Cal Poly’s 12th CubeSat Mission Will Wing Its Way Into Space on Jan. 17 in a Novel Way
A Cal Poly CubeSat will ride Sunday, Jan. 17, aboard Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rocket on its second attempt to reach space. The rocket includes nine other NASA-sponsored small satellites on the space agency’s next Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) mission. This is the first payload carried by Virgin Orbit’s rocket that will be carried aloft under the wing of a modified Boeing 747 to an altitude of 35,000 feet, released and fired into orbit. The mothership jet, named Cosmic Girl, will take off from Mojave Air and Space Port, which will release the two-stage LauncherOne off the coast of Southern California. The launch window is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pacific Time, “with additional windows throughout January if needed,” the company announced. The mission includes ExoCube 2, a satellite about the size of a loaf of bread that was built over several years by a group of about 50 multidisciplinary Cal Poly students, said advisor Pauline Faure, an aerospace engineering assistant professor in the College of Engineering. Read the full article on the Cal Poly News website.
Cal Poly Eggs, Milk and Cheese to Feed Local School Children and Families
A partnership between the Cal Poly Creamery and the San Luis Coastal Unified School District will soon provide farm-to-table staples such as cheese, eggs and milk to families that might be struggling in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The school district had been providing a weekly meal kit to 1,800 families; now the district is shifting to prepare a pantry box with Cal Poly student-produced foods front and center. The partnership is a win for both Cal Poly and the school district — allowing more students to gain real-world experience through campus jobs for students interested in dairy production, food science and nutrition. Craig Russell, who oversees Cal Poly’s dairy operations, said the partnership is also rewarding in unconventional ways, as it allows college students to contribute to the greater good of society while demonstrating their commitment to furthering their education. Read the full article on the Cal Poly News website.
Students Pilot Program to Help Engineers Talk About Racial and Social Injustice
During fall quarter, biomedical engineering Professor Trevor Cardinal and his class were a test group for a new program that works with faculty to open up discussions on racial inequities and injustice within their class topics. The program is the brainchild of Alexander Silva, a master’s degree student in biomedical engineering. Silva got the idea during his final undergraduate quarter, after he took a biomedical engineering class that focused on maternal health issues and looked at engineering through the lens of gender and sex. “It was the first engineering class I had where we intentionally had a conversation about race and racism and how it relates to engineering,” Silva said. “As a student of color, that was one of the most meaningful conversations I’ve had.” The proposal got a boost from an Engineering IDEAS (Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Action Seed) Grant in the College of Engineering, and the pilot program is hoping to expand to other courses. Read the full article on the Cal Poly News website.
COVID-19 Testing Available to Employees
Cal Poly employees are again invited to participate in the university’s ongoing testing program. The university is continuing to work with a third-party vendor to offer this convenient nasal-swab testing through mid-January, at which time the university plans to transition to a saliva based-testing program. As faculty and staff, you are eligible to participate in both programs. Testing will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily in the Performing Arts Center Lobby through Sunday, Jan. 24 (note: no testing will take place Jan. 18). Testing is also available to faculty and staff in the Aliso Conference Room in Poly Canyon Village (171A). Continue to check https://coronavirus.calpoly.edu/employee-testing for more information on testing and to make an appointment. As the university transitions to saliva-based testing, we will have the capacity to test up to 4,000 individuals a day, including students and employees.
Safer Hosts Virtual Campaign for Stalking Awareness and Prevention Month
Join Safer in navigating our space together for Stalking Awareness and Prevention Month through Safer’s digital campaign: “Know the Case, Reclaim the Space.” Since stalking is an often misunderstood and delegitimized form of violence, Safer is aiming to define stalking clearly, analyze its romanticization in media, encourage confidence in intervening toward stalking behaviors and more. Join Safer in bringing education to the campus community and engaging in conversations with peers and colleagues around this topic. Follow Safer on Instagram @calpolysafer to find live Q&As and media analyses. Safer will also give away prizes throughout the month. Learn more about Stalking Awareness and Prevention Month, download a Zoom background, and learn the basics about stalking at safer.calpoly.edu/jansam.
