Cal Poly Update - February 2010
University News
Professors, Students Home from January Arctic Research Project
Cal Poly Biology Professor Mark Moline and Computer Engineering Professor Christopher Clark and their students are home from the Arctic. The professors brought their collection of marine robots along with two Cal Poly students to Norway. Their mission: to study the underwater Arctic ecosystem in collaboration with Norwegian biologists. Their two-week expedition to Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, was funded through the Norwegian government, National Geographic, and the United States' National Science Foundation. The two professors and their students worked with divers, Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV), a Remotely Operating Vehicle (ROV), and an ocean bottom crawler.
Details on the Svalbard expedition
Cal Poly Graduation Rates Lead the CSU Field
The California State University System has launched a major effort to improve graduation rates across the entire 23-campus system. But Cal Poly graduation rates already lead the pack. Currently, the CSU system's six-year graduation rate is 46 percent. CSU trustees want to improve that systemwide average to 54 percent by 2016. Cal Poly already has a 73 percent six-year graduation rate. Cal Poly’s graduation rates increased to an all-time high with the graduating class of the spring of 2009, according to Provost Bob Koob. And of the 3,575 students who enrolled in 2005, more than 30 percent graduated in four years, which is up from a 15 percent four-year graduation rate 10 years ago.
Read the Cal Poly news on graduation rates
Read the CSU news story on systemwide goals
Watch the KCOY CBS-12 news story on Cal Poly Graduation rates
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CSU Committee on Campus to Launch Search for New Cal Poly President
The California State University Board of Trustees has begun the search for a new president for Cal Poly. The new president will succeed retiring President Warren J. Baker, who has served since 1979. The first meeting of the presidential search committee was held Feb. 9 on campus. It was the only public meeting of the search process. CSU Trustee Roberta Achtenberg is leading the Trustees’ Committee for the Selection of the President. The other trustee members of the selection committee include Carol Chandler, George Gowgani, Glen Toney, as well as Trustee Chairman Herbert Carter and CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed.
Details on the search and meeting
Cal Poly Offering Free Tax Prep Help Through March
Cal Poly’s Orfalea College of Business is again providing free help with tax return preparation for individuals and families with incomes less than $50,000 year. The effort is part of the annual Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program sanctioned and coordinated by the IRS. All returns are prepared by trained accounting seniors and are reviewed by certified tax preparers. This year's VITA volunteers include Spanish-speaking students. The students and professors will be volunteering from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. every Saturday through March 13 on campus.
Details on Cal Poly tax prep help
California Contractors Support Cal Poly Construction Management
Contractors statewide know that good construction begins with a solid foundation – especially in the form of an excellent education. With that in mind, the California Contractors State License Board recently presented the Cal Poly Construction Management Department with a check for more than $41,000 – money collected from voluntary donations from contractors.
More on the donation
Cal Poly Offering Expanded Summer Term Through Continuing Education
Despite state cutbacks in funding for higher education, Cal Poly Summer Term 2010 will feature expanded class offerings to current Cal Poly students as well as residents of San Luis Obispo County. Registration for summer term begins in late April, and courses will be offered in five- and eight-week sessions beginning June 21. There will be a pre-fall quarter intersession of three weeks starting Aug. 23. Cal Poly’s selection of summer term courses is designed to meet three goals: 1) Provide high-demand classes that students need for graduation; 2) Provide opportunities for non-Cal Poly students to earn transferable course credits; and 3) Offer both career and professional development courses for residents of San Luis Obispo County.
Details on Summer Session 2010
Today's Students
Computer Science Senior Project Turns Into Hot iPhone 'App'
Cal Poly Computer Science students Sam Li and Andy Huynh developed what turned out to be a popular iPhone "app" (software application) as part of a class project during their senior year. Their "Simple Draw" application was accepted for inclusion in the Apple app store's "free" section. It became the fourth most downloaded application in the "Productivity - Free" category. That's saying something, with more than 100,000 apps in the iTunes store and more than 8,500 apps submitted to Apple for consideration each week. Watch the two-minute video interview with the students and their professor on Cal Poly's YouTube channel.
