Recent News
Cal Poly Orchesis Dance Company to Present ‘Falling Forward’ Jan. 20-21 and 26-28
Jan 4, 2023
SAN LUIS OBISPO — The Cal Poly Theatre and Dance Department will present the Orchesis Dance Company’s 53rd annual concert, “Falling Forward,” on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 20 and 21, and Thursday through Saturday, Jan. 26-28, in the Spanos Theatre. Performances will begin at 8 p.m. on all days, with a matinee scheduled at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21.
The Orchesis Dance Company dancers chose the title “Falling Forward” to celebrate a strong commitment to creativity and unbridled expression. Performances will include choreography by faculty, guest and student choreographers in multiple genres.
The concert features original and reworked dances created during fall quarter and is directed by Professor Diana Stanton and assisted by faculty member Michelle Walter. Cal Poly staff member Clint Bryson serves as both lighting designer and technical director.
Cal Poly Float Wins Extraordinaire Award at 2023 Rose Parade®
Jan 2, 2023
Universities’ ‘Road to Reclamation’ Recognized as the most extraordinary entry among floats including units 55 feet in length and greater
Cal Poly universities’ ‘Road to Reclamation’ received the Extraordinaire Award for the most extraordinary entry among the parade's 39 floats. It was the schools 62nd award in 74 parade appearances since 1949.
PASADENA, Calif. — Cal Poly universities’ “Road to Reclamation” float that takes a small scene on a forest floor, featuring animated snails and colorful mushrooms, and blows it up to gigantic proportions received the Extraordinaire Award at the 134th Rose Parade® held Monday, Jan. 2.
The honor, announced two hours before the start of the parade, recognizes the parade’s most extraordinary float, including those 55 feet in length and greater, said Annie Doody, the Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo team president. It’s the second time the schools have been lauded for creating the parade’s most extraordinary float; the first was 2019’s outer-space entry, “Far Out Frequencies.”
“I am so proud of everyone on this team and all the hard work they put into making this happen,” said Doody about 6:15 a.m.
The entry exemplifies the parade’s 2023 theme of “Turning the Corner” — celebrating the unlimited potential that each new year brings. “Road to Reclamation” transforms a small scene in nature and magnifies it to bigger-than-life proportions showcasing nature’s regenerative power.
Cal Poly Float Entry Gets an Early Slot in the 2023 Rose Parade®
Dec 22, 2022
‘Road to Reclamation’ will be the first of the judged floats in the parade, which begins at 8 a.m. on Jan. 2, and fourth overall at the 134th annual Pasadena classic
SAN LUIS OBISPO — Cal Poly universities’ “Road to Reclamation” will be the first of the judged floats to roll down Colorado Boulevard on Jan. 2 at the 2023 Rose Parade® presented by Honda.
The parade has a “Never-on-Sunday” tradition when New Year’s Day falls on a Sunday. The entry, which follows the Rose Parade Opening Spectacular, parade sponsor Honda’s “Forever Determined” and the Marine Corps color guard and marching band, will be fourth overall in the lineup that includes 39 floats, 21 marching bands and 16 equestrian units.
“It is really, really exciting,” said team president Annie Doody, a marine sciences major from Glendale, of the parade slot. “It’s really cool to know that we’ll be one of the first things that people see during the parade. It’s going to help, pardon the pun, set the theme for the parade.”
Cal Poly Professor Receives Grant to Improve Healthcare Access for Hispanic and Indigenous Women in Santa Maria and Guadalupe
Dec 19, 2022
SANTA MARIA — Cal Poly Kinesiology and Public Health Department Professor Suzanne Phelan recently received $30,000 in grant funding from the Santa Barbara Foundation to improve the Cal Poly Mobile Health Clinic’s services for women in northern Santa Barbara County.
The Mobile Health Clinic, launched in 2018, offers free medical and preventive healthcare services for uninsured women and serves about 250 patients per year, including ongoing care and follow-up visits. Spanish is the most prevalent language among the clinic’s patients, but around 20% speak the Mixtec or Zapotec Indigenous languages, which are not often translated in medical forms and literature.
Phelan and Mobile Health Clinic staff aim to change that. Clinic staff includes SLO NOOR Foundation clinicians and Cal Poly students, who serve as phlebotomists, health advocates, interpreters and medical assistants, and perform other support duties.
The grant funding is specifically targeted toward making healthcare literature — such as intake forms, health history surveys and other materials — accessible to uninsured Hispanic and Indigenous women who were never taught to read or write effectively.
