::
Alumni
::
University
News
:: Today's
Students
:: Faculty
& Staff ::Coming
Up
::
Alumni
'Cal
Poly: Choice of Champions' is Theme for Open House
April 20-22
Come back to campus Saturday, April 22, to enjoy Open
House, the Poly Royal Parade, the Poly Royal Rodeo,
Robo Rodentia mini-robot competition, the Design Village
architecture and construction competition in Poly
Canyon, and more. This year's theme is "Cal Poly:
Choice of Champions" If you haven't been back
to the university in a few years, it's a great time
to visit, as every college and department -- and 200
student clubs -- strive to showcase the excellence
of Cal Poly and the San Luis Obispo community. The
Cal Poly Alumni Association will host a "Welcome
Back Booth" on Dexter Lawn, where alumni and
friends can browse through yearbooks and mingle with
other alumni. If you need to renew your alumni association
membership (or join!), this is the perfect time. Annual
memberships will be sold at half-price all day April
22 at the Alumni Booth.
Click Here
to visit the
Open House Web site and events schedule
Click Here
to view photos from last
year's Open House
Got
Golf? Tee Off At Alumni Association Tournaments
The
Cal Poly Alumni Association has alumni golf tournaments
scheduled across the state in May, June and July.
Mark your calendar and polish your clubs, because
tournaments are coming to Tulare, Paso Robles, Antioch
and Modesto.
Click Here
for more details on the tournaments
Alumni
in the News
Award-winning Journalism Alum Reporting in Iraq
Cal Poly journalism grad Steffan Tubbs is currently
reporting in Iraq. Tubbs is one of only 10 American
radio reporters invited to join a Pentagon-led trip
in and around Baghdad. Tubbs
is a two-time winner of the Edward R. Murrow award
for national reporting and is a former correspondent
for ABC News in Los Angeles. He is currently co-anchoring
Colorado’s Morning News at Newsradio 850 KOA
in Denver, and blogging about his experiences in Iraq.
Other alumni were in the news recently for Vatican
appointments, architecture research, Cattlemen's honors,
their music, and more. Find out what
they're up to -- and if you know them.
Click here
to read about more alumni
in the news
::
University News
Cal
Poly Breaks Ground on New Student Housing Project
Cal
Poly officials broke ground for Poly Canyon Village,
the university's newest student housing project, on
Friday, March 17. The 2,700-bed dormitory project
is the largest ever approved in the 23-campus California
State University system, and currently the largest
in the nation. The CSU board of trustees voted to
issue $229 million in bonds for the project last spring,
and the money will be paid back through student rent.
College of Agricultural facilities such as the bull
test facility, meat-processing building and feed mill
are being moved to other locations outside the canyon
to make way for the 30-acre project. The complex includes
three large residential buildings, plus some 11,000
square feet in retail services in a "village"
area for students. An Olympic-size swimming pool is
also part of the project. The first phase is set to
open for student renters in fall 2008, and the second
in fall 2009. On completion of Poly Canyon Village,
Cal Poly will be able to house 6,200 students on campus
-- giving the university the ability to offer housing
to every freshman and sophomore. Look for complete
details on the new, relocated College of Agriculture
facilities in the summer edition of Cal Poly Magazine.
University
Appoints Linda Halisky Liberal Arts Dean
Cal
Poly has appointed Linda J. Halisky as dean of the
College of Liberal Arts, effective April 3. Halisky,
of San Luis Obispo, has been serving as interim dean
since August 2004. She is credited with fostering
a positive environment for teaching, scholarship,
creative activity, research, and service to the university
and community. “Linda Halisky has proved to
be both visionary and pragmatic in leading the College
of Liberal Arts,” said Interim Provost Robert
Detweiler. “Under her commendable leadership,
the college’s programs and faculty will continue
to thrive.” As dean, Halisky is responsible
for the quality of the College of Liberal Arts’
undergraduate and graduate academic programs.
More
College
of Agriculture Announces New Assistant Dean
Cal
Poly's College of Agriculture has appointed its first
assistant dean of advancement and external relations.
Dean David Wehner announced the appointment of Tanya
Kiani to the position March 23; she will join the
College of Agriculture May 15. Kiani is currently
the director of advancement, alumni and external relations
for Cal Poly's College of Architecture and Environmental
Design. "Tanya has demonstrated great success
in connecting alumni and major donors with the goals
of her college. She has extensive fund-raising experience
and is a creative thinker," Wehner said in announcing
the appointment. "I am sure that she will be
a tremendous asset as we partner with alumni and supporters
to realize our goals for the future of the College
of Agriculture."