Click here for the video interview
Go to Cal Poly's YouTube Channel - www.YouTube.com/calpoly
News Spotlight on Engineering Students for
Creating Medical Devices for Crisis Zones
Some Cal Poly engineering students are putting their brain power and free-time to good use. They are building medical devices that will be sent to hospitals in developing countries. Tim O'Neill and Jen Van Donk recently formed a local chapter of a non-profit organization called Engineering World Health. Dozens of students have already joined.
See the KCOY CBS-12 Video News Story
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Students Earn Volunteer Award for Diversity Efforts
The City of San Luis Obispo's Parks and Recreation Commission recognized Cal Poly students Addie Virta and Missy Sparks as its January Volunteers of the Month for their work with local children through a campus group called Language Outreach and Opportunities for Kids (LOOK). Virta and Sparks are the student co-coordinators of LOOK.
More on student award
Men's, Women's Water Polo Both Take
'Team of the Decade' Honors
With nine national championships between them in the last decade, Cal Poly’s Men’s and Women’s Water Polo squads were both recently named the teams of the decade by the Collegiate Water Polo Association. The Cal Poly women’s team won the designation outright, and the men’s team shared the honor with Michigan State University. The women’s squad captured five of the last 10 National Collegiate Club Championships. The Cal Poly men’s team won four championships in the last 10 years.
Details on Water Polo team honors
Senior is Mustang Basketball's 'Walk-on Wonder'
Between his freshman and senior year, business senior Ryan Darling went from walk-on to starting center on the Mustang Men's Basketball Team. The 6-foot-8, 215-pound forward from Tehachapi is set to graduate in June. He was profiled on Central Coast sports sections in early February for his standout performance. Darling started with the team as a walk-on and served a season as team manager during his time at Cal Poly. New basketball coach Joe Callero saw his potential in practice and put him on the court this year -- with good results.
Details on Darling
Faculty & Staff
Architecture Professor Receives National Recognition
Thomas Fowler IV, an associate professor in the Cal Poly Architecture Department, is the recipient of the 2009-10 Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) Creative Achievement Award. Fowler was recognized for his development of the Collaborative Integrative-Interdisciplinary Digital-Design Studio. This studio melds creativity, collaborative student teamwork, scholarship, academia and professional development with research and service at local and national levels.
More on Fowler
Hear Professor Cano Explain the Science Behind 'Jurassic Beer' Feb. 10
Professor Emeritus Raul Cano will discuss "Jurassic Beer - the making of a 45 million year old brew" on Feb. 10 Science Cafe discussion in Cal Poly's Kennedy Library. Cano is founding scientist of Ambergene Corporation and founder and director of the Environmental Biotechnology Institute at Cal Poly. While searching in ancient amber for bacterium to screen for pharmaceutical uses, Cano was able to extract ancient yeast -- which was ultimately used to brew beer. Hear Cano tell the story of this accidental discovery, the surprising way he became a partner in beer-making, and the future of the Environmental Biotechnology Institute.
More on Cano's presentation
The Roots of Robot Fear Explained in February Popular Mechanics
Cal Poly Philosophy Professor Patrick Lin explains the roots of robot fear and which robots to watch out for in the future in the February edition of "Popular Mechanics" magazine. Lin was interviewed by the magazine for two articles in the issue. He is the director of the Ethics + Emerging Technologies Group at Cal Poly, and author of a report commissioned by the U.S. military titled “Autonomous Military Robots: Risk, Ethics, and Design.” He is currently developing ethical guidelines for robots for the United States Navy.
More on Lin's Interview in Popular Mechanics
Professor Returns from Afghan Ambassadorship in Germany
Cal Poly Social Science Professor Maliha Zulfacar is back in the classroom this quarter after spending three years as Afghanistan's ambassador to Germany. She will speak and take questions later this month after a free showing of the documentary film “Kabul Transit." Zulfacar, an Afghan native, co-produced the documentary along with Williams College Professor David Edwards before her 2007 ambassadorship appointment. “Kabul Transit” follows city residents in the course of their daily lives and listens to their stories of the past and their hopes for the future. It’s Zulfacar’s second documentary on Afghanistan and Kabul. She grew up in the city and began her career as a professor at Kabul University. She has worked actively to help rebuild that nation for more than a decade. “An Evening in Afghanistan: Dynamic Reconstruction in Kabul,” is Zulfacar’s first public appearance since finishing her term as the Afghan ambassador in Berlin in late 2009.
