March 2024

Vol. 15

From the Executive Director

The onset of spring brings with it a feeling of renewal and signs of life all around us with trees and flowers blooming all over Kern County. Here at BC, we are undergoing a type of renewal as well, as we welcome our newly-appointed president, Dr. Jerry Fliger. 

Dr. Fliger was selected for the position after a nation-wide search conducted by the Kern Community College District Board of Trustees. His official start date is March 11, and he’s been busy preparing for the role since his selection was announced earlier this year. Learn more about Dr. Fliger in this issue of PANORAMA, and watch for him in the community, as he intends to be out and about meeting community partners and supporters!

Our Foundation team is excitedly preparing for the 16^th Annual Sterling Silver, set for March 16. It’s our pleasure to publicly thank the some of the donors and supporters who make a tremendous impact on our students. This year we’ll honor California Resources Corporation, Jeffrey and Amy Bell, Dolores Salgado, and Community Action Partnership of Kern. If you’re interested in joining us, please call (661) 395-4800.

One of our favorite springtime events at the BC Foundation is the student scholarship celebration. This year’s event will be held on Friday, May 3.  If you are a scholarship donor, watch your email for an invitation to the gathering, where students will be honored with a medal in recognition of their hard work and their scholarship awards.

Speaking of the results of hard work, BC’s commencement will take place the evening of Friday, May 10^th in Memorial Stadium.  This will be the college’s 110^th commencement! The BC Foundation & Alumni Association will have a booth on the concourse. Be sure to stop by and say hello, and sign up for the Alumni Association if you’re not already a member!

With many thanks for all your support,
Cheryl

Welcoming Dr. Jerry Fliger, Bakersfield College’s Eleventh President

Bakersfield College welcomes Dr. Jerry Fliger, the college’s eleventh president, who will officially begin his post on March 11.  Dr. Fliger comes to BC from College of the Mainland in Texas City, Texas where he has served as Vice President for Instruction since 2019.

Dr. Fliger’s leadership experience in baccalaureate programming and academic transfer and workforce makes him a great match for Bakersfield College. He also brings experience in instructional leadership, construction of academic buildings, and industry relations (including development of customized workforce training for aerospace). 

In planning ahead for his first year at Bakersfield College, Dr. Fliger says he is excited to connect with our community members as well as the campus community. “I am making it a priority to meet with as many people as I can in the first 30 days,” he said. “Through these conversations I will be able to begin setting a course for the next 60 days and then, working with the college and community leaders, set our course for the next year.” 

Dr. Fliger said he was attracted to BC because he felt that he and the college are a good fit.  “I was looking for a community college that embraced the comprehensive mission of a ‘community’s college.’ Bakersfield as a community has embraced and supported the college. It was important to me to find a place where the college and the community worked together to achieve economic advancement for everyone.  I believe I have found this in coming to BC and Bakersfield.”

“I was raised in generations of blue-collar workers,” Dr. Fliger added. “This has given me a grounded sensibility and every interaction I have had has only reinforced that this was the right choice.”

Dr. Fliger’s family is eager to get established in Bakersfield.  He’ll be here on his own through the remainder of the academic year, then his wife and stepsons will be joining him.  He has many interests to keep him busy when he’s not working, and he says he focuses on enjoying each of those moments as a way of relaxing and recharging.  He enjoys traveling, biking, and “engaging in most anything where a score is kept.”  He’s also a foodie who looks forward to tasting the delights made available by local restaurants.

When you see Dr. Fliger out and about in our community or on campus, please give him a big hello and a welcome to Bakersfield and the “community’s college”!

16th Annual Sterling Silver Sponsors

Panorama Feature: Your BC Story

Marcia Overturf – Class of 2021

Being an alumna of Bakersfield College’s Culinary Arts program has truly enriched my life. Chef Suzanne Tangeman was my mentor during my time there, and even though she has since retired, she continues to pour her wisdom into my life. I should also mention that I learned a great deal from all the chefs who were part of the program at Bakersfield College. Each one brought their own unique perspective and expertise to the table, and I was fortunate enough to learn something valuable from each of them. I will always be grateful for the knowledge and skills I gained through the program, and for the connections I made with my fellow students and instructors. As a student worker at the Renegade Room, I was able to further enhance my culinary skills and gain invaluable experience. Today, I’m proud to say that I’m a full-time staff and adjunct faculty member at the college. It’s incredibly fulfilling to be able to give back and help the next generation of culinary arts students. After completing the culinary arts program at Bakersfield College, I transferred to California State University, East Bay and earned a bachelor’s degree in Human Development. Now, I’m pursuing a master’s degree in Career Technical Education from California State University San Bernardino. My time at Bakersfield College laid the foundation for my academic and professional pursuits, and I’ll always be grateful for the doors it opened for me.

Local Artist’s Legacy Lives on Through Generous Painting Donation to Bakersfield College Foundation

In a heartfelt tribute to the late local artist Beverly Carrick Snow, three large and captivating paintings have found a new home at Bakersfield College’s Grace Van Dyke Bird Library. The generous donation was facilitated by BC Foundation Board Member and BC Alum Ken Byrum, along with the efforts of Faith Bradham, and Kirk Russell from the Library.

