Cal Poly Food Science and Nutrition Professor Earns Prestigious CSU Award
Aydin Nazmi, a professor in Cal Poly’s Food Science and Nutrition Department and a leader of the university’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, is one of four faculty members from across the CSU system to earn the Wang Family Excellence Award. Since early 2020, Nazmi has served as the Cal Poly Presidential Faculty Fellow for COVID-19 Response and Preparedness. In this role, Nazmi has been a leading voice on how to safely house students on campus, how to safely offer in-person courses, and how to expand both campus testing and surveillance capacity using faculty expertise and on-campus resources. As co-chair of the Cal Poly Basic Needs Task Force, he leads the Cal Poly CalFresh program, which has improved food access for thousands of college students by assisting them through the statewide program’s application process. Nazmi’s win marks the fourth year in a row that a Cal Poly faculty member has earned a Wang Family Excellence Award. The honor recognizes four outstanding faculty members and one outstanding staff member from throughout the system’s 23 campuses who, through extraordinary commitment and dedication, have distinguished themselves by exemplary contributions and achievements. Read more about this honor the Cal Poly News site https://calpolynews.calpoly.edu/news_releases/2021/january/nazmi
Blanca Martinez-Navarro Honored at Annual MLK Celebration
Associate Dean of Students Blanca Martinez-Navarro is the recipient of the 2021 MLK Legacy Award. Martinez-Navarro was honored Jan. 20 during the fifth annual event celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. The Black Academic Excellence Center in partnership with ASI Events hosted this year’s 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. Martinez-Navarro dedicates her time to advocating for issues that impact students’ success, said Jevon Edwards, admissions officer and chair of the award committee. This past year has been particularly difficult for students due to the various impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the continued challenges of navigating systemic inequities, racism and oppression. “Dr. Martinez-Navarro has been said to always lead with empathy and compassion, whether supporting an individual student or managing a crisis,” Edwards said. Martinez-Navarro is an active member of the Chicano/Latino Faculty and Staff Association and the Black Faculty and Staff Association. She has also served in Cal Poly’s Inclusive Excellence Council and contributed to the Bias Incident Response Team, which led to the revision of the Bias Incident Response Protocol for the Office of the Dean of Students. The annual event featured student speakers as well as 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.
COVID-19 Help Center Opens
The new COVID-19 Help Center is available to answer questions about the university’s ongoing testing program and help students access important campus and community-based testing services. The help center webpage includes resources for symptomatic testing, student medical and mental health support, isolation and quarantine support, testing compliance information, student financial and food assistance programs, COVID-19 prevention information, inclusion and community resources. The help center can be reached at ext. 6-7748 or covid-help@calpoly.edu. It is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. excluding academic holidays.
Cal Poly Corporation Board of Directors to Meet Feb. 5
The board of directors of the Cal Poly Corporation will hold a regular meeting virtually on Zoom at 8:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 5. This is a public meeting. A Zoom webinar link and call-in information to join the meeting will be available on the meeting agenda, which will be posted on the Cal Poly Corporation website on Jan. 29. Public comments for this meeting must be submitted no later than 5 p.m. on Feb. 4 via email to cpcadmin@calpoly.edu. You can obtain a copy of the agenda with all pertinent information for the Zoom meeting on Jan. 29 by emailing cpcadmin@calpoly.edu or on the Cal Poly Corporation website at: https://www.calpolycorporation.org/organization-profile/governance/meeting-agendas-minutes/.
Cal Poly Foundation Board Meeting to be Held Feb. 6
The Cal Poly Foundation board of directors meeting will be held virtually beginning at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 6. For more information, contact the Cal Poly Foundation office at ext. 6-7147 or calpolyfoundation@calpoly.edu.
Registration Open for Feb. 11 Social Justice Teach In
On Thursday, Feb. 11, the campus community is invited to join the College of Liberal Arts for its fifth annual Social Justice Teach In — a daylong series of virtual talks and workshops centered around equity and social justice, designed to inform and inspire. These virtual events are open to all members of the Cal Poly community and will feature numerous speakers and presentations from students, staff and faculty from across the university. With 46 sessions to choose from, the planning committee has identified the following tracks that may be useful as you select which sessions to attend: “Racism, Anti-Blackness and Movements for Racial Justice,” “Public Health Inequities and Movements,” “Art, Media, Storytelling and Social Justice,” and “Science, Technology and the Environment.” The day will culminate with acclaimed author and scholar Andrew Jolivette, Ph.D., joining the Cal Poly community to present his keynote address titled "Black Lives, Indigenous Lives: From Mattering to Thriving." View a full schedule of Teach In events and register for sessions at https://cla.calpoly.edu/teach-in.