Mechanical Engineering Students Advance to Semifinals in NASA Moon to Mars Ice and Prospecting Challenge
For the second straight year, a team of mechanical engineering seniors has advanced to the semifinals of a NASA challenge to develop a device to harvest water from ice on the moon and Mars that could pave the way for extended manned space missions. NASA and the National Institute of Aerospace announced that Cal Poly was among a dozen teams from universities across the nation named to the next round of the 2021 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts — Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) Special Edition: Moon to Mars Ice and Prospecting Challenge. The finalists will design, build and test prototype systems capable of extracting water from ice deposits buried beneath simulated lunar or Martian soil. The Cal Poly entry is named Sub-lunar Tap Yielding eXplorer and Surface Telemetry Operations and Next-generation Excavation System, or STYX & STONES in the 2020-21 challenge. It is just the second time the university has entered the competition. The team formed Sept. 14 and had just two months to develop its proposal. Members include student project leader Michelle Leclere from Roseville, California, Bradley Behrens of Nipomo, Dominic Duran of Woodbridge, Jacob Everest-Winkler of Santa Rosa, Tyler Guffey of San Bernardino, Alex Martinez of Rocklin, Rebecca Rodriguez of Buellton and Schuyler Ryan of Redding.
Cal Poly Teams Victorious at 2020 AmeriStar Package Award Competition
Two Cal Poly teams finished first and third at the 2020 AmeriStar Package Award Competition, an annual event hosted by the Institute of Packaging Professionals and one of the industry’s oldest and most prestigious design competitions. Cal Poly has placed in the top three of the AmeriStar competition since 2016 and has placed first in four of the five last years. The projects were a multidisciplinary effort between packaging and graphic design students, featuring a focus on finding solutions to challenges posed by COVID-19, with an eye toward sustainability. The first-place team, “Centauri,” included Amber Chiang, Caleb Dea, John Dizon, and Dane Holst. The third-place team, “Beakies,” consisted of Nirav Chhajed, Grace Leonard, Alyssa O’Halloran, and Sophia Tamrazian. These projects will go on to represent the United States in the World Packaging Organization WorldStar Student Awards competition, competing against students from around the globe. Learn more about these students and their projects.
Transfer Academic Coaches
The Transfer Center in partnership with the Office of Writing and Learning Initiatives has created a transfer academic coaching role. Two transfer academic coaches are available to meet with current transfer students to support their academic and personal success. Meetings are free. Transfer academic coaches, who are current transfer students, offer one-on-one support on topics including but not limited to: study tips, time management, mapping out course assignments for the quarter, connecting with faculty, navigating group projects and more. Student coaches can also refer students to other campus resources to support their success while they are at Cal Poly. Share this resource with any transfers you work with and encourage them to sign up for an appointment. Questions? Reach out to Heather Domonoske at hdomonos@calpoly.edu.
Margie Valine, faculty contracts analyst in the College of Liberal Arts Dean’s Office, has retired after 18 years of service. Valine spent her entire Cal Poly career in the CLA Dean’s Office, starting out as a receptionist (ASA II) in September 2002. As she took on more responsibilities in the office, she worked her way up to an ASC I and then an ASC II, eventually moving into the analyst position in 2012. She was awarded the CLA’s Staff Award for Outstanding Achievement in 2008 and was twice nominated for the university’s Outstanding Staff Award. Her expertise and grace will be sorely missed. Prior to coming to Cal Poly, Valine was co-owner, along with her husband, Rod, of Spyglass Village Pharmacy, later known as Spyglass Trading Co., which they closed in 2001. Valine is a Cal Poly alumna in speech communication and was president of FANS (Friends and Alumni Network of Supporters) and the Cal Poly Theatre Program Alumni Group for six years. In retirement, Valine plans to pursue her voice-over acting career, traveling with her husband of 39 years, and enjoying her grandchildren and family, along with her Portuguese Water Dog, Stanley. You can still add messages to her kudoboard at https://www.kudoboard.com/boards/eURS86Xg.
Statistical Consulting Service Available During Winter Quarter
The Statistics Department provides a statistical consulting service to the university community to facilitate research design and data analysis in a wide variety of disciplines. Consulting will be available through Friday, March 19, by appointment only. John Walker and Soma Roy will serve as the consultants. They are available to advise on data collection, experimental design and analysis of research projects. In addition, they will be available to lead seminars or tutorials on requested topics and offer advice on various computer packages available at Cal Poly. Faculty, staff and students interested in utilizing the consulting service are encouraged to access the Statistics Department website for additional information, including what to bring to a consulting session. To schedule a consultation, email statconsulting@calpoly.edu.
