Cal Poly Update | March 2008

:: Alumni :: University News :: Today's Students :: Faculty & Staff ::Coming Up

Alumni
Open House 2008: It's 'Destination Cal Poly' April 17, 18 & 19
Destination Cal Poly: Open House, April 17, 18 and 19 Come back to campus for Open House in April. On April 18 and 19, students in clubs and majors from across campus will put on demonstrations, give tours and more. Traditional events still running are the annual Poly Royal Rodeo, the Poly Royal Parade April 19, the Poly Canyon Design Village competition, the engineering RoboRodentia robot wars, and concerts and performances by students in the Music Department.

It's a great time to take the kids to see where mom and dad went to college, and a great time to tour the old and take in the new at your alma mater and on the Central Coast. Yes, gum alley is still there -- and so is the beach. Make sure to stop by the Cal Poly Alumni Association booth on Dexter Lawn for your alumni ribbon while you're on campus. All alumni are welcome!
Visit the Open House 2008 Web site | View past Open House photos

Alumni in the News: Just the CattleFax, Ma'am
Animal Science alumnus David Wood, beef division chairman for Harris Ranch, has been elected as president of CattleFax, a market research association for beef producers. One business alum is watching his autobiography climb the charts, while another is now a vice president leading a global division in Shanghai. One alum has just been named to a new post by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Many more Cal Poly alumni made headlines over the past month. Find out who they are -- and if you know them.
Read this month's Alumni in the News roundup

Meghan and Austin Payne Photo of the Month:
Scootering Across Isla de Mujeres
Meghan Thompson-Payne and her husband Austin Payne are a Mustang Marriage. "We actually met WOW week of freshman year and dated all the way through college," said Thompson-Payne. This month's Photo of the Month is a close-up shot of the couple as they scootered around Isla de Mujeres, Mexico, in 2007 -- after flying there for a friend's wedding. They have more travel, hiking, and San Luis Obispo photos in their PolyLink albums. PolyLink members can sign in and see more in her personal photo albums. Everyone can see more Photo of the Month winners and university photos in the PolyLink Photo Gallery -- no sign-in needed.
Are you in a Mustang Marriage? E-mail us a photo and your story and let us know.

University News
State Budget Proposal Would Mean $7M to 9M in Cuts at Cal Poly
With a $14 billion budget deficit facing California, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed a $312.9 million cut to the California State University system budget. The CSU cuts would translate to $7.3 million to $9.9 million in cuts to Cal Poly. The impact on campus for the 2008-09 academic year? 1,130 fewer frshmen and transfer students admitted this fall compared to last, fewer classes for current students, and fewer graduates - a blow to California's workforce. Cal Poly is asking all university friends to sign up to be Cal Poly Advocates - and speak up for the campus now, while legislators wrestle with the budget.
Check Cal Poly's 2008 State Budget Info Center for more information

Architecture Program, Professor Win Another National Award
One of the programs within Cal Poly's top-ranked architecture program has received the 2008 Education Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects. The Digital Design Studio, directed by Professor Thomas Fowler of Cal Poly's College of Architecture and Environmental Design, was singled out for the top award. In the studio, Third- and fourth-year students work with professionals on community-design projects with real clients and real budgets.
More about the AIA Award

Cal Poly, Latinos in Agriculture Club Bring High Schoolers To Campus
Dean Baily with elementary students Cal Poly hosted 110 students from 13 high schools in economically disadvantaged areas across the state for “26 Hours at Cal Poly” March 6 and 7. The annual event is led by Cal Poly students in the Latinos in Agriculture Club. The annual event is aimed at motivating high school students to consider professional and managerial careers in California’s agriculture industry. Elementary school students from teacher Jaime Cuello’s class at Mary Buren School in Guadalupe joined the high school group for Friday’s final chemistry “magic” lesson and demonstration, given by Cal Poly Dean of Science and Mathematics Phil Bailey.
More on '26 Hours at Cal Poly' | Read The SLO Tribune story

