Lectures and Events

Join us for the Fall 2023 Normal Levan Faculty Colloquium. We will honor Dr. Jonathan Schultz, Professor and Counselor, for his pedagogical and creative contributions to his educational discipline and to our campus.

• Event: “Am I Going Crazy? Life with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and how mental health can impact anyone.”
• Date: Friday, November 17, 2023
• Time: 10:30AM - 12:00PM
• Location: Norman Levan Center for the Humanities

Chef Alex Gomez, Professor Donna Starr, and the Renegade Room will provide a delicious lunch, so please be on the lookout for an invitation requesting rsvp.

Biography

Jonathan has been a Counselor at Bakersfield College since 2014. A native of Tulare County, he holds a Master's Degree in Educational Counseling and a Doctorate Degree in Organizational Leadership. Along with being the lead counselor for the Business Pathway, he is also a counselor for the Umoja program and helps with Rising Scholar students. Additionally, he is an advocate for people with mental health issues and has partnered with organizations to help increase services and awareness for people who suffer from mental health problems. He and his wife co-authored a book about their struggles and hope to create a non-profit to help others who cannot afford to pay for therapy.

About the Lecture

Do you struggle with your mental health? Do you have a friend or family member that struggles with their mental health? Have you noticed an increase in mental health issues in your community or at Bakersfield College? Whether or not you answered "yes" to any of the questions above, research is clear; mental health issues are on the rise. Some blame Covid19, others blame technology. Regardless of the reason, it is happening. Join Jonathan as he talks about his personal journey with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In this lecture, Jonathan will give a raw account about how OCD has impacted him and his family. He will then dispel common misconceptions about OCD, show how his struggles have changed his counseling approach at Bakersfield College, and explain how the things he has learned in therapy can help anyone, even if you do not have any mental health issues.

The Levan Center for the Humanities provides unique opportunities for community college faculty to engage in and promote their scholarly research and/or creative work. Come celebrate Dr. Jonathan Schultz’s accomplishments and show your support for our BC colleague.

“Encouraging Play at Bakersfield College & Beyond: Why Board Games Improve Classroom Engagement & Communication” - Friday, March 17th, 2023

Have you pondered how to help learners transition back into face-to-face learning spaces in a post-pandemic world?

Have you considered how to anchor soft skills practice, such as communication, across all disciplines to help struggling students transition back to in-person learning?

Join Dr. Cruz-Boone as she demonstrates using board games as an approachable teaching tool to help students engage with emerging social issues and traditional content.

She will involve participants in the practice of promoting creativity, concentration, and confidence. Dr. Cruz-Boone will also explore games as a complement to rather than a replacement of direct instruction and formative assessment, demonstrating how to employ play as one tool to help make classrooms more interactive spaces. She will illustrate the ways gamification can lure learners into engaging curriculum by borrowing elements of play such as competition. The integration of board games into the classroom elevates this practice, generating low-stake conflict where the audience can simultaneously and safely learn communication skills and course content through play.

Faculty Biography

Dr. Chris “CCB” Cruz-Boone is a Bakersfield native, mother, teacher, and avid gamer. She is a first-generation high school graduate and former Stanford Fellow who got her start at BC. Dr. Cruz-Boone went on to earn her B.A. and M.A. degrees from CSU Northridge and her Ed.D. from Fresno State University. She is a Professor of Communication at Bakersfield College and also lectures in the doctoral program in Educational Leadership at CSUB. Her main areas of research include games, appreciative inquiry, and diversity. To learn more about Dr. Cruz-Boone, you can visit her personal web page.

"The Citrus Series: Ideation, Art Making, and the Environment" - Friday, October 7th, 2022

Have you ever wondered where new ideas come from in an art practice? All artwork contains form, content, and process. This talk will examine those three aspects of this current body of work, the Citrus Series. Professor Koeth will also discuss where ideas originate, the antecedent art movements that connect to this work, and examine the impacts of the citrus industry on California's environment. The Citrus Series reflects humanity's long-fought struggle with pollution and society's attempt to combat the destruction of Earth's natural resources and living species. The work critiques the damaging processes of unsustainable agricultural production, reinforces the notion of recycling, and spotlights negatively impactful industrial processes.

Faculty Biography

David Koeth worked as a Professor of Art at Bakersfield College from fall 2002 until spring 2022, primarily teaching graphic design. He served as Art Department Chair from 2007 until 2015. He was awarded a Levan Summer Scholar grant in 2013 and created a series of pieces that combine humor with illustration. In 2021, he did an online artist's talk for the Museum of Art and History in Lancaster, California in conjunction with the showing at the museum of his “Citrus Series.” During the past 5 years, his art has been in nearly a dozen exhibitions. He earned a BFA from The University of Akron, and an MFA from California State University, Fullerton. His graduate work focused on the intersection of process art and graphic design. Describing himself as restless and eclectic, David Koeth has worked with paint, coffee, and citrus peels in various bodies of work. As a self-proclaimed capitalist, Koeth's acquisitive tendencies have led him to amass a collection of objects that eventually find their way into his artistic practice. His most recent artworks reflect humanity's long-fought struggle with pollution and society's attempt to combat the destruction of Earth's natural resources and living species. The “Citrus Series” critiques the damaging processes of unsustainable agricultural production, reinforces the notion of recycling, and spotlights negatively impactful industrial processes.

