Recent News
Cal Poly Study Finds Recording of Whitewater River Noise Drives Bats and Birds Away
May 24, 2021
SAN LUIS OBISPO — A new Cal Poly study finds that birds and bats often avoid habitat swamped with loud whitewater river noise.
“Naturally loud environments have been largely neglected in ecological research,” said Dylan Gomes, a Cuesta College alumnus who led the study as part of his doctoral research at Boise State University in Boise, Idaho. “We aimed to test the hypothesis that intense natural noise can shape animal distributions and behavior by experimentally broadcasting whitewater river noise at a massive scale.”
The study, published today in the journal Nature Communications, was a collaboration between Cal Poly and Boise State.
Cal Poly Study Finds Weight-Loss Maintainers Sit Less Than Weight-Stable People with Obesity
May 24, 2021
SAN LUIS OBISPO — A new Cal Poly study found that people who lost weight and kept it off spent less time sitting compared to people with obesity whose weight stayed the same. This is the first study to examine time spent in various sitting activities among weight-loss maintainers. The research was published today in the journal Obesity.
In 2006, the National Weight Control Registry showed that weight-loss maintainers watched significantly less television than controls, but other sitting activities weren’t included in the registry. The Rhode Island-based research study includes more than 10,000 who have lost at least 30 pounds of weight and kept it off for at least one year.
Seven Cal Poly Student Projects Recognized at CSU Student Research Competition
May 12, 2021
SAN LUIS OBISPO — Seven Cal Poly students and recent alumni were awarded first- or second-place prizes at the 2021 California State University (CSU) Student Research Competition. Cal Poly was the most recognized university in the competition, with its students taking home 15% of the total prizes awarded.
“All of our student and recent alumni delegates were phenomenal representatives of Cal Poly at the competition,” said Jane Lehr, director of the Office of Student Research at Cal Poly. “Each project represents what is best about the opportunity to Learn by Doing in research at Cal Poly: the opportunity to work closely with amazing faculty mentors to create new knowledge that makes a difference in the world. I am excited that so many of our students and recent graduates were recognized at the CSU level for the quality of their work.”
Cal Poly Engineering Dean Earns 2021 Woman of Distinction Honor from Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast
May 7, 2021
Amy Fleischer will be honored May 20 for her purpose-driven leadership
SAN LUIS OBISPO — Cal Poly Engineering Dean Amy Fleischer will be one of six women honored as a Woman of Distinction during the Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast annual celebration.
On May 20, the Breaking Barriers to Build Change virtual event will honor key individuals who drive lasting change in the Girl Scout organization and beyond, an honor fitting for Fleischer. The Central Coast scouting organization serves more than 8,800 girls across a region that includes San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura County, Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties.
Fleischer, a third-generation Girl Scout whose daughter was a scout, joined the local Girl Scouts council board in 2019. Her involvement at a board level came after the Girl Scouts of the USA announced an enhanced focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM.
Cal Poly Wind Bands to Present Virtual ‘Voices in the Wind’ Concert June 6
May 6, 2021
Oboist Heidi Butterfield to Perform with Wind Ensemble for West Coast Premiere
SAN LUIS OBISPO — Cal Poly’s Wind Ensemble and Wind Orchestra will present a virtual concert titled “Voices in the Wind” at 3 p.m. Sunday, June 6.
Most of the works on the program were composed within the last decade, including “A Mother of a Revolution!” by Omar Thomas, which was inspired by the Stonewall uprising of 1969 and brought to national attention the systemic oppression of the LGBTQ community in New York City.
Faculty oboist Heidi Butterfield will perform “Hidden Currents” for oboe and wind ensemble by Katherine Bergman. Cal Poly is among several universities involved in supporting this new work and is presenting the West Coast premiere.
Cal Poly to Present Virtual ‘RSVP XXVI: Electronic Music Showcase’ on May 29
May 3, 2021
SAN LUIS OBISPO — The Cal Poly Music Department’s student production ensemble RSVP will present “RSVP XXVI: Electronic Music Showcase” virtually at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 29.
The concert will feature premieres of original student-produced music that explores a variety of ways to create and transform electronic sounds.
Students from the Music Department’s Sound Design classes have collaborated with Composition Forum Club members to produce new works ranging from lo-fi grooves and video game music, to experimental soundscapes and pop.
Cal Poly’s National Society of Black Engineers Receives National Chapter of the Year Honor
Apr 29, 2021
SAN LUIS OBISPO — A live Q&A with astronaut Victor Glover in space was one of several highlights that helped Cal Poly’s National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) earn recognition as Small National Chapter of the Year.
The recognition was relayed by NSBE’s national executive board, which wrote, “This has not been an easy year, but the programming and events held by your chapter demonstrate true resilience in the face of adversity.”
The small chapter award goes to those with 25 or fewer members. Cal Poly’s chapter was also recently recognized as the regional chapter of the year for a third consecutive time.
Cal Poly Symphony to Present ‘Voices Past and Present’ Virtually on June 11
Apr 29, 2021
SAN LUIS OBISPO — The Cal Poly Symphony will present its season finale, “Voices Past and Present,” through a virtual presentation at 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 11.
The program will include music for winds and brass, music for string orchestra and music for everyone together. The winds and brass will conclude their yearlong exploration of Gordon Jacob’s “Old Wine in New Bottles,” a set of pieces based on old English folk songs.
Cal Poly Choirs to Present ‘Ubi Caritas’ Concert Virtually on Saturday June 5
Apr 29, 2021
SAN LUIS OBISPO — The Cal Poly Choirs will present a virtual concert titled “Ubi Caritas” which will feature a variety of selections on the themes of charity and love at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 5.
Cal Poly’s Chamber Choir will present three 20th century settings of the Latin text “Ubi Caritas,” all loosely based on the ancient chant melody. This portion will feature works by Maurice Duruflé, Ola Gjeilo and Luke Mayernik. The group will also perform several Italian and French secular works.
Cal Poly Sends Ten Student Projects to Annual CSU Research Competition
Apr 26, 2021
SAN LUIS OBISPO — Ten research projects from Cal Poly students were selected to represent the university at the annual California State University (CSU) systemwide competition April 30 to May 1.
The projects were chosen from a total of 46 — involving 84 undergraduate students, graduate students and recent alumni from Cal Poly’s six colleges — during the university’s internal competition. Cal Poly’s Academic Senate Grants Review Committee chose the 10 to move forward.
“I’m thrilled that these students will have the opportunity to represent Cal Poly at this CSU-wide event and share their important research with the competition jurors and their peers, as well as faculty and staff members from across the CSU,” said Jane Lehr, director of Cal Poly’s Office of Student Research. “We had such a successful internal competition this year, we could have easily sent twice as many projects forward if we had been allowed to do so.”