Recent News

SAN LUIS OBISPO — Mothers are distracted nearly half the time they’re breast or bottle feeding their infants, according to a study by Cal Poly kinesiology Professor Alison Ventura published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.

More than one in four mothers reported distractions from electronic devices such as mobile phones, tablets and televisions.

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — A new autonomous underwater vehicle and mapping technology developed by engineering students from Cal Poly and Harvey Mudd College helped lead to the discovery of “historically significant” remains of a missing World War II plane found off the coast of Malta.

The wreckage was of the Fairey Swordfish, a biplane torpedo bomber used by the Royal Navy in the 1930s and during World War II. A small group of Swordfish bombers played a role in the sinking of the German battleship Bismarck in 1941. These rare planes were an important part of the war efforts in the Mediterranean waters around Malta.

SAN LUIS OBISPO — Cal Poly’s concrete canoe team — and its canoe named Meraki — was named the national champion at the American Society of Civil Engineers Concrete Canoe Competition, held June 17-19 at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colo.

The national title included a $5,000 award.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — After two days of intense competition among 16 high school cybersecurity competition teams, North Hollywood High Team Togo won the second annual California Cyber Innovation Challenge, held at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. More than 100 student competitors completed timed cybersecurity challenges designed to replicate the many different threats that cybersecurity professionals face, from attacks on critical infrastructure to attempted breaches of consumer data on connected devices.

Student competitors expressed interest in a wide variety of careers, from medicine to aerospace engineering to public service, while acknowledging that cybersecurity will play a key role in all of these fields. Informed by this new understanding of the wide variety of careers that require cybersecurity knowledge, student competitors are already looking ahead to the 2018 innovation challenge. Kai Schelly, a competitor on the North Hollywood Togo Team, said, “We have a responsibility as reigning champs to keep this going, because all these other schools are stepping up their game.”

SAN LUIS OBISPO — An online weight loss program led to significant weight loss in low-income, at-risk mothers during the year following pregnancy, according to a study by Cal Poly kinesiology Professor Suzanne Phelan and Deborah Tate of the University of North Carolina.

“If we can curb weight gain during this time, we might help prevent complications during a next pregnancy and reduce obesity and related risk factors throughout women’s lives,” Phelan said.

Nearly one in four women in the U.S. retain more than 10 pounds of their pregnancy weight and gain additional weight the year after they give birth. Postpartum weight retention is more common among low-income, Hispanic women, and few programs have effectively addressed this challenge for multicultural, low-income women.