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Alumni SNAP shots

1970s

Michael Newton (BA ’73, history), author, has published 182 books since 1977, including a history of the Ku Klux Klan in Florida that won the Florida Historical Society’s 2002 Rembert Patrick Award for best book on Florida history. His most recent work is an “Encyclopedia of Cryptozoology.” He also has 10 more books scheduled for release from various publishers through 2007. He lives in Nashville, Ind.

David Robinson (BS ’77, business administration-finance) earned an MBA from St. Mary's College in Moraga in 1987, and works as an investment representative for Edward Jones Investments in Coppell, Texas. He has lived in Texas since 1991, but still owns a condominium and a business in Bakersfield.

1980s

Harvey Cobbs Jr. (BA ’80, criminal justice) retired as a correctional officer in 1982 before beginning a new career as residential correctional counselor, counseling state prison inmates in a half-way house before their release or parole. His counseling involved helping them obtain employment, increasing their educational levels and combating drug abuse.

James E. “Jim” Johnson (BA ’83, history), who works for the Kern County Sheriff’s Department, is married to Patricia M. Auxier Johnson (BA ’94, liberal studies), who teaches language arts and drama at Fruitvale Junior High School. Jim plans to run for sheriff in 2006.

John Ost (BA ’88, political science) for the past seven years has been working as the political director for the American Federation of Teachers in Washington, D.C., a union of 1.2 million public school teachers, school personnel, higher education and public employees. He and his wife, Marcy, have been married for 13 years. They met in graduate school at the University of Illinois in 1988.

David Sobyra (BA ’83, history) was commissioned as an officer in the Marine Corps after graduation and was a helicopter pilot for most of that time, which included several overseas deployments, combat duty during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, and four years flying the president as a member of the Presidential Helicopter Squadron. He concluded his military career with a tour in the Pentagon, serving on the staff of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. “I also have the memories of being in the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001,” he said. He retired from active duty as a lieutenant colonel in 2003. After retiring he took a position as a policy analyst with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, specializing in imagery security and information sharing policy. He recently moved to the Office of Secretary of Defense where he is the assistant director of the International Security Programs Directorate. His responsibilities include the negotiation and implementation of international security agreements and the analysis of policy issues relating to the disclosure of classified information to foreign governments. “The best part of the job is the opportunities to travel,” he said. “Most recently, I have been to Morocco, Chile, and Australia. When I'm not working, I spend most of my time whitewater kayaking, running, and following DC United of Major League Soccer.”

1990s

Keri R. Drewry (BA ’98, English), has taught English in the Kern High School District for six years. She is working toward a master’s degree in the counseling psychology program, and expects to graduate in 2006. “I just built a home, I’m having a baby in August, I’ve traveled a bit (Canada, Mexico, United States), and I teach Sunday School,” she said.

Ausa (Salem) Faria (BA ’97, communications) is a multi-disciplined analyst for international systems at Verizon's regional headquarters in Irving, Texas. She and her husband, Larry, had their first child, Lauren Michelle, on May 5, 2003.

David Keith (BS ’94, business administration), former CSUB swimmer, earned his certified public accountant designation while with Ernst & Young LLP. He then moved on to various marketing roles at several companies (startups and Fortune 500). In 2000, he transitioned to a marketing manger role at Hewlett Packard focusing on the North American Microsoft Alliance.

John C. Pinheiro (BA ’92, MA ’94, history), who earned his doctorate in history from the University of Tennessee in 2001, is a history professor at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Mich. From 2002 to 2004 he was assistant editor of the “George Washington Papers” at the University of Virginia.

Liz Thorpe-Owens (BS ’90, accounting) earned her CPA designation after graduation while working for local CPA. She then went on to work for Golden Empire Managed Care (GEMCare), a Medical Group, Inc. After 10 years in Bakersfield, she moved to Houston, and then transferred to the Middle East with her husband. They currently reside in Doha, Qatar, which was central command for the Iraq war in 2003. She and her husband are the parents of two boys, ages 2 and 4.

2000s

Delores Lopez (MA ’04, educational administration/services) continues to work as a teacher at the district where she has worked for the past 24 years. Instead of working with students she now is a “teacher on special assignment,” working with the teachers, doing administrative work and evaluating programs. She hopes to find an administrative position such as principal or department head in the near future.