Cal Poly Update - February 2011
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University News
Cal Poly's New President is On the Job
Jeffrey D. Armstrong spent his first official day as Cal Poly’s new president Feb. 1 meeting with students, faculty, staff and members of the local media. Armstrong spoke of his belief that student success is the most important part of his job and the goal that will most guide his decisions as president. He also affirmed his commitment to preserving and enriching Cal Poly’s renowned learn-by-doing programs and pledged a presidency based on open and constructive communication.
See images from President Armstrong's first day
Read Some of Armstrong's Remarks
Visit the President's Page | Read Armstrong's CV
Read the Tribune News Story | Read the KSBY News Story | Read the KCOY News Story
Cal Poly Deluged with Student Applications For Fall Quarter 2011
More than 40,232 new students have applied to Cal Poly for fall quarter 2011 — but how many will be admitted depends on California's state budget decisions. In the past several years, Cal Poly has offered roughly 4,000 open spaces to new students each fall. This is the second year in a row that Cal Poly applications topped 40,000. Last year, 42,495 new students applied for fall 2010 — a record-setting number. Cal Poly applications have grown steadily over the past 15 years, and so have the national test scores and grade point averages of the students applying. The average GPA of high school students admitted to Cal Poly has increased from 3.50 in the mid-1990s to above 3.8 now, according to Jim Maraviglia, associate vice Provost for Marketing and Enrollment Development .
Read the San Luis Obispo Tribune story on applications to Cal Poly
Breaking Down Walls to Make Way for Science
Construction on Cal Poly's Center for Science and Mathematics has entered an impressive visible stage. The $131 million, 197,000 square foot building was made possible by $110 million from voter-approved state education bonds and $21 million in private donations to Cal Poly. In late January, heavy equipment and tree crews dug up, potted and moved four decades-old trees to the Cal Poly Leaning Pine Arboretum and one to Science North (Building 53). With the trees safely removed, crews began knocking down the walls of the north wings of the old science and math complex, known affectionately to generations of students as the Spider Building because of its rambling design. Cal Poly staff and students are capturing the demise of the Spider Building on video and in photos.
See more photos and video links on the
Cal Poly College of Science and Mathematics web
Watch construction live anytime on CSM Webcam 1 or CSM Webcam 2
Cal Poly to Help Create New Haiti Built Environment Resource Center
Cal Poly’s College of Architecture and Environmental Design will join several national organizations to help the State University of Haiti construct a new Built Environment Resource Center for Haiti. The center will provide educational courses related to constructing safer buildings (particularly schools), and disaster resilient communities for Haitian architects, engineers, contractors, building officials, city planners and local public officials.
Details on the environment resource center
Alumni News
Alumni Photo of the Year a Towering Shot
The votes are in, and this year's Alumni Photo of the Year is Arvin Daeizadeh (Construction Management '04) for this shot, taken New Year's Eve 2008 in Dubai. That's Daeizadeh at ground level of the Burj Dubai, which translates to Dubai Tower. Daeizadeh, who grew up in Los Angeles, worked on the tower from 2007-09, when he was with project manager Turner International. The Burj had its grand opening in January 2010. It's the tallest skyscraper in the world — "taller than two stacked Empire State buildings," he notes. Turner International is part of U.S.-based Turner Construction, a regular employer of Cal Poly grads. Daeizadeh is now managing projects in another corner of the world: Afghanistan. When he's not there, you'll find him at his home base: an apartment in Dubai, where he keeps his motorcycles. Daeizadeh's photo won the 2009-2010 Alumni Photo of the Year competition by just one vote. Second place went to Cal Poly Engineering Alum and Cal Poly Parent Charley Cross for his crisp photo of a Central Coast favorite: Morro Rock.
See all the 2009-2010 Alumni Photo of the Year shots | Read a Q & A with Daeizadeh about his job
Alumni Events: Wine & Dine in Modesto, Mustangs vs. Gauchos in Santa Barbara, European Travel
There are more than 140,000 living Cal Poly alumni, and all of them are welcome at Cal Poly Alumni Association Events, along with friends and parents. Gather with Modesto area alumni Feb. 24 for an evening of wine and dining at the Gallo Center. Tickets to the annual Fork n' Bottle event benefit scholarships for Cal Poly students from the area. On March 5, join alumni converging in UC Santa Barbara's Thunderdome to cheer the Mustang Men's Basketball team as they take on the rival Gauchos. If you're looking for a longer journey, CPAA is fielding two trips to Europe in 2011: see Andalucia, Spain in April or Chianti and the Italian Riviera in late September.
