Cal Poly Update - June 2008
Alumni
Hit the Rails to See
Mustangs Tackle Aztecs in San Diego Aug. 30
Join Cal Poly alumni and Mustang football fans at the annual San Diego State Football Weekend in San Diego. The Mustangs will tackle the Aztecs Saturday, Aug. 30, at Qualcomm Stadium. The Cal Poly Alumni Association and Cal Poly Athletics are hosting a pre-game tailgate at the stadium, featuring bratwurst and burgers with all the fixings as well as traditional tailgate drinks.
Don't want to drive? Hop on the train and join Mustang fans and alumni on Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner. Central Coast fans will board the train at 6:45 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 29, at the San Luis Obispo depot.
Details on the San Diego game and tailgate
Alumni in the News: Saving Lives, Solving Crime and Traffic Problems
A pair of Cal Poly alumni have built a soaring business creating unmanned aircraft, many of them being used by the military for surveillance and other operations abroad. The duo combined their engineering skills and hobby of flying remote-controlled miniature airplanes into a thriving business that now employs 85 people. What else are alumni up to? Solving crimes at the FBI's forensics lab, heading up "smart transportation" efforts nationwide, designing museums, making wine, and more. Find out if you know any of them.
Read more about Alumni in the News
Alumna Runs with the Polar Bears,
Wins PolyLink Photo of the Month
Julie Goldzman (B.S., Ecology and Systematic Biology, 2003) runs with the Polar Bears. Goldzman is the June PolyLink Photo of the Month winner for her shot of herself and a napping Polar Bear on the Canadian tundra. She was on the job. Goldzman now lives in Boulder, Colorado, and works for Natural Habitat Adventures, an ecotourism company. "We do small group wildlife safaris all over the world, and the Polar Bears of Churchill is one of our premier trips, " she explained.
See more of Goldzman's photos on her PolyLink Personal Page. (Requires login)
View more alumni Photo of the Month winners (No login required)
University News
Spring 2008 Commencement:
Two Days of Ceremonies June 14 and 15
Cal Poly will confer three honorary degrees during this year’s commencement ceremonies June 14 and 15. George H. Soares (B.S., Ag Business, 1966) will receive an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws in recognition of his exemplary public service. Longtime Cal Poly supporters William "Bill" and Jean Lane will both receive honorary degrees. Jean Lane, who served for many years on the Cal Poly President's Cabinet, will receive the Doctor of Humane Letters in recognition of her extraordinary leadership and service on behalf of the environment, education and the arts. Bill Lane, a former U.S. Ambassador to Australia and former co-publisher of Sunset Magazine,will receive an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters in recognition of his exemplary service as a champion of the environment, the arts and education.
Details on the Commencement Web Site
Message From President Baker on Budget
Cal Poly President Warren J. Baker and other California State University presidents are asking alumni and university parents and friends to contact their local California legislators about the state budget. As the summer approaches, California's budget deficit continues to threaten Cal Poly and its students. Join Cal Poly and the CSU in urging state legislators to recognize the return on investment that higher education brings by resisting further budget cuts and making higher education a fiscal priority.
Full Message & How You Can Help Today
Read the SLO Tribune story on Budget News Conference | See the KSBY story
Read the Viewpoint column by the education leaders
Social Sci Alum, Professors, Students Launch High-Tech Adaptive Kayak
A Cal Poly alumnus who has been in a wheelchair for more than 20 years was the first to sail a new high-tech kayak developed by Cal Poly faculty and students. Bryan Gingg (B.S., Social Sciences, 1990) was the test pilot for the "solo quad" kayak developed in Cal Poly's adaptive paddling program - a joint effort of the kinesiology and engineering faculty and students. Gingg used a mouth-held electronic "straw" to control the kayak.
Click on the photo to see launch video clip ~ Requires QuickTime Player - download free
More on Gingg and the solo quad kayak launch
Fifth Annual 'PolyHouse' Gives Disabled Homeowner $50,000 Renovation
Cal Poly Professor Roya Javadpour and her 2007-08 project management class completed their fifth home renovation service project in May, this time for a Nipomo man confined to a wheelchair. Javadpour's students raised more than $50,000 in donations of cash, building materials and other assistance for repairs and improvements for the home of Ken and Mary Barette. Barette has minimal use of his hands and legs, and is unable to move, feed himself or handle any personal needs without assistance. His wife is his primary caregiver. The students spent two quarters planning the project, and 10 days working on the home.
