Cal Poly Update - January 2010
Alumni News
Cal Poly Rose Parade Float a Double Winner in 2010
“Jungle Cuts,” the float built by students and volunteers from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and the university’s sister campus in Pomona, captured two awards at the 2010 Rose Parade Jan. 1 in Pasadena. Rose Parade judges gave the float the Bob Hope Humor Trophy. And on Jan. 2, the Tournament of Roses and KTLA TV in Los Angeles announced that the Cal Poly float had once again captured the annual Viewers' Choice Award. The float featured a lion getting a perm, a giraffe getting a beehive, and a zebra styling it out with a slick mohawk. The animation incorporated into the float included a toucan flying around a tree, monkeys dangling from trees, a giraffe climbing a tree and an actual working waterfall.
Photo by Tom Zasadzinski
More on the Cal Poly Rose Float
Go Straight to Photo Slideshow on building the 2010 float
Alumni in the News - January
An agriculture alum has been named as a science adviser for the California state legislature. Another is the new president of the California Farm Bureau Federation. A math major has come out of retirement to lead a Central Coast community college searching for a new president. An architecture alum is working on a "flying motorcycle" with retractable wings. Find out who else was in the news, and if you know any of them.
January Alumni in the News
Go Places With Alumni in 2010: Brewpubs, Basketball, Italy...
Go places near or far with the Cal Poly Alumni Association in 2010. Looking for travel bargains? Check out CPAA's 2010 travel programs. Tour the Ukraine and Dnieper River July 3-15, or Italy's Amalfi Coast Sept. 29-Oct. 7. Book the Amalfi trip by Feb. 4 get a $500 per person discount - a $1,000 savings per couple.
Events planned closer to home this spring include a guided tour of Stone Brewing Company in Escondido Jan. 23. The evening includes a tour of their Bavarian brewing equipment and samples of their 23 micro-brews. In the Bay Area,
Cal Poly Alumni Night with the Warriors at the Oracle Arena in Oakland is set for Feb. 27. Cal Poly alumni and friends will be treated to a pre-game reception with Warriors President and Cal Poly alumnus Robert Rowell (JOUR ’09, MBA ’95), watch a courtside shoot-around, and get a Cal Poly Alumni “Go Warriors” t-shirt. All alumni, parents and friends are always welcome at CPAA events - here and abroad.
Details on the Warriors and Stone Brewing events
Details on the Ukraine and Amalfi trips
Alumni Photo of the Month: Surfing Florida
It might not be the same ocean, but David Reeves is still surfing. Reeves (B.S., Ag Business, 1984, MBA, 1985) is now an analyst and contract specialist with NASA at the Kennedy Space Center. He and his wife and two kids are living in Florida, where Reeves still loves to surf. Reeves is just one of the 14,153 alumni in PolyLink, Cal Poly's free, private, secure social network for alumni. In addition to member photo albums and an interactive alumni member map, PolyLink has its own private job boards averaging leads to about 200 job openings every month. Not a member yet? Alumni can find their first-time login codes in the e-mail announcing every month's edition of Cal Poly Update e-newsletter.
See the 2010 Photo of the Month Gallery (no login required)
See past photo winners in the University Photos Gallery (no login required)
Go to the PolyLink Job Boards (login required)
University News
Kiplinger's Ranks Cal Poly Among Best Value Universities in the Nation
Cal Poly is among eight California universities to make Kiplinger's Personal Finance list of
"100 Best Values in Public Colleges 2009-10." Cal Poly and seven University of California campuses made the national "Top 100" list. Cal Poly, at No. 50, was the only California State University Campus to make the list, ranking ahead of No. 68 UC Santa Cruz. Other UC campuses to make the list were UC San Diego, UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Davis (close to Cal Poly at No. 41).
Details on the Kiplinger's "Best Value" ranking for Cal Poly
Cal Poly Open House 2010 Set for April 15-17
Prospective students, alumni and the community are invited “To Cal Poly and Beyond” during the 2010 edition of the university’s annual Open House celebration April 15-17. Open House events include Admitted Student Preview Day, the Design Village collegiate architecture competition, Robo-Rodentia mini-robot duels, Poly Royal Rodeo and more. Open House is a chance for newly admitted students and their families, current students, alumni and university friends to experience Cal Poly and the community of San Luis Obispo.
More on Open House 2010 | Video of Open House 2009
Cal Poly Gets LEED Green Nod for Latest Student Housing
Cal Poly’s latest student housing project, Poly Canyon Village, has earned a LEED Gold certification for meeting required standards in sustainable building. The certification came from the U.S. Green Building Council. Standards for the designation included low volatile organic compounds material, energy efficient buildings, reduction of water use, water-efficient landscaping, use of recycled content, 90 percent diversion from the landfill of construction waste, and more. The LEED gold designation for Poly Canyon Village means 25 percent of Cal Poly’s facilities are now certified sustainable.
More on the gold certification | Video Tour of Poly Canyon Village at Opening
Cal Poly’s Home Page Has a New Look
The Cal Poly University Home Page (www.calpoly.edu) has a new look. The new design includes more photos, graphics, stories and links. It’s part of an ongoing university effort to improve the substance as well as the aesthetic appeal of messages to the Cal Poly community. You’ll still find links to the pages you need – like the A-Z Directory, Maps and the MyCalPoly Portal. But you’ll also find more features, photos, and links to fun Cal Poly pages like the Center for Coastal Marine Sciences, Open House, and more. The Home Page (www.calpoly.edu) will be focused primarily on communicating to external audiences including alumni, prospective students, parents and the community at large.