Increased Library Services for Winter Quarter
The Kennedy Library is offering two options for obtaining library materials: in-person contactless pickup with increased hours and off-campus delivery. In-person contactless pickup is available from 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays and from 3-6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Allow one to three weeks for requests to be processed. For off-campus delivery, library materials are shipped via UPS to continental U.S. and Alaska street addresses. The library cannot deliver to Hawaii or international locations. Items can be returned to any CSU campus bookdrop or shipped using the prepaid UPS return label. Allow four to six weeks for requests to be processed and delivered. Find more information at http://lib.calpoly.edu.
Center for Service in Action Seeks Proposals for Change the Status Quo Conference
The Center for Service in Action is seeking session proposals for the 19th annual Change the Status Quo (CSQ) Social Justice Leadership Conference, slated for Saturday, Feb. 27. This year’s conference will be entirely virtual and aims to empower students to use the Learn by Doing spirit to challenge social norms, ask critical questions, demand solutions and make lasting social change. Through inspiring workshops, guest speakers and engaging Zoom sessions, students will gain a newfound sense and understanding of social justice and how they can take ownership of their role to advance social change. Proposals are due before midnight Monday, Jan. 18, and should be submitted via email to serviceinaction@calpoly.edu. Interested presenters can learn more and download a proposal form at the CSQ website.
SensusAccess Document Conversion Available to Campus Members
SensusAccess is an automated document conversion service that converts readings into alternate formats, such as searchable PDFs and mp3 audio. This service is provided to the campus by the Kennedy Library at no cost to all faculty, staff and students and can be accessed via the link above or the Help menu in Canvas. SensusAccess can quickly convert scanned PDFs or images of text into searchable documents that can be read out loud by assistive technology (e.g., text-to-speech software) when you follow these four easy steps:
- Upload the scanned PDF(s) or image(s) of text.
- Choose Accessibility conversion.
- Choose either of the Tagged PDF options.
- Enter your Cal Poly email address.
SensusAccess is fairly simple and intuitive to use. An e-learning course is also available, with modules on using various conversion options and making documents more accessible.
Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration to be Held Jan. 20
The campus community is invited to honor Martin Luther King Jr. at the fifth annual celebration from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 20, via Zoom. The Black Academic Excellence Center in partnership with ASI Events hosts this event to honor King’s legacy, to raise awareness of the experiences of people of color at Cal Poly, and to celebrate a campus community member who leads with love and hope to create a better campus for all with the MLK Legacy Award. This event will feature special guest speaker Yusef Salaam, one of the falsely convicted/exonerated “Central Park Five.” Salaam has committed himself to advocating and educating people on the issues of false confessions, police brutality, race and law, and the disparities in America’s criminal justice system. His story is an example of how the fight for racial justice must remain relevant and persistent. Learn how King’s legacy lives on in the experiences of the Cal Poly community and nationally. Join on Zoom at https://calpoly.zoom.us/j/85781582516 (webinar ID: 857 8158 2516).
Compete in Mustang Open Virtual Golf Tournament to Benefit Student-Athletes
Cal Poly Athletics invites the campus community to compete for the chance to win big in the Mustang Open Virtual Golf Tournament, presented by SLO Brew. Play in teams of up to four players on your preferred 18-hole golf course between Jan. 22 and Feb. 14. Determine your team’s score using a scramble format, and get the chance to win prizes valued at up to $500, including exclusive Cal Poly Adidas gear, customized golf ball packages and prizes from our sponsor, SLO Brew. Kids 12 and under are invited to compete in the nine-hole Mustang Open Juniors round. Every participant will receive a Mustang Open prize pack of Cal Poly golf swag. All proceeds from this event benefit the Mustang Athletic Fund, which provides student-athlete scholarships. Contact Special Events Coordinator Lacey Buck at lbuck@calpoly.edu with any questions. View the official tournament rules and register.