Cal Poly Philosopher Patrick Lin Appointed to U.S. National Space Council’s Users Advisory Group
Dec 19, 2022
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA — In a White House announcement Dec. 16, Vice President Kamala Harris, chair of the National Space Council (NSpC), appointed Cal Poly Professor Patrick Lin, Ph.D., to the council’s Users Advisory Group (UAG).
Lin, a full professor in the Philosophy Department and director of the Ethics + Emerging Sciences Group, made the following statement about the news:
“I’m honored to be the first ethicist on the U.S. National Space Council’s Users Advisory Group. This appointment is true to Vice President Kamala Harris’ commitment to bring in diverse perspectives to the UAG and to the wider space community and workforce.
“What I hope to bring to this important group is a new perspective, guided by my ethics experience in outer space affairs, artificial intelligence, robotics, cybersecurity, bioengineering, security and defense systems, and other relevant technology domains.
“It’s very encouraging to see this administration seek out practical expertise in ethics in this crucial work. I’m excited to serve on the NSpC UAG to help guide the responsible and sustainable development of outer space.”
Cal Poly Finance Professor Explains What You Can Learn from Holiday Classic ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ After Cryptocurrency Implosion
Dec 13, 2022
SAN LUIS OBISPO — As Americans commence with their annual viewing of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” the 1946 Frank Capra Christmas classic, starring Jimmy Stewart, provides a valuable lesson about banking and the cryptocurrency implosion, according to a Cal Poly finance professor.
“In addition to being a holiday favorite, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ reminds us why trust in financial institutions is vital for the functioning of the markets and what may happen when that trust is eroded,” said Ziemowit Bednarek, whose research interests include asset pricing and macroeconomics.
While nothing fundamentally changed in the burgeoning cryptocurrency market last month, he added, an investor panic related to alleged mismanagement at cryptos giant FTX caused widespread uncertainty and huge losses that could not be recovered. When FTX did not receive any emergency cash infusions, FTX pursued bankruptcy — and a ripple effect that has been coined the Crypto Winter.
W. Terrence Spiller to Perform Piano Recital on Jan. 13 at Cal Poly
Dec 13, 2022
SAN LUIS OBISPO — Pianist and Cal Poly Music Professor Emeritus W. Terrence Spiller will give a recital at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 13, in the Spanos Theatre on campus.
Spiller will perform works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Sergei Prokofiev and Maurice Ravel for the first half of the program, and various works by Frédéric Chopin for the second half.
Cal Poly to Present Annual Bach Week Jan. 17-21
Dec 13, 2022
SAN LUIS OBISPO — The Cal Poly Music Department will present its annual Bach Week from Tuesday through Saturday, Jan. 17-21, with presentations and performances on campus and at the First Presbyterian Church in San Luis Obispo.
The week, which focuses on Johann Sebastian Bach, will include a lecture-recital, a chamber concert featuring vocalists and instrumentalists on period instruments, two master classes and two finale concert performances of vocal and instrumental works.
Cal Poly Community Supports Students, Local Residents in Need this Holiday Season
Dec 6, 2022
SAN LUIS OBISPO — Recent gift drives and donation efforts on Cal Poly’s campus have raised thousands of dollars, more than 150 pounds of food and personal items, and more than 180 gifts to support Cal Poly students and community members.
At a holiday reception on Dec. 1 in the Rossi Grand Lobby of the Performing Arts Center, campus employees supported Cal Poly’s Basic Needs programs, which seek to ensure that all students have access to the resources needed to focus on their education and success. Employees donated 154 pounds of nonperishable food and personal hygiene items, as well as $70 worth of grocery gift cards, said Kari Howell, Basic Needs coordinator in Campus Health and Wellbeing.
Cal Poly Fall 2022 Commencement Set for Dec. 10
Dec 5, 2022
Ceremony will honor 915 eligible graduate candidates from the university’s six colleges; 9,000 guests also expected to attend
SAN LUIS OBISPO — Cal Poly will honor more than 900 eligible graduates in the 39th annual fall commencement on Saturday, Dec. 10.
The celebration will commemorate graduates from each college in one ceremony. Festivities will start at 10 a.m. at the Alex G. Spanos Stadium on campus. The university expects around 9,000 guests.
“Commencement, spring or fall remains one of the best days of the school year for the campus community and the entire Mustang family," said Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong. “These members of the Class of 2022 are ready to take on new challenges as they begin careers or continue their educational journeys. This is the walk they’ve prepared their entire lives to make.
“While it’s a time to celebrate the major accomplishments of these future world changers, we also welcome the opportunity to thank and congratulate the team that helped get them to this wonderful day. Mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and fans and friends as well as faculty and mentors of the graduates all can share in the joy of this day.”