Read more about the 2008 "PolyHouse" project | Read the Adobe Press story
Read the SLO Tribune story | Read the New Times story
Hello Dolly: Carol Channing Charms Campus, Endows Scholarship
Broadway legend Carol Channing has joined forces with the California State University system to raise awareness about the importance of arts education, volunteering to establish a scholarship at each CSU. The Tony award winner and her husband, Harry Kullijian, recently established the Dr. Carol Channing and Harry Kullijian Endowment for the Arts at Cal Poly. The scholarship ensures that young students with an aptitude for the arts will have an opportunity to pursue their talents. Channing met with students and Cal Poly supporters before and after her concert at the Performing Arts Center
June 1.
Click on the photo to view a slideshow from Channing's visit to campus
Slideshow will appear in a pop-up window. Requires Flash player - Download Flash player free
More on Channing's scholarship endowment
College of Ag, Food & Environmental Sciences Hosts Chinese Delegation
A delegation of officials from Shandong, China, visited Cal Poly's College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences May 23. The delegation arrived in California to study the state's agricultural practices and technology. In San Luis Obispo, the group listened to a presentation from Associate Dean Mark Shelton, toured Cal Poly's organic farm, and visited Cal Poly's Radio Frequency Identification Lab.
More on the delegation's visit | KSBY News story
Today's Students
Concrete Canoe Headed to 2008 North American Finals June 19
Cal Poly students placed first overall in the American Society of Civil Engineers Pacific Southwest Regional Conference this spring. It's the 11th time in 12 years the Mustang engineers have taken the title. The win was secured with six first-place wins in events at the Concrete Canoe Competition held at Cal State Northridge. The event pitted 84 civil engineering students from Cal Poly’s student chapter against teams from universities across Southern California, Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada and Japan. The first-place regional win secures Cal Poly’s place at the national finals which will be held in Montreal, June 19-21.
More on the concrete canoe competition | Read the American Surveyor story
Cal Poly Arts Announces Student Award Winners
The Cal Poly Arts Board of Directors is honoring eight students for excellent achievement and service in the arts while attending Cal Poly. Art and design major Paradise Osorio and theatre and dance major Lowell Olcott were awarded the Service in the Arts award. Laura Krifka, an art and design major, received the Achievement in the Arts award.
More on the art winners
Students Wrap Up Pacific Study Aboard the Golden Bear June 19
Nearly 70 Cal Poly students and professors aboard the California State University system's Golden Bear crossed the Equator just before Mother's Day and headed for Tahiti, Tonga and New Caledonia before Hawaii and home June 19. Along with students from the California Maritime Academy, they've studied oceanography, astronomy, anthropology and more, as part of the 2008 Cal Poly at Sea program. Cal Poly at Sea is sponsored by Cal Poly and the California Maritime Academy.
More on the 2008 Cal Poly at Sea voyage
'Follow the Voyage' blog
Rainforest Alliance Certifies Cal Poly's Student-Run Print Operation
Cal Poly’s student operated and managed printing operation has earned Forest Stewardship Council Certification for its 'green' printing efforts. Cal Poly's University Graphics Systems is one of only two university printing facilities to ever receive this distinction. The certification is given by the SmartWood program of the Rainforest Alliance. University Graphic Systems is the only company of its kind run entirely by students.
Read more on the green designation for UGS
Students Win Award, $10,000 for Design Benefiting Disabled Workers
Mechanical engineering students Paula Gijon and Chittayong (Jao) Surakitbanharn have won a national award and a $10,000 prize for designing a device to aid disabled hospitality industry employees. The duo won the NISH National Scholar Award. The award recognizes the design of devices that improve access to the workplace for people with disabilities. The students designed and built a device that helps disabled people roll silverware and napkins together to make place settings for restaurants.
More on the design award
Human Powered Vehicle Pedals to First Place in Sprint at 46 mph
Cal Poly’s Human Powered Vehicle kicked up some dust at the Western Division HPV Competition hosted in April by the University of Nevada, Reno. Competing against nearly three dozen other teams from across the Western United States, along with teams from as far away as Connecticut, the Cal Poly HPV team took first place in the men's sprint event. Powered by mechanical engineering student Josh Smith, the vehicle reached a top speed of over 46 miles per hour.
Read more about the 2008 Human Powered Vehicle
Cal Poly Equestrian Team Riders,
Horses Champs at Nationals
Both horses and riders from Cal Poly’s Equestrian Team took top honors at the 2008 Intercollegiate Horse Show Association National Championships. Kaitlin Spak, a third-year mechanical engineering student, won a $1,000 scholarship and placed third overall in the Hunt Seat Equitation on the Flat category. She competed against 17 other riders from universities including Stanford and UC Davis. Two Cal Poly horses also took their riders to victory.