"The Secret to Umoja's Success" - Friday, May 6^th, 2022

Have you wondered what Umoja means and what you can learn from the program's incredible success rates? For the last seven years, BC's Umoja program has been empowering and increasing the success of African-American students. Come out and hear from Umoja Coordinator Dr. Paula Parks as she breaks down the success of the program. She will co-present with a couple of awesome Umoja students. Together, they will highlight the pedagogy behind and real-student experiences of BC's Umoja program. Come learn from Dr. Parks what makes the program so special and what aspects you can apply to your classes to increase student success.

Faculty Biography

Dr. Paula L. Parks has been teaching in the English department at Bakersfield College for more than 20 years. In 2015, she started the Umoja* African-American Success Through Excellence and Persistence (ASTEP) Program designed to increase the success and retention of Black students. The program integrates African-American culture, rigorous coursework with high standards, academic support, cultural activities, counseling support, mentoring, and love. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Dr. Parks has a BA in English Lit (UC Irvine), an MS in Journalism (Columbia University), an MA in Education (CSUB), and a Ph.D. in Postsecondary and Adult Education (Capella Universi­ty). She is a fierce advocate for equity, has served on campus committees, and is Academic Senate secretary. *Umoja means unity in Swahili.

"I thought I could trust everything on EBSCO?: Uncovering information BIASES to give students agency" - Friday, November 12^th, 2021

Many students hold the false belief that the information they find in their academic research is inherently unbiased or neutral, but, as faculty, we know this is not the case! Different hierarchies exist within information's creation and dissemination that can affect issues such as the type of information that is published, how findable that information is within library databases, and more. Join us for Professor Faith Bradham's lecture focusing on ways for faculty of any discipline to help students understand these research-related issues, giving students greater agency as they complete the research they need to do throughout their academic careers.

Faculty Biography

Faith Bradham is a Reference Librarian & Professor at Bakersfield College. Originally a Texan, she obtained her Master's of Library Science from Indiana University in Bloomington before moving to the West Coast. As a community college librarian, her role extends into reference, instruction, liaisonship, and outreach. Her research interests focus on critical librarianship and inclusive teaching practices. When she's not in the library, Faith can be found on one of California's many beautiful hiking trails.

"Concept Building: A Systematic Approach for Improving Instruction" - Friday, October 18th, 2019

Developed through extensive research and study, as well as over twenty years of teaching experience, The Concept Building System Theory unveils an innovative approach to facilitate a deeper level of understanding in the classroom. Join Dr. Towns as she takes participants on an interactive and thought-provoking journey that is designed to enrich instruction of any subject at every level. Each individual will be challenged to evaluate current teaching strategies and will have the opportunity to explore practical ways to incorporate the System Theory into personal instruction.

Faculty Biography

Bernadette Towns has been a Professor of Child Development at Bakersfield College since 2000. She holds a Master's in Curriculum and Instruction and a PhD in Education with an emphasis on Technology. Bernadette has worked in education for over 25 years and has taught at every level from infant care to college. Dr. Towns has trained and presented at numerous educational conferences throughout the United States, Europe, and China on various educational topics: like concept building, developmentally appropriate practices, and cultural harmony. For the past three summers Bernadette has worked in China, training adults in western educational theories and teaching children English by utilizing the concept building approach.

"Animal Advice: Are You Listening?" - Friday, November 2, 2018

Are you look for love, joy, wisdom, inspiration, connection, or advice? Then listen to the animals. And if you don't? According to the fairy tales around the world, you are doomed!

Animals give us unconditional love, inspiration, wisdom, guidance, and joy - all elements vital to living a full and happy life. The enduring influence and importance of the human/animal relationship, both to ancient people and cultures and to our 21st Century lives, is examined through stories and scholarship from myth, fairy tale, literature, science, popular culture and life. Rae Ann will discuss how to avoid doom, and instead appreciate timeless animal wisdom as it applies directly to our own lives through the appearance of the animals that share our homes, backyards, and the wilderness.

