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Fall Conference

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Fall Conference 2020

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August 21, 2020

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Fall Conference week

Cal Poly's week-long kick-off for the academic year includes sessions for faculty and staff, President Armstrong's keynote Convocation message as well as awards honoring excellence on campus.

See the full schedule

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Livestream the event here or view it on YouTube

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Convocation

Join us September 10 for the first-ever virtual Convocation. Virtual doors open at 2:15 p.m.

Emcee Denise Isom will begin the program at 2:30 p.m., which includes a keynote from President Armstrong as well as remarks from the ASI President, California Faculty Association (CFA) President, and Academic Senate Chair.

Provost Jackson-Elmoore will wrap up the afternoon by honoring distinguished Cal Poly faculty and staff.

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Awards and Recipients

We are pleased to honor these exceptional members of our campus community.

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Distinguished Scholarship

Distinguished Scholars exemplify the teacher-scholar model by involving students in their research and applying Cal Poly expertise in direct contributions to our region, state and nation.

Foaad Khosmood

Foaad Khosmood is Forbes Endowed Professor of Computer Engineering and an associate professor in the Computer Science and Software Engineering Department where he teaches in the areas of interactive entertainment, natural language processing, data science and systems.

As a Cal Poly graduate (CPE, ’99), he embraces Learn by Doing in all aspects of his professional life. He co-founded the Global Game Jam while a UC Santa Cruz doctoral student. The annual 48-hour jam, now in its 13th year, has grown into the world’s largest game creation activity involving some 50,000 people in 130 countries. Cal Poly students have participated since 2010.

Khosmood highly values student engagement in research and engineering projects. He has advised numerous senior projects and graduate theses, as well as published more than 50 peer-reviewed articles, 38 of them with Cal Poly students. He’s also the advisor for Cal Poly Game Development club, SLO Hacks and Color Coded clubs. Khosmood is the research director for Cal Poly’s Institute for Advanced Technology and Public Policy using AI to tackle large projects with wide social impact. The institute’s Digital Democracy project was the nation’s first to make state-level legislative proceedings publicly available to the public and searchable. The project was later extended to cover New York, Florida and Texas, covering one-in-three Americans.

A more recent project sponsored by the Knight Foundation involves algorithmic journalism to strengthen state and local news coverage. Overall Khosmood has secured $5.7 million in grants at Cal Poly through scholarship that is interdisciplinary, matching technical expertise with a vision for people and democracy.

Associate Professor (B.S., Computer Engineering; M.S., Computer Science, both Cal Poly; and doctorate, Computer Science, UC Santa Cruz)

Diana Stanton

Diana Stanton has been a creative force in helping students research kinesthetic intelligence, embodied approaches in collaboration and aesthetic expression.

Her areas of expertise include: dance; modern dance; choreography; composition; dance film; dance in education; body awareness; and collaboration. Her scholarship helps students learn the importance of intuitive and empathetic thinking in creative teamwork.

Stanton’s interest in bridging the gap between making art and other disciplines exemplifies how Cal Poly offers a spectrum of learning methods and approaches, helping students develop holistic thinking to solve problems. Since her arrival at the university in 2000 she has created more than 50 choregraphed works — essentially all involving Cal Poly students. Many of these works are collaborations between other artistic departments at Cal Poly — the Music Department’s choir, symphony and RSVP, as well as the Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies program and the Orchesis Dance Company, which she directed for six years. Her Dances for the Camera, “Breaking Bread” and “State of Grace,” were selected for screening at several film festivals in the nation including the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival.

Stanton also co-founded and directed Variable Velocity Performance Group, where she created original choreography and multimedia performance for more than 12 years. Her choreography has been presented professionally in several national venues and at American College Dance Association conferences throughout the U.S.

Professor (bachelor’s in dance, UC Irvine; masters in fine arts and dance, University of Colorado at Boulder)

Scott Hazelwood

Scott Hazelwood’s focus on research on orthopedic biomechanics — specifically bone and cartilage as it relates to osteoporosis and arthritis — has proved to be a boon to his scholarship and his students’ studies and career trajectories.

The research combines experimental investigations and computational modeling, and he and his student researchers have fostered collaborations with colleagues from Stryker Corporation, the Fortune 500 medical technologies firm; researchers from UC campuses in Davis and San Diego, Detroit’s Henry Ford Health System and the Indiana University School of Medicine; and UC Davis Medical Center and University of Colorado School of Medicine orthopedic surgeons. This work in turn led to countless graduate and undergraduate biomedical engineering and mechanical engineering student research projects that he has served as research advisor or co-advisor to.

Since joining Cal Poly in 2007, he has been an investigator on grants valued at more than $1.5 million from National Institutes of Health and the W.M. Keck Foundation, to the U.S. Army and the California State University Program for Education and Research in Biotechnology or CSUBERB. He has also been an author on nearly 50 journal articles and more than 100 conference publications, many involving student co-authors.