More on Professor Zulfacar
Is Scientific Reality Crumbling?
Cal Poly Engineering Professor Explains March 4
“The Crumbling of Our Scientific View of Reality: What Do We Do Now?” will be the topic of a breakfast lecture by Cal Poly Materials Engineering Professor Linda Vanasupa at 7:30 a.m. March 4 in Sage Vista Grande Cafe. In addition to teaching, Vanasupa is also founding co-director of the Center for Sustainability in Engineering at Cal Poly. She's interested in healing the schism between Western and Eastern world views. The event is part of Cal Poly's Provacative Perspectives speaker series.
Alumni News
Cal Poly-Made Gifts for Every Kind of Valentine
It's coming: Valentine's Day - Sunday, Feb. 14. Are you ready?
Do your shopping online at www.calpolywine.com. Get all of your valentines something they'll really like, and support the Cal Poly Wine & Viticulture Program at the same time. The Cal Poly Wine and Cal Poly Chocolates enterprise projects are partnering this year to offer the "Sweetheart Special" gift pack: a bottle of Mustang Red and Poly Royal Red Dessert Wine plus Cal Poly Chocolates (one milk chocolate, one bittersweet and one peppermint crunch bar plus chocolate-covered macadamia nuts).
The wines are Cal Poly-made ruby red Zinfandel blends. The chocolates are student-made and certified fair trade. (Cal Poly has the only university-based Fair Trade Certified chocolate business in the nation.) Cal Poly Wine offers a variety of gift packs and individual bottles available for shipment to 17 states. This week, Cal Poly is releasing a new wine: Mustang White. It's a blend of Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris grapes grown in Arroyo Grande, Edna Valley and Santa Barbara County.
Details on Cal Poly-made wine and wine gift packs
Details on the new Mustang White
Whales, Warriors and Chili: February is Full of Alumni Events
February is full of Cal Poly Alumni Association Events. Go whale watching Feb. 20 with the San Diego CPAA chapter. Get together in Modesto for fun and to help plan chapter events Feb. 24. Come to Cal Poly on Feb. 27 for the San Luis Obispo chapter's Chili Tasting warmup for the Men's Basketball game in Mott Gym. Can't get enough basketball? Get a special look inside the Golden State Warriors operation and watch a Warriors game Feb. 27 in Oakland. All CPAA events are open to all alumni, and parents and friends are always welcome.
Get Details on the Alumni Events Calendar
PolyLink Photo of the Month
Rony Ruano Jr. (B.S., Business Administration, 2004) is the February PolyLink Photo of the Month winner for this shot, taken in front of Mission San Luis Obispo in June 2008. On a day that hit a record-breaking 115 degrees, Ruano and bride Aubriel Genevieve Ulibarri said "I do" in the Mission. Their departure from the reception was captured by Central Coast photographer Samuel Potter. Ruano met Uilbarri while attending Cal Poly; she went on to graduate from CSU Northridge. The couple will celebrate their two-year anniversary this June. They'll be able to celebrate in San Luis Obispo. They've just moved back to the Central Coast. Ruano is a sales consultant with CSG Systems, Inc. His company, CSG Systems International, is the leading provider of outsourced billing, customer care and print, mail and e-commerce solutions. Ruano is just one of the 14,100+ alumni in PolyLink, Cal Poly's free, private social network for Mustangs only at www.calpolylink.com. Browse through leads to some 200 job postings every month and find out who lives in your town (or state or country) on PolyLink's interactive Googlemap.
See more PolyLink Photo of the Month winners anytime
Biotech QL+ Center and Founding Alum Are Topic of Filming
A camera crew was on campus filming alum Jon Monett (B.S., Industrial Education, 1964) recently. The project was a segment for the organization’s annual report, focusing on the new QL+ Center located on the Cal Poly campus. The biotech center does research and development of prostheses for men and women who have been injured in battle -- by weapons, explosives or fire. The Monett Foundation supported the creation of the center with a $500,000 donation.
