Alex Fabros, an 80-year-old Vietnam veteran, has become the oldest Ph.D. recipient in UC Santa Barbara history.
His journey included a lost dissertation recovered after 20 years. - Fabros served two tours in Vietnam as a Marine and later in the Army, earning decorations and suffering from PTSD.
- He taught himself to sail, soloed to Hawaii and Tahiti, and later helped develop the ARPANET, precursor to the internet. - His dissertation on racial segregation in Fresno was lost in a laptop crash but recovered by a friend.
- Fabros received his Ph.D. on June 11, 2026, at age 80, after encouragement from his family.
The achievement marks a milestone for UCSB and highlights Fabros's resilience and dedication to scholarship.