More
Lockheed
Martin Funds New Scholarships for Cal Poly Freshmen
Lockheed Martin, a longtime industry partner with
Cal Poly, has announced it will give the university
four $2,500 scholarships for new aerospace engineering
freshmen selected on the basis of academic excellence.
The announcement was made by Mark Crowley, vice president
for the company’s Military Space Programs, at
an all-day Lockheed Martin campus recruiting event.
“We hire many Cal Poly grads from all different
majors; in fact, Cal Poly now ranks as our number
two supplier of new employees worldwide,” he
said.
More
'Exuberant'
New Engineering Building Featured in Construction
Magazine California Construction magazine
featured the new Engineering IV building, currently
under construction in the March edition of its online
magazine. The magazine interviewed the architect for
the building, scheduled to open early next year, and
noted that "...in addition to being striking
and shiny, the facade of the $38-million structure
will be built with metal and concrete panels instead
of precast concrete, saving the school about $300,000."
Read
the California Construction magazine story
::
Today's
Students
Giants
Fans Likely to Outnumber Dodgers Fans Among Student
Body
Once
again, the San Francisco Bay Area sent the largest
contingent of new students to Cal Poly among the current
year's crop of 2005-06 freshmen and transfer students.
Of the 3,420 members of the freshman class, students
from the San Francisco Bay Area counties make up 32
percent. Students from Los Angeles area counties account
for 18 percent; students from the San Joaquin Valley
account for roughly 9 percent, students from the San
Diego area, roughly 8 percent; and students from Central
Coast counties, another 8 percent. Student geographic
origin and other demographic facts are now available
in the recently released "PolyView 2005"
analysis.
More
Swanton
Pacific, Logging Team Host Collegiate Finals
College
logging teams from universities across the West competed
in traditional lumberjack events and more modern forest
resources management trials at Cal Poly's Swanton
Pacific Ranch in March at the annual Association of
Western Forestry Clubs Conclave. The conclave is an
annual competition of college student logging teams
from forestry departments at universities in Arizona,
California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington,
Wyoming and Utah. The final event of the conclave,
the Stihl Timbersports competition, was taped for
telecast on ESPN U.
More
about the regional logging competition
Read
the San Francisco Chronicle story, see the photo slideshow
on the competition
Mustang
Daily Student Newspaper Takes Top State, National
Awards
The
Mustang Daily, Cal Poly's student-produced daily campus
newspaper, earned four top awards at the 2006 California
College Media Competition. Awards for the Daily included
second place for General Web Site Excellence. Student
columnist and Daily editor Mariecar Mendoza earned
third place for Best Arts & Entertainment Column,
and photographer Brennan Angel won third place for
Best Sports Photo, an in-the-air shot of a Mustang
football catch. The Mustang Daily also took third
place in the Best Editorial category. The California
College Media Association offers the statewide competition
each school year. In a separate, national competition,
the student advertising and business staff at the
Mustang Daily also took top awards. The competition
was part of the College Newspaper Business and Advertising
Managers Convention. The Daily's ad staff, comprised
largely of business majors, took two first-place and
one second-place award .
More
on the editorial awards
More
on the advertising awards
Read the Mustang
Daily online
KCPR
College Radio Station Still Going Strong
Cal Poly's student-run radio station,
91.3 KCPR, is still going strong and broadcasting
24 hours a day from the second floor of the Graphic
Arts Building. This quarter, the station has some
100 volunteer student DJs. The station was featured
in a March profile in the San Luis Obispo Tribune.
Read
the Tribune story
Ag
Student Wins National Farm Bureau competition
A Cal Poly agricultural communications
student took first place in a
competition at the national Young Farmer and Rancher
Leadership Conference. Beth Sequeira, a senior, won
the National Collegiate Discussion Meet at the recent
conference in Des Moines, Iowa. She qualified for
the national competition by winning the statewide
Collegiate Discussion Meet held in December at the
California Farm Bureau annual meeting in Monterey.
At the national meet, Sequeira competed against 25
other college students from across the United States.
More
Students' Spring Break Volunteer Work Makes Headlines
Mike Ng, Joe Aslop, Mike Chapelle and 11 other students
from Cal Poly spent their spring break in Santa Fe,
N.M., to help Habitat for Humanity build homes there.
The
construction management students were profiled by
the Santa Fe New Mexican in its March 23 edition.
A different group of five Cal Poly students spent
their spring break in New Orleans, cleaning up after
Hurricane Katrina. Their efforts were profiled by
KCOY TV news, the CBS affiliate on the Central Coast.