More details on CPAA 2011 events
February Alumni in the News: Nevada Agriculture, Humboldt Economics and More
Jim Barbee (M.S., Agriculture, 2000) was named acting director of the Nevada Department of Agriculture by Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval. Barbee currently serves as an agriculture consultant to the Nevada Department of Education. Other alumni in the news recently include Frost Pauli (Agribusiness, 2008), who now chairs the California Farm Bureau Federation's Young Farmers and Ranchers group, and Steve Karp (B.S., Economics, 1981), who was appointed interim director of the Sponsored Programs Foundation at Humboldt State University.
Read about more alumni in the news
Today's Students
Cal Poly to Provide Tax Preparation for Low-Income Families
Cal Poly’s Orfalea College of Business will again sponsor a program in San Luis Obispo providing tax return preparation assistance at no charge for individuals and families with incomes less than $49,000 year. This year’s program will begin Saturday, Jan. 29. The effort is part of the annual Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program sanctioned and coordinated by the IRS.
Details on VITA
Explore Ocean Life with Cal Poly Students in Avila Beach Feb. 12 & 26
Cal Poly students are hosting an “Explore the Oceans Day” Saturday, Feb. 12, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Avila Beach Sea Life Center. Students will be sharing hands-on ocean learning activities appropriate for children of all ages. Touchable exhibits include an exploration tank full of living local tide pool creatures; marine skulls and skeletons; beach buckets full of shore treasures; an exhibit on sands of the world, and more. Learn how sand is made, what shapes driftwood, hold a sea urchin, get a lesson in seaweed types and textures. The students will be back at the center with the same program and exhibits on Saturday, Feb. 26, from 1 to 3 p.m. For directions, visit the Avila Beach Sea Life Center web site at:
http://www.sealifecenter.org/web/
Cal Poly Students Place First in Green Energy Challenge Poster Competition
The Cal Poly student chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association placed first in the poster competition portion of the NECA Green Energy Challenge, which took place in October.
Read more about the poster competition award
Faculty & Staff
Professor Travels to Antarctica for Research on Global Warming and Penguins
Cal Poly's Marine Biology Professor Mark Moline and Senior Researcher Ian Robbins are returning to Cal Poly this week from Antarctica, where they've spent weeks aiding research into how ocean warming is impacting penguin feeding grounds. The project is part of a National Science Foundation grant awarded to Moline. Robbins has been blogging and posting photos from Palmer Station in Antarctica. They used Cal Poly's "remote autonomous vehicles"— drone submarines — to collect data, dodging icebergs, tracking diving penguins and rescuing remote sub-ocean "flyers" from other universities during their stay.
Read their 'Remote Adventures' Blog
Go to the Cal Poly Center for Coastal Marine Science web
Cal Poly Guatemala Technology Project Benefits from Bioneers Feb. 13
The Central Coast Bioneers nonprofit group is hosting a benefit dinner Feb. 13 to support Cal Poly’s Guateca Project, which aims to bring education and sustainable technology and development to the mountain village of San Pablo in Guatemala.The Guateca Project classes focus on developing simple, sustainable technology to improve standards of living and provide business and development opportunities for Guatemalan students in San Pablo. Physics Professor Pete Schwartz and 12 Cal Poly students from a variety of majors made the project’s first two-week trip to San Pablo during the university’s recent winter break.
Read more about the Guateca Project benefit dinner
Coming Up
Cal Poly Choir Teams with Arab Music Ensemble For Feb. 26 Concert
PolyPhonics, the University Singers and the Cal Poly Arab Music Ensemble are teaming up for a Feb. 26 concert in the Performing Arts Center. More than 150 musicians will present music from around our world with a special emphasis on the beauty and excitement of songs from the Middle East. The evening includes performances by Los Angeles area dance troupes Cal Poly music professors Thomas Davies and Kenneth Habib will be the conductors.
More on Choir's Winter Concert with the Arab Music Ensemble