Donor establishes scholarship honoring ‘true champion of CSUB’

Faust R. Gorham Memorial Scholarship will support STEM majors

By California State University, Bakersfield

October 18^th, 2024

A new scholarship has been created in the honor of a beloved California State University, Bakersfield staff member that will support students studying science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

CSUB has received $25,000 from an anonymous donor to establish the Faust R. Gorham Memorial Scholarship Fund. The endowment will fund one $1,000 scholarship a year to a first-generation STEM major starting in the 2026-27 academic year.

Gorham worked nearly nine years at CSUB, most recently as the associate vice president and chief information officer for Information Technology Services (ITS), before his death from cancer last October at the age of 52.

“Faust was a dear friend for decades. He supported me and helped me to become a better person through his compassion and zest for life,” the donor said. “His loss last year left a void in all of our lives. I was inspired by his endless generosity to endow this scholarship in his memory. I am honored to be able to set up this scholarship to ensure his legacy for education lives on.”

CSUB has also received over $5,000 in donations to provide scholarships to students for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 academic years. Two scholarships of $1,500 each are available this year and two scholarships of $1,000 each will be available next year.

Applications for this year’s scholarships are now open on Scholarship Universe.

“We’re just so happy and so proud the scholarship is in his honor,” said Gorham’s wife, Karina Rios. “Just to know that his legacy is going to continue and that he’s going to be able to help students for many years makes me so proud. That just keeps him alive. I feel so blessed and so thankful.”

Gorham was a Central Valley native who grew up in Porterville. He developed a passion for technology at a young age, which would guide his future career.

Gorham was a first-generation college student who earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Davis and his master’s in information systems from CSU Fullerton. He worked in the California university system for his whole career, having previously worked at UC Davis and UC Merced before coming to CSUB.

He was well-known at CSUB for his kind leadership and his deep concern for students’ well-being.

“My husband was a true champion of CSUB,” Rios said. “He loved his job. He truly cared about all the students, about making an impact on every person he came in contact with. He had that gift to make every person feel they had all the possibilities as long as they wanted to make it happen. Everyone I’ve talked to tell me that he always made them feel important and valued.”

'A beautiful closure'

Associate Vice President of ITS Chris Diniz worked closely with Gorham during his time at CSUB and said his former boss and mentor was dedicated to ensuring that students had equitable access to technology to help them be successful in their classes. When COVID hit in early 2020, Gorham was instrumental in leading the university’s shift to virtual instruction.

“His vision brought the CSUB’s Student Technology Equity Program to life, allowing students to check out devices and ensuring no one was left behind. Additionally, by expanding access to outdoor WiFi and implementing HyFlex classrooms, he made it easier for people to get the information they needed,” Diniz said. “His guiding words, ‘Chris, make sure you do the right thing,’ continue to inspire me to uphold his legacy and strive for a future where technology empowers every student.”

Gorham was pursuing a doctoral degree in higher education leadership from Fresno State that had to be put on hold after receiving his cancer diagnosis. During CSUB’s commencement ceremonies last May, he received a posthumous Doctor of Science degree from the university, having been nominated by the community and his peers across the CSU system.

Rios accepted the degree on her husband’s behalf at the ceremony. Their three children — Mishka, Faust and Atlas — also attended the event.

“Being able to accept that in his honor was a beautiful closure to something that I know was so important to him, and a beautiful way to say we appreciate all the work he has done,” she said. “I was so proud having our kids there. Everything he did was to motivate our kids, to inspire them.”

Rios said she’s grateful for all the support she and the family have received from the CSUB community.

“Everyone at CSUB has just been so amazing. They have all my love and respect,” she said.

Rios hopes the new scholarship will have an impact on students and that they will be inspired by her husband’s legacy at the university.

“Faust was an example of what you can achieve in life if you dedicate yourself and you are motivated and have discipline,” she said. “I’m sure they’ll be able to connect and find some inspiration in seeing what he was able to accomplish.”