Cal Poly Celebrates National Engineers Week
Cal Poly celebrated national Engineers Week in February with a full menu of activities for students and the local community. Northrop Grumman brought its Virtual Jetworks Flight Simulator to campus for an industry showcase, and the campus hosted a sustainable engineering display. The festivities kicked off Feb. 18 with a Lockheed Martin Wii Game Tournament and a keynote speech by Northrop Grumman executive Eric Pearson.
Read more about National Engineers Week |
Read the Times story about Cal Poly Students visiting Santa Maria High School

Coral tree and crane How do You Move a 25-ton Tree?
With Valley Crest, and an 80-ton Crane
Cal Poly students 'learned by moving' a 25-ton coral tree recently. The tree had outgrown its surroundings near the Environmental Horticultural Science Unit, and was successfully moved to the Leaning Pine Arboretum on campus. Valley Crest Landscape company professionals came to campus with company equipment to show Cal Poly landscape architecture, construction management, and EHS students how to successfully relocate the huge tree. The College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences celebrated its longtime partnership with Valley Crest afterward with tours of the arboretum and EHS unit and a lunch for faculty and company officials and students, attended by Cal Poly President Warren J. Baker.
Details on the tree transplanting | See the KSBY story
Read the Mustang Daily Story

Poly Celebrates 26th Annual Gravure Day
Cal Poly’s Graphic Communication Department recently held its 26th annual Gravure Day, highlighting advancements and state-of-the-art practices in the gravure industry. Representatives from leading gravure printers, including R.R. Donnelley & Sons and Quad Graphics, along with professionals from industry suppliers such as Flint Ink, gave presentations to over 200 students.
More on Gravure Day 2008

Today's Students
hybrid racer team Engineering Students Receive Grant
to Develop Plug-In Hybrid Racer
The Cal Poly Formula Hybrid Team has received a $12,500 grant to develop and race a plug-in hybrid vehicle in the Formula Hybrid International Competition, May 5-7 in Loudon, N.H. Cal Poly is one of only two schools in California to be awarded the grant. "Plug In America" awards the grant to encourage engineering innovation among California college and university students. The prominent plug-in car advocacy group received funding for this initiative from the California Air Resources Board.
Read more about the grant

Cal Poly Students Testing Shocks on Off-Road Tricycle
A Cal Poly industrial technology instructor and graduate students of the Orfalea College of Business are set to begin testing the riding comfort of a newly developed off-road tricycle. The "trike" is intended for use by mountain bikers or people with back problems. Cal Poly Industrial Technology Professor Adam Stephens designed a new long-travel, full-suspension off-road tricycle as part of his graduate work while at Cal Poly. IT Professor Jay Singh and his students in the Advanced Packaging Dynamics for Distribution course, used field data recorders donated by Lansmont Corp. to help test the trike for vibration and shock ruggedness.
More on the Off-Road Trike Testing | See the KSBY story | Read the SLO Tribune story

Students Vote for Rec Center Expansion and New Fees to Pay for It
Drawing of Rec Center Expansion Cal Poly students voted to increase the Associated Students Inc. (ASI) University Union fee to fund the renovation and expansion of the Cal Poly Recreation Center. With a total vote count of 7,309 – approximately 37.7 percent of the student population – students have voiced their choice to improve the existing Rec Center in its current location for the future of all Cal Poly students. The vote approved a future fee increase of $65 per student per quarter to be implemented when the renovated facility is complete, estimated fall 2011. The Rec Center Expansion referendum passed with 74.5 percent voting yes and 25.5 percent voting no. For the first time, students voted online through the MyCalPoly portal using a brand new online system.
More on the student vote on the Rec Center

Students Bring Engineering to Local Fourth Graders, High School Students
Volunteer students from Cal Poly's Society of Women Engineers visited fourth grade classrooms and high schools to teach students about the field of engineering and lead hands-on science demonstrations. In addition to the annual outreach to fourth-graders, Cal Poly student groups also brought engineering to Central Coast high school students. Cal Poly students spread the word on engineering to some 170 students from high schools in Paso Robles, Shandon, Arroyo Grande, Pioneer Valley, Morro Bay and Santa Maria.
More about the Engineering Classroom Visits