In 2014, he partnered with Professor Steve Klisch in mechanical engineering and other Cal Poly research colleagues to develop the multidiscipline Human Motion Biomechanics Lab for graduate and undergraduate research in motion analysis aimed at improving clinical approaches to prevent and rehabilitate osteoarthritis.

Professor (bachelor’s mechanical engineering, Harvey Mudd College; master’s and doctorate in biomedical engineering, U.C. Davis)

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Outstanding Staff

Outstanding Staff Award winners are selected based on their dedication, loyalty, expertise and contributions to Cal Poly.

Christina Wolfe-Chandler

Christina Wolfe-Chandler is praised for her expert job performance and longtime commitment to serving students by removing barriers to student success.

She began working in the Evaluations office, earning a reputation as an exceptional evaluator. When the Mustang Success Center opened in 2013, she was hired and reclassified to lead the advisor training program now in place at Cal Poly and replicated at institutions across the country.

Wolfe-Chandler’s peers consider her an expert in advisor training. Several four-year universities have sought her expertise and advice in developing and expanding their advisor training programs. She has created training modules for new and continuing advisors and creates special interest trainings.

“I’m positive that if you ask anyone who has participated in her training sessions, they will tell you that she engages all participants and is enthusiastic because she enjoys helping others excel and develop,” said a nominator. “She is dedicated to supporting the advising community, because she knows that ultimately it helps Cal Poly students succeed.” She is credited with making the Mustang Success Center – and Cal Pol advising – more efficient and productive. Wolfe-Chandler created an advising Mentor Network that matches new advisors with experienced advisors across departments and colleges.

Academic Advisor/Student Services Professional III (B.S., Secondary Education, English, Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania)

Kari Roose

Kari Roose is recognized as the epitome of a dedicated, loyal colleague who believes in service to others while remaining dedicated to the program, the college and the university.

Her work in a service-oriented department often results in an inordinate number of assignments added to her workload, and Roose accepts them with a smile. She is known for her exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail; nothing is too small or insignificant. Roose is praised for going above and beyond just fulfilling her duties.

She willingly accepts new roles, including serving as department webmaster and learning how to schedule classes. Roose concerns herself with making the office welcoming, orderly and efficient. She has streamlined paperwork, made documents available and useable, and ensured the department stays within budget for projects. She treats everyone as a welcome guest.

The genuine care she extends to students is commendable as she seeks to find a resolution to their issues. “It would be difficult to find someone on this campus who does not get along with her,” said a nominator. “She enjoys working in the background; she has no interest in the limelight. Her interest is in serving others. It shows in everything she does.”

Academic Support Coordinator (B.S., Hospitality and Tourism Management, San Diego State University,, San Diego, California)

Jessica Hunter

Jessica Hunter is highly respected for her professionalism, her positivity and excellent communication skills.

During her 15 years on campus, she has developed a keen sense of understanding, giving her a superior ability to communicate with people on and off campus. “She dedicates countless hours to assist the department with a positive public facing appearance,” said a nominator. “When needed, Hunter works nights, weekends and holidays to assist with emergency communications or helping to provide staff information during an emergency.”

In her role with Facilities Management and Development, Hunter is the point person for campus Facilities concerns, Hunter handles these situations with competence, respect, and courtesy. She has provided valuable input to improve customer service and needs.

A highly skilled leader and a member of several process improvement initiatives, Hunter continually updates procedures, keeping her team members updated and well prepared. Her coworkers enjoy her sense of humor, contagious laugh, and easy-to-talk-to personality.

Hunter initiated a Facilities Fall Summit for the past three years to broaden the understanding of what Facilities does for staff, facility, students and community partners. This two-day event has garnered tremendous positive feedback and helped the campus better understand how the Facilities department operates.

Customer Service Manager, Supervisor (B.A., Art, California State University Bakersfield, Bakersfield, California)

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Outstanding Faculty Advisor of the Year

The Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award, established by the Academic Advising Council, recognizes one faculty member annually who has had a positive influence on students through academic advising.

Nishi Rajakaruna

Nishi Rajakaruna is often the first faculty member that first-year students and their families meet when they arrive on campus. As the faculty-in-residence in the yakʔitʸutʸu residential community since 2018, Rajakaruna takes great pleasure in getting to know the residents and their families, helping students find their way, and connecting students with other faculty and resources on and off campus. He is an active mentor: with his residents, Rajakaruna created the Plants, Peaks and Pals Club, for hiking, botany, and natural history enthusiasts; and Camellia Club, a community for tea enthusiasts. Both clubs have continued to provide settings for students, now scattered across the country, to interact with each other via regular virtual gatherings and stay connected to the Cal Poly community, even from afar. “Dr. Rajakaruna has provided advising and mentorship for countless students,” wrote one student nominator. “I have met with Nishi for coffee, tea nights and local hiking, each time discussing academics and career advice. I had never been so supported as an individual and had a faculty member express such interest in getting to know students beyond the course curriculum in order to be able to be the best mentor possible. Every student in Nishi’s courses will support this as well, as he demonstrates immense love for creating a community at Cal Poly and a deep passion for his work.” Rajakaruna joined Cal Poly in 2017 after teaching botany at College of the Atlantic, in Bar Harbor, Maine, and San José State University.