Details on the new look
Today's Students
Nearly 800 Graduate in December Commencement - See the Photos
While the rain poured outside, some 800 students graduated in three mid-year commencement ceremonies in Mott Gym Saturday, Dec. 12. Keynote speakers for the three ceremonies were Science Foundation of Arizona President and CEO William Harris, CEO Peter B. Wiley of publisher Wiley & Sons and Anne Marie Bergen, a Cal Poly alumna now district science teacher and coordinator for Oakdale Joint Unified School District.
More on the December commencement ceremonies
See photo slideshow from ceremonies
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Cal Poly Ranks Third in Nation for Students Studying Abroad
According to a recent survey conducted by the Institute of International Education, Cal Poly ranks third in the nation for total study abroad enrollment among peer universities. The Open Doors 2009 Report on International Education Exchange found that Cal Poly sent total of 877 students to study abroad during 2007-08. Cal Poly is ranked in the category of “universities that offer master’s degrees (non-doctoral universities).”
More information about study abroad program
Secret of SWE's Success? Watch Winning Student Engineers Explain It
Cal Poly's Society of Women Engineers has been on a winning streak for years. This fall, two different Cal Poly SWE teams achieved unprecedented success when they both took first place finishes in design competitions. Watch the two minute video to see students explain the aeronautical, mechanical and project management tasks involved in one winning process.
Click here for the SWE video on Cal Poly's YouTube channel
Coming Up
Cal Poly Hosts International Printing Week Jan. 19-22
Cal Poly will host its annual International Printing Week workshops Jan. 19-22. The program covers trends and developments in graphic communication technology, management, design, printed electronics, packaging, hardware, software and printing processes and is one of the largest printing events in the nation. This year, workshops will outline practical and intellectual twists shaping the future of the industry. The event dates commemorate the birthday of Benjamin Franklin, an early leader in printing technology. Printing Week serves as an intensive training for students. Industry members participate through lectures, product support and career networking.
More on International Printing Week
Pick Cal Poly Orchard Mandarins, Oranges and More through February
The Cal Poly citrus, avocado and deciduous farm enterprise students invite the public to come pick fresh and delicious Cal Poly mandarin oranges every Wednesday from 1 to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. through February. (Rain cancels.) Other fruit and nuts will also be available for purchase, including Hachiya Persimmons, Payne Walnuts and Lisbon Lemons and Kiwi fruit. To find the Cal Poly orchards, take the Highland Drive entrance to campus on Highway One. Follow the U-Pick signs.
More on Cal Poly Orchard U-Pick
Hear the Cal Poly Early Music Ensemble Jan. 23
On Saturday, Jan. 23, the Early Music Ensemble presents "Ignacio de Jerusalem and Manuel de Sumaya: Kings of the Mexican Baroque" at 8 p.m. in Mission San Luis Obispo. Hear glorious works by the two greatest composers of the Mexican Baroque period. Professor Craig Russell will present a highly entertaining overview of the evening’s repertoire.
More on the Early Music Ensemble performance
See Annual Orchesis Student Dance Performance in January, February
Orchesis, Cal Poly's student dance troupe, will present its annual dance concert 'Continuum,' with performances Jan. 29 and 30 and again the following weekend Feb. 4-6 in the Spanos Theatre. Showtimes are 8 p.m., with a 2 p.m. matinee added Sunday, Jan. 31. The performances feature a fusion of edgy, contemporary dance pieces and lyric, classical forms of dance. Choreographed by faculty, guests artists and students.
Get more information on Orchesis 'Continuum'
Annual 'Night at the Mission' Benefit
for Cal Poly Music Program is Feb. 6
The annual "Night at the Mission" Chamber Ensemble Concert is set for 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, in Mission San Luis Obispo. Enjoy an evening of beautiful music performed by our chamber ensembles to benefit Cal Poly music programs. Performing will be the Wind Quintets, Wind Dectet, Saxophone Quartets, Trombone Choir, Clarinet Quartet, String Quartet, Brass Quintet and Brass Ensemble.
More on the 'Night at the Mission"
Sing Opera - Learn How At Cal Poly Vocal Master Class Feb. 10
The Cal Poly Opera Workshop presents a master class with Giorgio Lalov Wednesday, February 10 at 4 p.m. in the Pavilion of the Performing Arts Center. The class will be led by Giorgio Lalov, director of Teatro Lirico D'Europa. Several of the Cal Poly Music Department's vocalists will be featured soloists.
More about the master class
Eighth Annual Cal Poly Wine Festival Weekend Set for April 23
The Cal Poly Vines to Wines club is gearing up for its 8th annual Cal Poly Wine Festival Weekend. The event is a benefit for Cal Poly's Wine & Viticulture program. It kicks off Friday, April 23 at the Cal Poly Arboretum with a barbecue and live auction for winemakers and Cal Poly alumni. The Wine Festival itself is set for 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday, April 24, at the Santa Margarita Ranch in Santa Margarita, just north of San Luis Obispo. The student-run event will showcase wineries from all over California, as well as local restaurants and caterers. Tickets are $50 general admission, $45 for students, $15 for designated drivers, and $65 for special VIP tickets which include early entrance at noon and a specialty wine glass. Tickets will go on sale soon via the festival web site at www.calpolywinefestival.com. The student wine festival committee is currently seeking sponsors, donors and food vendors to participate in the festivities.
Read more about the April Wine Fest