Nov. 29, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Teresa Hendrix
(805) 756-7266

Cal Poly Mid-Year Commencement Set for Dec. 11

SAN LUIS OBISPO - More than 850 students are eligible to participate in one of three Mid-Year Commencement ceremonies Saturday, Dec. 11, at Cal Poly.

The three ceremonies are scheduled for 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. in the Associated Students Inc. Rec Center on campus. The 9 a.m. ceremony is for students in the colleges of Agriculture, Education and Science and Mathematics; the 1 p.m. ceremony is for the colleges of Architecture and Environmental Design and Liberal Arts; and the 3:30 p.m. ceremony is for the Orfalea College of Business and the College of Engineering.

Giving the commencement address at the 9 a.m. ceremony will be Mary Wagner, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer for E. & J. Gallo winery. The global, privately held company is headquartered in Modesto, and produces and sells more than 30 wines and distilled spirits. Wagner holds degrees in bacteriology, food science and food technology and has served in research and development in industry giants including Taco Bell, Gorton's, and General Mills, and has taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

Speaking at the 1 p.m. ceremony is architect Stephan Castellanos, a Cal Poly alumnus. He was a partner and architect at Derivi Castellanos for 20 years before serving until recently as the California State Architect responsible for reviewing the plans for and construction of publicly funded schools and essential services buildings. He is president-elect of the American Institute of Architects, California Council.

The keynote speaker at the 3:30 p.m. ceremony is Mark Loupé, a certified public accountant and Cal Poly alumnus. Loupé has more than 28 years of business and finance experience, the last 17 with Sun Microsystems Inc., where he recently retired from the position of vice president for finance, in charge of the company's product groups.

For more details on commencement, including directions to campus, visit:

http://commencement.calpoly.edu/

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