Applications Open for New Mentorship Program
The Men and Masculinities Program’s Men of Color Success Initiative (MOCSI) is accepting mentor and mentee applications for the first cohort of its new MOCSI Mentorship Program. This 16-week program connects undergraduate men of color with a dynamic community of peer and faculty/staff mentors, creating ongoing mentorship relationships and access to high-impact educational workshops and developmental experiences. Check out the links for the mentor application and mentee application for mentor/mentee qualifications, dates/times, meeting topics, etc. The application deadline is Tuesday, Feb. 2. Space is limited. Questions? Contact Nick Bilich (nbilich@calpoly.edu).
Looking to Hire Local Talent? Check out the Local Career Fair on Feb. 4
Those in departments or programs looking to hire the best local talent can register to attend the Virtual Cal Poly Local Career Fair from 1-4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4. This event, which is free to attend for Cal Poly departments, offers you the chance to network with highly qualified students from all majors specifically seeking full-time, part-time, internship and summer opportunities in San Luis Obispo and northern Santa Barbara counties. Reserve a space now via MustangJOBS, powered by Handshake to join Career Services for this local recruiting event.
Virtual Faculty Exchange – Call For Proposals:
The Cal Poly International Center seeks proposals from full-time faculty members to integrate virtual exchange activities into their course curriculum for courses taught fall 2021-summer 2022. Faculty whose proposals are accepted for funding will receive one grant of up to $1,000 toward professional development funds that can be used for equipment, educational materials, student assistants, and/or other approved purchases. The deadline to apply is April 1. Click here for more information.
Apply by Feb. 8 for Community-Engaged Research Fellowship Program
Faculty members are invited to apply for the inaugural Community-engaged Research Fellowship program. The program is intended to create a faculty learning community that provides a modest stipend of $800 for faculty to develop and submit external research proposals with significant community engagement. Click here for more details about the program. The applications are due Monday, Feb. 8. Email Anurag Pande, faculty liaison for service learning, at apande@calpoly.edu with any questions.
'Disability Tapas' Presentations to be Held Thursdays Through Winter Quarter
Disabilities come in many different forms and can vary greatly. Join the Disability Resource Center (DRC) for some snack-size information and interactive discussions on a variety of disability-related topics. Presentations are geared toward faculty and staff (students are welcome), and offered every Thursday from 11:10 a.m. to noon via Zoom at https://calpoly.zoom.us/j/491400215. Past presentations are viewable at https://drc.calpoly.edu/disability-tapas. The presentations include:
- Jan. 28: Understanding Chronic Invisible Illness.
- Feb. 4: Supporting Students with ADHD (attention deficity hyperactivity disorder).
- Feb. 11: Introduction to Disability Allyship (part of CLA’s Social Justice Teach In).
- Feb. 18: Social Media: Guidance for Posting Accessible Content and Positive Disability Messages.
- Feb. 25: Supporting Veterans with Disabilities.
- March 4: Supporting Students with Learning Disabilities.
- March 11: Supporting Students with Autism.
The presentations are provided by the Disability Resource Center, which can be reached at drc@calpoly.edu or ext. 6-1395.
Do-It-Yourself Video Captioning Training for Campus Members
The Disability Resource Center (DRC) offers monthly DIY video captioning trainings via Zoom for faculty, staff and/or their student assistants. The next training will be held from 3-4:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 28. Attendees will learn how to use various automated transcription tools to create accurate closed captions for videos uploaded to YouTube. Email John Lee at jlee245@calpoly.edu to reserve a spot in one of these training sessions and to request accommodations as needed. Lee will email you the Zoom link for the training session you request. This training session will have live captions and transcripts available.
Retired Faculty and Staff Association Winter Program to Focus on COVID-19
The Cal Poly Retired Faculty and Staff Association’s (RFSA) winter quarter program will be conducted virtually from 2-3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18. The theme of the program will focus on the COVID-19 pandemic in San Luis Obispo County, including Cal Poly. A panel consisting of county Public Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein; Aydin Nazmi, a faculty member in the Food Science and Nutrition Department and member of the Cal Poly COVID-19 testing task force; and Vice President for Student Affairs Keith Humphrey will update attendees on topics related to COVID-19. Click here to register. The Zoom meeting link, password and instructions will be emailed upon your reply. Questions about the event can be directed to RFSA President Bill Kellogg at bkellogg@calpoly.edu.