More on the Equestrian Team's Finish at Finals
Cal Poly Loggers Chop to the Top
in Western Finals in Montana
The Cal Poly Logging Team finished the season in the top five at the Western Forestry Conclave in Montana, an annual competition including log splitting, single and double buck sawing, log rolling and more. The Cal Poly team took fourth place overall in the 69th Association of Western Forestry Conclave. Twenty-two student teams from 11 colleges and universities west of the Mississippi took the field in 40-degree temperatures at the University of Montana at Missoula. Senior Erin Costelloe brought home a third place finish in the women’s overall competition, after competing with her hair temporarily dyed green and gold.
More on the Logging Team's Season
Read the ESPN write-up on the conclave
Wheelchair Foundation Raises More Than $90,000 for International Aid
The Cal Poly student chapter of the Wheelchair Foundation helped raise more than $90,000 for international aid. Sponsored by four local San Luis Obispo Rotary clubs and supported by Cal Poly’s Greek community, the Wheelchair Foundation raised enough money this year to send more than 500 wheelchairs to people in Malawi, Africa. The group also raised enough to build a water well and create an educational endowment of more than $50,000 for orphaned children in the country.
Read more about the wheelchair effort
Faculty & Staff
President Baker Appointed
to U.S.-Mexico Science Board
Cal Poly President Warren J. Baker will serve as a member of the Board of Governors for The United States-Mexico Foundation for Science (FUMEC). FUMEC was established in 1992 through an agreement between Mexico and the United States as a bi-national, non-governmental body. It promotes and supports scientific and technological collaboration between both countries. It is supported by an endowment fund, established with contributions from the United States and Mexico.
More on President Baker and FUMEC
Physics Professor, Campus Host
Live Feed of Phoenix Mars Landing
Cal Poly helped Central Coast residents witness a momentous event. The College of Science and Mathematics hosted a live broadcast of the Phoenix Mars Lander's touch down on the Martian arctic May 25. Cal Poly Physics Professor John Keller prepped the crowd on the science behind the mission prior to the landing broadcast. Keller is a planetary scientist who worked with the Mars Odyssey spacecraft, which discovered buried water ice on Mars. The live broadcast was held in the Cal Poly Orfalea College of Business Rotunda Building, featuring a theater-sized screen.
Read more about Martian landing broadcast | KSBY interview with Professor Keller
Coming Up
Sign Up for Summer Veggies
from Cal Poly’s Organic Farm by June 16
Summer is almost here, and so are plenty of fresh-picked vegetables from the Cal Poly Organic Farm produce subscription program. The Organic Farm is now taking summer subscriptions for its Community Supported Agriculture Program (CSA). Subscribers receive a box of fresh-picked produce weekly. Contents vary depending on what’s ripe and in season. Summer season crops include lettuce, leafy greens, tomatoes, squash, onions, spinach, beets, carrots, fennel, eggplant, corn, bell peppers, melons, and more.
Details on the produce subscription program
Interactive Art Exhibit Connects Cal Poly, Beijing Through June 17
The Olympic Arts Festival, a component of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, will feature an interactive art exhibit connecting Beijing and Cal Poly June 7-17. The display is the product of a new major at Cal Poly: liberal arts and engineering studies. The degree program combines the technical aspects of engineering with the creative applications of liberal arts. Titled “Intimate Transactions,” the exhibit allows people in two geographically separate areas to interact in real time. Participants respond to abstract visual images and tactile impulses transmitted through “smart furniture” to produce images on a screen.
More on the Olympic Arts Festival Exhibit
Celebrate Janis Joplin at the PAC June 18 & 19
Cal Poly Arts presents "Love, Janis" on Wednesday and Thursday, June 18 and 19, at 7 p.m. at the Spanos Theatre. From her meteoric rise to fame in the ‘60s to her tragic death in 1970, Joplin’s story is told in her own words – the entire spoken text comes directly from Joplin’s actual letters and her many print, radio and television interviews. The rock stage musical is a hauntingly intimate portrayal of one of America’s most celebrated rock and roll icons, the legendary Janis Joplin. Go behind the music for a glimpse at the soul of a legend both through the letters she wrote home and the songs she made famous.
More on 'Love Janis'
Stick Around July 5 to See Sparks Fly with Wanda Sykes
Sharp-tongued comedienne Wanda Sykes, a familiar face from television and movies, is appearing in the Christopher Cohan Center Saturday, July 5 at 8 p.m. Sykes has been called "one of the funniest stand up comics" by her peers and ranks among Entertainment Weekly's 25 Funniest People in America. Her HBO comedy special, "Wanda Sykes: Sick & Tired," debuted in October 2006 and was nominated for a 2007 Prime Time Emmy. Sykes appears in the feature films “Evan Almighty,” “Monster-In-Law,” "My Super Ex-Girlfriend" and more.
Details & ticket info on Wanda Sykes