Alma Garcia Student's Quake Essay Shakes National Competition
Cal Poly architectural engineering student Alma Garcia represented the university at the 2008 Earthquake Engineering Research Institute’s 60th annual meeting in New Orleans in February. Garcia earned the honor of attending the prestigious meeting for winning EERI’s Student Paper Competition. Her essay, titled “Experimental Seismic Fragility Assessment of Nonstructural Components,” received first place in the undergraduate category.
More details on Garcia's award

Ag Students, Alumni Blend Interests into Business
Cal Poly ag alumna Erin McGowan's growing gristmill business -- grinding local corn and grains into gourmet mixes for quality-hungry customers in Northern California -- has turned into a model for current students in Kerry Langford's agriculture mechanics class. Langford has begun assigning students to think of a product they could create and market in the real world. Results so far include a horse trailer water dispenser horses can operate with a nudge of a nose, and gourmet rice servings sold online.
Read the California Farm Bureau article

Cal Poly’s Triathlon Team to Host 4th Annual Event March 22
Cal Poly’s Triathlon team will host the 4th annual March Triathlon Series (MTS) race at Lopez Lake on Saturday, March 22. The event is open to the public; the race starts at 9 a.m. MTS consists of two separate races; March Warm Up and March in Motion. March Warm Up is a ‘sprint distance’ race consisting of a 700-yard swim, 14-mile bike race and a 3.1-mile run. March in Motion is an ‘Olympic distance’ race with a 1.5-kilometer swim, 24.8-mile bike race, and a 6.2-mile run.
More details on the triathlon

Faculty & Staff
Raul Cano Renowned Professor on
Discovery Channel's 'Dinosaurs: Return to Life?'
Renowned microbiologist and Cal Poly Professor Emeritus Raul Cano was featured on a Discovery Channel special on dinosaurs that premiered Feb. 17. Cano, Director of Cal Poly’s Environmental Biotechnology Institute, is featured in the opening of the show. Cano is famous for his pioneering research extracting ancient DNA encased in amber, published in Science Magazine in 1995. In the era of the popular "Jurassic Park" movie series, Cano published papers on his findings after discovered living bacterium in the gut of a bee entombed in amber for 25-40 million years.
More on Professor Cano and "Dinosaurs: Return to Life?"

President Baker President Baker Joins Top CSU Officials
at African American Churches' 'Super Sunday' Effort
Cal Poly President Warren J. Baker joined top California State University officials in bringing the college message to thousands of prospective students and their families during the Third Annual CSU Super Sunday. President Baker and fellow CSU presidents, trustees, CSU Chancellor Charles Reed joined forces in an outreach effort at 30 African American churches across Northern California Feb. 17. Its the third annual "Super Sunday" effort to encourage students to go to college. President Baker spoke at St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in San Jose Sunday.
More on the CSU's Super Sunday

UPD Sergeant is 2008 Poly Royal Parade Grand Marshal
Cal Poly University Police Department Sgt. Robert Eckrote has been named Grand Marshal for this year’s Open House Poly Royal Parade, set for Saturday, April 19, at 9 a.m. Well-known on campus for his positive attitude, Eckrote joined the UPD force in 2002, following 15 years at the Atascadero Police Department. He’s responsible for UPD’s involvement in campus events, including Open House and engagements at the Performing Arts Center and Spanos Stadium.
More on the Grand Marshal

Study on Body Image and Fitness Magazines Earns Top Honor
Lorraine Jackson Communication Studies Professor Lorraine D. Jackson recently won an award for a paper she authored with communications studies graduate Danielle Boulger. Jackson presented the paper at a national conference in Denver Feb. 17. Jackson and Boulger's work received the Top Paper in Health Communication honor from the Western States Communication Association. Their paper is titled “Short-term Exposure to Idealized Body Images in Health and Fitness Magazines: The Effects on Men’s and Women’s Body Esteem.” Jackson was able to complete the research paper in 2007, thanks to time awarded by College of Liberal Arts Dean Linda Halisky.
More on the study on fitness magazines