Associate Professor (B.A., Human Ecology, emphasis Botany, College of the Atlantic, Maine; M.S. and Ph.D., Botany, University of British Columbia, Canada)

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Learn by Doing Scholar Awards

Learn by Doing Scholar Early Career Award

Genetic Code in a Test Tube: Unlocking the Cell for Learn by Doing

Katherine Watts, one of Cal Poly's 2020 Learn by Doing Scholar award winners. — **Katherine Watts**
*Assistant Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry Department,* College of Science and Mathematics

Javin Oza, one of Cal Poly's 2020 Learn by Doing Scholar award winners. — **Javin Oza**
*Assistant Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry Department,* College of Science and Mathematics

Javin Oza and Katharine Watts have developed the Genetic Code Kit, a Learn by Doing approach to teaching the genetic code in high school and university classrooms.

Oza and Watts have advanced the Learn by Doing pedagogy in biochemistry and molecular biology classrooms in two ways: The Genetic Code Kit is developed by undergraduate student researchers who have learned about biochemistry and biotechnology research, by doing; developing the kit also provides one of the first inquiry-based Learn by Doing modules to teach the biochemical processes that are central to life.

Their work focuses on creating an active learning exercise on two fundamental reactions in the genetic code: transcription and translation. They have implemented the Genetic Code Kit in laboratory courses at Cal Poly and evaluated the learning gains associated with this advancement in pedagogy toward improving student learning of biochemical reactions underlying the genetic code.

The data demonstrate that their technical innovation significantly enhances student learning gains. Oza and Watts have disseminated their advances through numerous conferences and peer-reviewed publications. They are planning to make the Genetic Code Kit available to educators at other institutions. Their work has been funded through an NSF-RUI grant.

Javin Oza, Assistant Professor (B.S., Biochemistry, UC Santa Barbara; Ph.D., Biomolecular Science and Engineering, UC Santa Barbara; Ph.D.; Post-Doctoral Fellow, Northwestern University)

Katharine Watts, Associate Professor (B.S. Chemistry, University of Texas, El Paso; Ph.D., Chemistry and Biochemistry UC Santa Cruz; Post-Doctoral Fellow, Stanford University)

Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, College of Science and Mathematics

Learn by Doing Scholar Career Award

Teaching Architectural Technology: A Scholarly Approach

Robert Arens, one of Cal Poly's 2020 Learn by Doing Scholar award winners. — **Robert Arens**
*Associate Department Head and Professor,* Architecture Department, College of Architecture and Environmental Sciences

Carmen Trudell, one of Cal Poly's 2020 Learn by Doing Scholar award winners. — **Carmen Trudell**
*Associate Professor,* Architecture Department, College of Architecture and Environmental Sciences

Brian Osborn, one of Cal Poly's 2020 Learn by Doing Scholar award winners. — **Brian Osborn**
*Assistant Professor,* Landscape Architecture Department, College of Architecture and Environmental Sciences

Faculty members Arens, Trudell and Osborn are transforming the three-quarter Architectural Technology Fundamentals sequence of courses to integrate the topics of site systems, energy systems and construction systems into a fluid curriculum and to provide a consistent, reliable base of knowledge and skills, which that have been most improved in the activity, where Learn by Doing thrives.

In the activity exercises, students learn through a three-step design-thinking based process: sketch, refine, reflect. The aim is to provide a supportive and inclusive learning experience and assign work that is meaningful and useful.

Arens, Trudell and Osborn have co-authored three peer-reviewed papers, presented at three venues, and have been awarded one grant. Their goal, along with a team of activity instructors, is to drive refinement of their teaching methods, assignments, exams and course resources to improve alignment with learning outcomes. This has led to more effective, deeper and more meaningful learning.

An example is documented in the “Testing is Teaching Too” paper. Because this is a large class, they had previously relied on machine-gradable exams. They realized this was a missed opportunity; exams should also be a Learn by Doing experience. They have transitioned to learning-focused vignette-style exams based in architectural critical thinking as demonstrated through drawing and writing.

The impact of this, coupled with improved access to licensing exams earlier in a student’s studies, could prepare students extremely well for success toward licensure.

Robert Arens, Associate Department Head and Professor (B.S. in Architecture, University of Michigan; Master of Architecture, University of Michigan)

Carmen Trudell, Associate Professor (Bachelor of Architecture, Cal Poly; M.S. in Advanced Architectural Design, Columbia University; M.S. in Built Ecologies, Center for Architecture Science and Ecology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute)

Brian Osborn, Assistant Professor (Bachelor of Landscape Architecture, Cal Poly; Master of Architecture, Pratt Institute)

Architecture Department, College of Architecture and Environmental Design

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