Beverly Carrick Snow, a well-known and beloved artist in the Bakersfield community, left behind a rich legacy of creativity and passion for the arts. Her unique style and ability to capture the essence of the Central Valley’s landscapes have left an indelible mark on the local art scene. Carrick’s passing in 2012 was not just a loss to the art world but also to the community that cherished her work.

The three large paintings, now proudly displayed in the Grace Van Dyke Bird Library, serve as a poignant reminder of her talent and commitment to enriching the cultural fabric of Bakersfield. Each piece tells a story, blending vibrant colors and intricate details to create a visual journey that reflects Carrick’s deep connection to the local surroundings.

Ken Byrum, acting as the liaison for this heartfelt donation, expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to honor Beverly Carrick’s memory. “Beverly was not only a remarkable artist but also a cherished member of our community. These paintings are a testament to her skill and passion for capturing the beauty of our region. It’s an honor to facilitate the donation of these pieces to the Bakersfield College Foundation.”

Courtney Carter, representing the BC Foundation, acknowledged the significance of the donation. “We are grateful to receive these beautiful paintings from the estate of Beverly Carrick. The addition of these artworks to the Grace Van Dyke Bird Library enhances the cultural environment on campus and pays tribute to a talented local artist.”

Faith Bradham and Kirk Russell from the Library echoed their appreciation for the donation, emphasizing the positive impact the paintings will have on students, faculty, and visitors alike. “Art has the power to inspire, and we believe that these paintings will contribute to the enriching atmosphere of the library, fostering creativity and a deeper connection to our community.”

The donation of Beverly Carrick’s paintings is not just a gift to the Bakersfield College Foundation but also a meaningful contribution to the cultural heritage of the region. As these pieces find their place in the heart of the campus, they will serve as a lasting reminder of the artistic brilliance of a local legend and the community’s commitment to preserving and celebrating its vibrant cultural tapestry.

Honoring The Memory of BC Coach Gerry Collis

By Bethany Rice, BC Archives Faculty Director

Bakersfield College lost a true Renegade with the passing of Gerry Collis. His legacy will live on, not just through his loving family and the players he coached that became family, but through every life he touched with his passion for Bakersfield College and the athletics he led.

Coach Collis began his journey at Bakersfield College as an assistant football coach in 1956 under the direction of Coach Homer Beatty. He became head coach of baseball himself in 1958 and during his reign, his baseball teams won three straight conference titles in 1962, 1963, and 1964. Collis took over Renegade football at a pivotal time in 1967 and took his team of homegrown talent all the way to the semi-finals his first year as head football coach. Over the course of his 17 seasons as head of Renegade football, Coach Collis and his teams took home five conference championships, three Potato Bowls and the 1976 Junior Rose Bowl. The draw of Coach Collis and his magnetic teams was so powerful that in 1969, the home games at Memorial Stadium set the record for per-game attendance. According to Allan Krauter, in the Bakersfield College Archives, “more than 102,000 people witnessed Renegade football at Memorial Stadium in 1969, setting a national record for JC season football attendance.”

The legendary Coach Collis was honored in the Bob Elias Kern County Sports Hall of Fame in 1982. He retired in 1983 and chose to remain part of BC athletics by serving as Director of the Bakersfield College Athletic Foundation where he raised funds and support for Renegade athletes until 2012.  After over 50 years of service to Bakersfield College, Coach Gerry Collis was in the inaugural class of honorees in 2021 for the Bakersfield College Athletics Hall of Fame and Gerry Collis Field is named in his honor.

Renegade Innovation Fund Supports BC Biology

Innovation plays a crucial role for our students here at Bakersfield College. It’s a driving force to help with the growth and progress of our programs by fostering creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities that will last a lifetime.

The Biology department was recently awarded a Renegade Innovation Grant from the BC Foundation to purchase remote camera-traps to study the ecology of nearby nature at the Panorama Vista Preserve. Camera traps are motion-activated, outdoor digital cameras that are placed in nature to passively sample/monitor wildlife populations in a non-intrusive, time-effective, and cost-effective manner. The use of camera traps is an innovative method for gathering abundant and meaningful data with little sampling/field effort (approximately 2 – 3 hours), which helps to mitigate the lab time and travel constraints mentioned above, as once set-up, the camera traps survey wildlife 24 hours a day without requiring the presence of the researcher (i.e. students).

These cameras have helped them develop an innovative lab that allows the students to be exposed to hands-on field work, local wildlife diversity, teach them scientific design, data collection, and analysis and to present their real life research.  This lab will provide students with a field ecology lab that mimics what students might find at a 4-year university, as well as satisfying several student learning outcomes (SLOs), all while exposing students to our local flora and fauna in a natural setting important to our regional ecosystem. Their plan is to conduct this new lab every semester for the foreseeable future, educating approximately 300 students each academic year and eventually compiling long-term data sets that will translate into a complete analysis of wildlife diversity at the Preserve.

S.C. Anderson, Presenting Sponsor of Sterling Silver