On the Trail of Pink Boas in Honduras
Cal Poly Professor Emily Taylor recently spent a week on a tiny island in Honduras known for its abundance of boa constrictors. The object of their trek was the research island of Cayo Menor, one-quarter square mile full of an estimated 3,000 3-to 6-foot-long pink boa constrictors. The snake search turned a bit more rugged than expected as Taylor and three colleagues found themselves without their research equipment or even a change of clothes.
Read the story in the SLO Tribune | Read Professor Taylor's blog

Coming Up

organ pipes Cal Poly Wind Orchestra Performs
'Pomp & Pipes' Winter Concert March 15
Cal Poly’s University Wind Orchestra and Wind Ensemble will present their Winter Band Concert at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 15, in Harman Hall in the Performing Arts Center's Christopher Cohan Center. The concert, titled “Pomp and Pipes,” will feature Cal Poly organist Paul Woodring and the new Forbes Pipe Organ.
More on the Pomp & Pipes Concert

Peru Negro Brings African Peruvian Music and Dance to PAC March 16
Cal Poly Arts presents Peru Negro Sunday, March 16, at 3 p.m. in Harman Hall in the Christopher Cohan Center. This matinee is ideal for audiences of all ages who want to experience the pride and vibrancy of Peru’s African heritage through traditional music, authentic instruments, buoyant movement, and vivid costumes. Perú Negro has an all-new 2008 program that brings a carnival of wildly celebratory Afro-Peruvian sounds to 46 cities on a three-month tour, showcasing songs and dances that trace their history to the arrival of African slaves in Peru in the 1600s.
More on Peru Negro's performance

Flamenco guitarist and dancer Celebrate Flamenco March 20 in the PAC
See Noche Flamenca With Soledad Barrio Thursday, March 20 at 8 p.m. in Harman Hall in the Christopher Cohan Center. Since 1993, Madrid’s hard-working troupe has become one of Spain’s most successful flamenco companies, maintaining the essence, purity and integrity of the mysterious and complex art form. Powerfully led by founder Soledad Barrio, Noche Flamenca’s vitality, energy and passion honor the heart and soul of flamenco.
More on the Noche Flamenca performance

Get 'In the Mood' & Revisit
the Big Band Era March 21 at the PAC
Cal Poly Arts presents "In the Mood" Friday, March 21, at 8 p.m. in Harman Hall in the Christopher Cohan Center. The time was like no other: Big bands and glitter balls. Duffel bags and train stations. Crazy swing dancing and romantic embraces. Much more than a retro concert, In The Mood is a fully staged musical that recreates moments in the lives and times of America’s “greatest generation.” Big band brass created an atmosphere of inspired hope, promise, and prosperity. Let the youthful dancing, smooth singing, and the illustrious String Of Pearls Big Band make memories old and new.
More on 'In the Mood'

It's the Cheese poster and student No Fooling:
Dairy Tech Cheese Making Course is April 1-4
The Cal Poly Dairy Products Technology Center is hosting its annual Cheese Short Course April 1-4. Participants will learn the basic scientific information and practical skills needed to understand and manufacture cheese. Session includes one day of hands-on cheese making. Pre-registration is required.
Details on the cheese course

Continuing Education Offers Summer Spanish Immersion Programs Abroad
Participants will earn eight academic units and study Spanish intensively this summer in Cal Poly’s four-week programs in Quetétaro, Mexico, or Valladolid, Spain. The Mexico study program will take place in the city of Quetétaro from June 21 - July 19. The Spain program will be held at the centuries-old University of Valladolid from June 28 – July 26. Courses will be taught by Cal Poly faculty, and credit is immediately transferred.
Read more about Mexico and Spain trips

Fishing for your Cal Poly E-Newsletters in Your Bulk Mail Folder?
Do you Yahoo? Did you find your copy of Cal Poly Update or the Engineering Advantage e-newsletter in your Spam or Bulk Mail folder instead of your inbox? Yahoo! mail users in particular tell us it's happening to them. Read on for tips on how to get your university mail delivered straight to your inbox.
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