Faculty Biography

Rae Ann Kumelos holds a Ph.D. in Mythological Studies, a Masters in Literature and Mythology, and a B.S. degree in marketing. She has written both academically and as a columnist in a variety of national publications about the human/animal relationship in myth, literature, astronomy and popular culture, and lecture at various conferences, including Oxford University. her radio program, Voice of the Animal, is broadcast on Sirius XM Satellite Radio and recorded by the Commercial Music program at BC. Her 2016 book, "Wild Wisdom: Animal Stories of the Southwest", received a national award as gift book of the year. Rae Ann grew up in Bakersfield, and lived in beautiful destination places in Arizona, New Mexico and California Gold Country for many years before returning home in 2012 to teach English and Mythology at Bakersfield College.

"Deep Learning and the Advent of Sentient Machines" - Friday, November 3rd, 2017

AI is increasingly affecting all of our lives. It now seems likely that machines may soon actually attain sentience, or at least act as though they were as sentient as you or I. Automation will certainly continue to eliminate jobs at an accelerating rate.

The ethical ramifications of this technology are vast and will be increasingly pertinent. Our very species' survival may well hang in the balance. But whether you are terrified at imagined dystopias this technology may engender, or excited by utopic visions of the future this technology can make possible, artificial intelligence is evolving at an exponential rate. The day of the sentient machine is coming, whether we like it or not.

Though it may sound like science fiction, deep learning is an engineering reality right now.

About the Lecturer

Decades ago, Rafael was advanced to candidacy for a PhD in mathematics from UC Irvine, and was awarded an MS in mathematics. Parallel to his interest in mathematics has been a lifelong interest in artificial intelligence, and in the past few years this interest has become an increasingly focused study. Last December, Rafael completed his MS in Computer Science with a machine learning specialization at Georgia Tech, and this past summer he pursued research at the Graz University of Technology Institute of Computer Graphics and Vision, applying deep learning to problems in computer vision. Now, as Rafael nears retirement after teaching mathematics at BC for almost 30 years, he's considering going for a PhD in machine learning, focusing on deep learning.

"Song-Catching: Honoring Great Poetry and People Through Music" - Friday, March 31, 2017; 10:30 am - 12:00 pm

Dr. Ronald Kean will discuss his composition process in three recent commissions including a live performance of the Bakersfield College choirs singing, “Follow the River/The Journey of Harriet Tubman.” This is a five-movement work that incorporates eight African American spirituals in a West African musical framework. “The White Birds,” by W. B. Yeats, is composed in a traditional Irish musical style. “The Rose That Bare Jesu” is a setting of a 14th century English poem using antique style features. These techniques will be discussed and demonstrated in a presentation that is dedicated to the artist in all of us.

Dr. Kean is a highly-published composer, sought after clinician, and frequent guest conductor. He retired from Bakersfield College in 2013 after teaching Choir and World Music for 19 years. He received the Shirley Trembley Distinguished Teaching Award in 2013, the Norman Levan Scholar of the Year Award and the California Music Educators Association Multicultural Educator of the Year Award in 2006. His passion is conducting and composing music that honors the diversity of Bakersfield College. This is partially the reason for six commissions from professional, university, and high school choirs in the last two years.

"The Struggles and success of Undocumented Latino College Students" - Friday, November 4, 2016

Anna examines the experiences of undocumented Latino/a college students through critical theory, critical race theory, and Latino critical theory to highlight experiences of oppression and discriminatory practices many undocumented students face.

Death of Virtue: Citizenship, Race, and Manhood in Colonial America" - Friday, February 26, 2016

Erin discusses how Absalom Jones and Richard Allen obtained their freedom, fought to uplift free blacks by establishing the first black self-help fraternity and African Church, led relief efforts during the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793, and defended blacks from attacks upon their character.

She also explored their subsequent realization that race, not virtue, would define citizenship in the New Republic.

Most importantly, she extolled Jones' and Allen's refusal to allow others' definitions of them to define their self-perception and behavior.

"Human Survival: The Blue Frontier"

Worldwide, humanity is experiencing an increase in life expectancy, food yields, literacy and democratization. Unfortunately, humanity is also experiencing increased concerns regarding climate change, loss of natural resources, overfishing, species extinction as well as several countries facing political unrest.

Homo sapiens are landlocked. With human population estimations at 11-15 Billion people by the year 2100, how will humanity resolve these environmental and political concerns?

Joe Saldivar, Ph.D., is a proud faculty member and current faculty chair of the BC Biology Department. His primary professional goal is to provide students with the tools to think critically and encourage and foster their imagination to find answers to problems facing the future our community and humanity.

When Jerry Ludeke began working in the Bakersfield College Archives in 2002, and going through materials from and on Miss Grace Van Dyke Bird - Bakersfield College's first president - she joined the ranks of those who were in awe of this Renaissance woman. Jerry has consulted numerous sources, including the BC Archives, UC Berkeley's Bancroft Library, and Grace Bird's family. By walking us through Miss Bird's photo album and life, Jerry hopes that we will be amazed at how multi-faceted she was and grateful that Bakersfield College was so fortunate to have been directed and nurtured for 31 years by this awesome woman.