for the university’s Fab Lab.
© 2026 California State University, Bakersfield
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