Read
the Santa Fe Story
Read
the Hurricane Katrina story and see the KCOY news
video
Horticulture
Student Receives $7,500 Scholarship
A Cal Poly environmental horticulture student has
received a $7,500 scholarship from the San Francisco
Orchid Society. Student Ryan Guillou received the
scholarship at the society’s 54th annual Pacific
Orchid Exposition. This is the third year that the
society has awarded the scholarship, and Guillou is
the third Cal Poly student to receive it. The first
scholarship of its kind, the annual SFOS Horticultural
Scholarship provides financial aid coupled with hands-on
learning.
More
::
Faculty
& Staff
Professor
Among 'Most Influential Latinos'
Cal
Poly Journalism Department Chair and Professor George
Ramos has been honored as one of the Central Coast's
"Most Influential Latinos." Ramos was among
50 honorees at the first annual "Most Influential
Latinos" awards luncheon March 18 in Santa Maria,
sponsored by Latino Today newspaper. Ramos, who earned
his journalism degree from Cal Poly in 1969, is a
former Los Angeles Times reporter, editor, bureau
chief and columnist, and a three-time winner of the
Pulitzer Prize. Other awardees included Cuesta College
Vice President for Student Support Dan Chacón,
State Senator and Cal Poly alumnus Abel Maldonado,
physician Francisco Mendoza, and Allan Hancock College
President Jose M. Ortiz.
More
Late
Professor Simon's Memoir Inspires Reviewer
"I'd like to have
had a Ben and Jerry Ice Cream flavor named after me,
something in the manner of Cherry Garcia or Wavy Gravy,"
wrote popular Cal Poly English Professor Dick Simon
in his memoir, before he passed away last year. "I'd
also liked to have been a question on Jeopardy, or
had a star in some walk of fame somewhere. These are
I know silly things and what counts is that you remember
me in some capacity from time to time. It's a lot
more meaningful." Simon's memoir inspired psychologist
and Massachusetts Acton Beacon columnist Philip Luber
to reflect on Simon's life, and Simon's friends' loss.
Read
Professor Simon's Memoir Online
::
Coming
Up
April
22 Open House Concert to Feature Gershwin
"GERSHWIN!" is the theme of this year's
Open House concert Saturday, April 22, beginning at
8 p.m. in the Christopher Cohan Center's Harman Hall.
Performances include the Cal Poly Symphony, Wind Ensemble,
and University Jazz Band playing songs you can't get
out of your head: "Strike up the Band,"
"Lady, Be Good," "Rhapsody in Blue,"
"An American in Paris," "Porgy and
Bess," Piano Concerto in F and many more of the
best loved works of George Gershwin. Tickets: $15
& $18 general/$13 & $15 seniors/$8 students
More
Royal
Carl Rosa Opera Performs 'Mikado' April 27
Possessed of delightfully infectious music and wonderful
comic characters, Gilbert & Sullivan's best-loved
operetta is a hilarious fantasy of love, marriage
and heroics set in the magnificent Japanese court
of Titipu. With a full chorus and an 18-member live
orchestra, Carl Rosa's stunning production faithfully
recreates Gilbert's original 1885 staging and features
the glorious Oscar-winning costumes from the acclaimed
film "Topsy-Turvy." Rapturously received
by audiences throughout Australia, New Zealand, the
United Kingdom, and the U.S., "The Mikado"
marks its second national tour with a rare stop on
the Central Coast.
More
April
29 Cal Poly Wine Festival
to Benefit New Wine and Vit Program
The
Cal Poly Vines to Wines Club will host the fourth
annual Cal Poly Wine Festival, formerly known as "An
Afternoon Amidst the Oaks," on Saturday, April
29, from 1-4 p.m. The event will be held at the historic
Santa Margarita Ranch in Santa Margarita. The event
will feature wine, food, music and art from wineries
from all over California, as well as local restaurants
and caterers. Tickets are $50 per person or $30 for
Cal Poly students, staff and faculty. Proceeds will
benefit the Wine and Viticulture Program. Last year's
festival drew over 500 wine enthusiasts. They were
able to sample wines from 70 wineries from the Napa,
Sonoma, Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara
regions, along with appetizers from Central Coast
restaurants, Cal Poly cheeses and chocolates, and
more.
More
Cal
Poly Update is a newsletter for University friends and
alumni and is prepared by the Cal
Poly Public Affairs Office. Please share it with
anyone you think may be interested in learning more
about Cal Poly. However, if you wish to be excluded
from e-mail sent from Cal Poly, please click
here and follow the instructions. If you would like
to update your alumni contact information, please click
here.
Cal
Poly News