Annual Bach Week to be Presented Free and Virtually Jan. 19-23
The Music Department will present Bach Week from Tuesday through Saturday, Jan. 19-23. At 7 p.m. Jan. 19, Bach Week Co-Director David Arrivée will give an Akademie lecture titled “Bach’s ‘Musical Offering.’” Arrivée will discuss the collection of works that J.S. Bach dedicated to Frederick the Great and the opposite world views of the two great men. At 7:45 p.m. Jan. 19, Cal Poly’s Suzanne Duffy on flute; Emily Lanzone, violin; Laura Gaynon, cello; and Paul Woodring, harpsichord; will perform the sonata from Bach’s “Musical Offering.” At 11:10 a.m. Jan. 21, guest artists Andrew McIntosh, violin, and Paul Sherman, oboe, will coach students in instrumental repertoire from the Baroque era and provide insight into the style and nuance of giving a historically informed performance. At 3:10 p.m. Jan. 21, guest artist and soprano Rebecca Myers will coach several voice students in varied repertoire. At 7 p.m. Jan. 23, Bach Week Co-Director Scott Glysson will give a preconcert lecture titled “The Motets of J.S. Bach.” Bach’s six motets (BWV 225-230) are some of the most iconic works of the traditional choral/vocal repertoire. At 7:30 p.m. Jan. 23, the Cal Poly Chamber Choir will conclude Bach Week with a performance of “Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden,” BWV 230. Attendees will also be treated to a bonus performance of two movements of “Missa O magnum mysterium” by Giovanni Palestrina. Admission is free to all of the events this year. Donations can be made during any of the presentations. For more information, visit the Bach Week website.
Analytics Industry Expert Guest Speaker to Present Jan. 22
Rich Clayton, vice president of business analytics at Oracle, will discuss the ways COVID-19 has impacted progress in the analytics field, present key industry trends for 2021, illustrate ways to invest in data for a good program, and explain what is happening in the analytics job market. Clayton chairs Cal Poly’s Business Analytics Advisory Board and is responsible for global market development and product marketing for the business analytics and big data product areas at Oracle. He is passionate about how analytics can improve business and social outcomes. The event will be held from 11 a.m. to noon Friday, Jan. 22. Visit https://calpolyocob.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2sBwVmSYeLLPaQZ to register and receive the Zoom link.
W. Terrence Spiller to Present Virtual Piano Recital on Jan. 29
Pianist and Music Professor W. Terrence Spiller will give a virtual recital that will livestream at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29, and be available through Feb. 7. The first half will feature Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s technically demanding and humorous Sonata in F Major, K. 332; Maria Agata Szymanowska’s Nocturne in B-flat Major; and Maurice Ravel’s “Sonatine.” “Szymanowska was a significant influence on Frédéric Chopin and other Romantic-era composers,” Spiller said. “The inspiration for Ravel’s ‘Sonatine’ was a magazine’s composition competition. He would have won — as he was the only entrant — but his first movement was a few measures too long. It is a tribute to 18th-century elegance, style and structure.” The second half will be Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “Moments musicaux,” Op. 16. Spiller said the then-23-year-old Rachmaninoff wrote the piece rather quickly because he needed money. “The six movements represent a range of Romantic moods and styles and forms that feature special emphasis upon Rachmaninoff’s coloristic writing, his lyricism and his virtuosity,” Spiller said. Tickets to the virtual event are $5 and can be purchased online from the Performing Arts Center, ext. 6-4849. For more information, visit the Music Department calendar website.
Event Calendar
Events.calpoly.edu is a new platform that shines a spotlight on high-profile special events at Cal Poly and throughout our community, focusing on the wide and diverse range of activities on and around our campus. This site is designed to help our colleges, programs, departments and facilities promote exciting events that can be seen by a selected audience. It will update regularly and include events happening in the next 30-45 days. It is not a calendar of all events, and it does not include student club events. Here are some links to help you navigate:
Submitting an Event to Events.calpoly.edu
To submit your event for consideration, please send the event title, date, time, duration, ticket information, intended audience(s) and image (1600 bpi wide) to event-submission@calpoly.edu.
University Events Calendar
To find a listing of all events — such as performances, lectures, workshops, sales and more — visit our Master Calendar.
Scheduling/Booking Venues
25Live: Space and Event Scheduling can help you schedule or book a venue for an upcoming on-campus event.