Faculty Invited to Apply for Grant Program by Feb. 8
The 2021-22 Research, Scholarly and Creative Activities (RSCA) Grant Program is now open. The RSCA program is intended to help faculty remain engaged in their disciplines beyond the classroom and to contribute new knowledge through robust programs of scholarship focused on strengthening California socially, culturally and economically. The annual funding from the program is intended to provide more internal resources to help faculty pursue a broader array of professional activities. All faculty unit employees are eligible to apply. Proposals should be submitted before midnight on Monday, Feb. 8, via the Cal Poly InfoReady system. For more information and submission instructions, visit the Research, Economic Development and Graduate Education website. Direct questions to research@calpoly.edu.
New Tent on Mustang Way Creates Increased Outdoor Living Areas During Winter
An 1,800-square-foot tent has been placed on Mustang Way in an effort to further support student success throughout the pandemic during winter quarter. It can accommodate around 50 people. This expanded outdoor space provides students with a new place to study, attend virtual classes, eat and responsibly socialize outside of their residence. It will provide additional shelter during inclement weather or can be used for shade on sunny days. The tent has clear ceiling panels to let the light in during the day as well as to see the stars at night. For nighttime use, the tent is strung with fairy lights to provide light and a cozy glow. Horticulture students are planning to add plants into the covered living space. A number of individuals worked on the extensive permitting process over the holiday break to create this space. The planning and execution was a collaborative effort with Andrea Burns and Mike Thornton of Cal Poly Corporation; Anthony Palazzo, Donald Popham and Jude Fledderman of Facilities Management and Development; Daren Connor of ASI; Marlene Cramer of Public Safety; Michele Winterfeldt of Strategic Business Services; and members of the Facility Maintenance team, who helped with the electrical and tent placement.
Participants Needed for Sedentary Screen Time Study
Sedentary screen time consumes more than half of discretionary time and is the single most prevalent use of time for adults in the U.S. outside of work and sleep. Participants are needed for a study on the best ways to reduce the use of screen time and increase health outcomes. The study is led by Professor Sarah Keadle in Cal Poly's Center for Health Research and is conducted in partnership with Arizona State University. Eligible participants must be between the ages of 23 and 64, own a smartphone or tablet and have internet access with no limit on the amount of data. Due to COVID-19, this study will be conducted virtually. Anyone interested in participating or learning more about the study, called StandUPTV, should call ext. 6-5506 or fill out an interest form.
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.
Own a Home Within Walking Distance of Campus
A beautifully appointed home is on sale at Bella Montana. The 1,068-square-foot home at 611-C Paseo Bella Montaña (La Valle), is full of amenities. The two-bedroom, one-bathroom home has convenient indoor laundry space, a spacious one-car garage, a beautiful deck for outdoor living, attractive baths and energy-saving appliances. Surrounded by beautiful coastal foothills, Bella Montana offers an opportunity to own a home in San Luis Obispo. The surrounding location offers an enhanced lifestyle as homeowners enjoy more time for the things they love. A hike after work, lunch at home, and more time with family are all plausible and very convenient. The home is located in a 5.3-acre planned housing community that was crafted with Cal Poly employees and their families in mind. Bella Montana encompasses 69 individually owned homes on Highland Drive near iconic Highway 1, close to campus, shops and many restaurants.
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.
Cal Poly to Host Guest Presenters for ‘Entrepreneurship in Music’ Webinar on Feb. 11
The Cal Poly Music Department will present a webinar, “Entrepreneurship in Music,” with guest panelists sharing methods for beginning and sustaining a career in music at 11:10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 11. The panelists will be David Cutler, professor and director of music entrepreneurship at the University of South Carolina, and Mark Tonelli, assistant professor of guitar and entrepreneurship at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois. “The intent of the webinar is to inform and empower college-age musicians to think entrepreneurially about their career in music,” said Arthur White, Cal Poly’s director of jazz studies and moderator of the panel. “Due to the decline in traditional career opportunities, students need to adapt with foresight, ingenuity, diversity and a well-laid out plan of attack.” The event is free and open to the public. More information on the panelists and the presentation is on the department’s calendar website.
Event Postings
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 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.