More on the QL+ Center
Alumni in the News: Bulls vs. Racecars, Stephen King and More
One Cal Poly alumni has traded bulls for race cars - and head the organization that runs the annual Indianapolis 500. Another has written a that book best-selling author Stephen King praised in the New York Times Book Review. Others are creating pomegranate wine, making historic orchards thrive, moving up at architecture and finance firms, and more. Find out which Cal Poly alumni are in the news this month -- and if you know any of them.
Alumni in the News
Coming Up
Hearst Lecture Series Continues Feb. 12 with Serraino
Cal Poly's Hearst Lecture Series continues Friday, Feb. 12, with Pierluigi Serraino. Serraino is an Italian architect practicing in the Bay Area. His articles and projects have appeared in numerous publications. Among his titles are “Modernism Rediscovered,” “NorCalMod: Icons on Northern California Modernism” and “History of Form*Z.” Forthcoming books are a monograph of mid-century architect Gordon Drake and a study of Digital Design through the work of design architect John Marx of San Francisco.
Details on Serraino
Comedian Craig Ferguson Performing Benefit Show at the PAC Feb. 13
Join Scottish-American stand-up comedian and host of CBS's "The Late, Late Show,"
Craig Ferguson, for a Valentine's Day benefit performance at the Christopher Cohan Center. Though he started his career in a Scottish punk rock band, by summer 1994 Craig Ferguson was established as one of Great Britain's leading comedians after a huge success at the Edinburgh Festival. In 1995 he moved to Los Angeles, where he now works as an actor-writer-director-producer-creator and host of CBS's ultra late night show. Showtime is 8 p.m. in Harman Hall and proceeds benefit local youth charities.
Details on Ferguson
Cal Poly Music Department's 'Just Jazz' Concert is Feb. 20
Enjoy the annual Just Jazz Concert at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20 in the Cohan Center. This concert will feature an eclectic mix of jazz standards and modern compositions and will be performed by the University Jazz Bands No. 1 and No. 2 and the Cal Poly Jazz Combos.
More on the Just Jazz concert
Cal Poly Arts Brings 'Camelot' to Cohan Center Feb. 22
Cal Poly Arts presents "Camelot," the Broadway classic, Feb. 22 in the Cohan Center. Lerner and Loewe’s timeless tale, featuring such Broadway favorites as “If Ever I Would Leave You” and the endearing title song. For one brief shining moment, rediscover the grandeur of one of musical theatre’s greatest and most compelling love stories. Pre-show lecture scheduled.
More on Camelot
Theatre & Dance Dept. Presents 'Julius Caesar' in February, March
The Cal Poly Theatre & Dance Department present's Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" Feb. Feb. 25-27 and March 4-6 in Spanos Theatre. Set against a background of civil unrest and political uncertainty, "Caesar" showcases a republic and its leaders battling the public and private perils that come with power. This production will focus on how a society behaves when asked to define and defend both freedom and democracy, according to director/professor Josh Machamer.
Details on Caesar
Hearst Lecture Series Concludes Feb. 26 with Professor Marble
Cal Poly's Hearst Lecture Series concludes Friday, Feb. 26, with Scott Marble. Marble is founding partner of Marble Fairbanks and a faculty member at the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. His early engagement with digital technologies at Columbia University, teaching one of the first “paperless” design studios, has allowed Marble Fairbanks to pioneer innovative uses of digital fabrication and unique assemblies in their design work.
Details on Marble
Cal Poly Choirs' Winter Concert is Feb. 27
The Cal Poly Choirs' Winter Concert, "Wings of Bliss," is set for Saturday, Feb. 27, at 8 p.m. in the Cohan Center. Soar to new choral heights as the Cal Poly Choirs present works by Vaughan Williams, Claude Debussy Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Lotti and Lili Boulanger. Featured will be the world premiere of a piece composed by Cal Poly Professor Craig Russell.
More on "Wings of Bliss"
Cal Poly Hosting National Concrete Canoe Competition in June
Cal Poly's Concrete Canoe Team will have the home "lake" advantage this year when the university hosts the National Concrete Canoe Competition in San Luis Obispo June 17-19. Racing events are set to take place at Laguna Lake Park. The annual event is sponsored by the American Society of Civil Engineers. The competition challenges civil engineering teams from around the nation to build a canoe from concrete - then race it.
More on the Concrete Canoe Competition