Cal Poly Low Income Tax Clinic Receives Glowing Evaluation from Federal Government
The Cal Poly Low Income Tax Clinic recently went through a virtual grant audit with the IRS and received a glowing evaluation. In its audit, the federal government described the LITC as an “exemplary clinic” and now plans to share the clinic’s practices — as well as insights from its executive director, Lisa Sperow — across all other academic LITCs. The LITC provides undergraduate and graduate accounting students the opportunity to work with underserved communities while enhancing the students’ professional skills. Under the direct supervision of Orfalea College of Business faculty, students represent low-income clients involved in tax controversies before the IRS and the U.S. Tax Court. Congratulations to the LITC for paving the way to support members of the community and representing Learn by Doing nationally. Learn more about the clinic at https://www.cob.calpoly.edu/litcweb/ and in this Cal Poly Business Magazine story.
Research Project to Explore Impact of Offshore Wind Power Development
Professors Steve Hamilton (economics) and Cyrus Ramezani (finance), along with a team of Orfalea College of Business student research assistants, will be embarking on a new research project titled “Economic Impact of Offshore Wind Power Development on the Central Coast.” The project will potentially make use of existing harbor, port facilities and transmission capacity at the soon-to-close Diablo Canyon Power Plant to repurpose existing infrastructure as a maintenance yard for floating offshore wind energy turbines. This project is part of a broader, multidisciplinary engagement under the Cultivating California’s Blue Economy project. Visit Cal Poly News to learn more about the project: https://www.calpoly.edu/news/how-fix-climate-crisis-central-coast-cal-poly-researchers-look-solutions-ocean-wind.
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Architectural Engineering Faculty Member Earns National Achievement Honor
An architectural engineering faculty member was honored for excellence and innovation in teaching by the American Concrete Institute (ACI), a leading professional organization in the global concrete industry. Anahid Behrouzi is the 2021 recipient of the ACI Walter P. Moore Jr. Faculty Achievement Award, which recognizes new faculty members for how they teach concrete design, materials or construction. She has been at Cal Poly since 2016. The ACI Board of Direction bestowed the honor specifically “for blending new technologies, hands-on experiences, and storytelling to motivate students and to make concrete design concepts tangible.” In the past five years at Cal Poly, Behrouzi has taught courses in reinforced concrete design, structural analysis and dynamics. She will be honored at an award presentation during the Virtual ACI Spring 2021 Concrete Convention, scheduled March 28 to April 1.
Find CDC Vaccine Information on Campus COVID-19 Vaccine Webpage
Cal Poly has compiled a list of resources for our campus community to learn more about COVID-19 vaccination. In these early stages of the vaccine rollout, transparency and good information is key to our understanding. A COVID-19 Vaccine webpage on the campus coronavirus site contains links to information provided by Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on the different vaccine types, ensuring the safety of vaccines, allergic reactions and other questions. The campus community is also invited to attend a webinar on COVID-19 vaccines from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5. Sponsored by SF Build, topics include addressing community questions and concerns, safety, accessibility and more. Registration is free. Visit https://bit.ly/vacinfowebinar to register. The university is working closely with San Luis Obispo County to explore the feasibility of rolling out the COVID-19 vaccine in the coming months. The university has formed a campuswide taskforce to review and advise on campus’ approach to vaccine dispensation. Please continue to check the campus coronavirus website and this vaccine page for updates and information.
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. The Zoom webinar link is https://calpoly.zoom.us/j/88657517323. Call-in information to join the meeting is also available on the meeting agenda on the Cal Poly Corporation website. Public comments for this meeting must be submitted no later than 5 p.m. on Feb. 4 via email to cpcadmin@calpoly.edu. A copy of the agenda with all pertinent information for the Zoom meeting is also available by emailing cpcadmin@calpoly.edu or on the Cal Poly Corporation website at: https://www.calpolycorporation.org/organization-profile/governance/meeting-agendas-minutes/.
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.
Duo ‘Remember Me’ To Be Extended to 30 Days
After receiving feedback from across campus, the Duo multi-factor authentication (MFA) “remember me” period will be extended to a more convenient 30 days instead of 12 hours. Starting Thursday, Feb. 4, users who log in to Cal Poly resources and authenticate with Duo and then select “remember me,” won’t be prompted to authenticate again for 30 days. Not sure how to enable the “remember me” feature? Information Technology Services (ITS) has step-by-step instructions in their Knowledge Base. Any member of the Cal Poly community can request and receive a token to use with Duo. Just fill out a short form online via Support Center. If you have questions, contact the ITS Service Desk online via Support Center, by email at servicedesk@calpoly.edu, or by calling ext. 6-7000.
New User Software Planon to Launch in February
Facilities Management and Development (FMD) will implement Planon, a new work order management system, this month. Planon will serve as FMD’s new project management platform and will enable facility projects and maintenance operations, along with space and finance teams, to effectively and efficiently manage facilities throughout the entire building lifecycle. Planon will also be the new spot for projects, service and maintenance requests, in addition to storing all space information and details for the campus. Planon will provide users with an improved, updated and more efficient experience. It will provide an intuitive interface for Facilities’ customers, making it easier to check work statuses, see financial information, and receive automated updates on their project. Once it is up and running, Planon will create a simple, seamless user experience for campus community members who need something fixed. Planon is set to launch on Feb. 16. FMD will host open lab sessions from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 22, and from 1:30-2:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26, for campus users interested in learning more about the use of Planon. For more information, visit https://afd.calpoly.edu/facilities/requests/planon.
30% Discount Extended for Department Canopy Tents or Table Covers
University Marketing has worked with Strategic Business Services to secure exclusive pricing with licensed vendor ID Me College, a California-certified small business. At first, this was set to expire at the end of 2020, but with the pandemic, all parties were able to extend it into the spring of 2021. This offer is for 10-foot-by-10-foot canopy tents and 6-foot or 8-foot fitted table covers. These are high-quality, durable products with excellent printing. With the newly refreshed university branding, departments’ existing canopy tents and table covers with old logos and colors will expire at the end of 2021, so this offer will ease the burden of purchasing these new items at the full retail cost. Access the ordering details and visual templates from the offer webpage.
Faculty Invited to Submit Proposals for Virtual Exchange
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.
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.
After spending the last eight years at Cal Poly, Deputy Chief Brenda Trobaugh will retire from the Cal Poly Police Department on Jan. 31. During her time on campus, she has worked tirelessly to ensure that the department provides professional, effective and efficient services to the campus community. Along with her extensive knowledge and expertise in law enforcement, her passion has kept the department on the leading edge of trends and best practices. This led to her receiving the Outstanding Staff Award in 2019. Trobaugh has consistently engaged with a diverse campus community, recognizing and embracing the differences each person brings. She has been an active member and mentor to young officers through Women Leaders in Law Enforcement and has led many initiatives, like the Coffee with a Cop program, that helped to build community and improve relationships between officers and the community. Trobaugh joined the Cal Poly community after serving in both the Madera and Fresno police departments. She will miss serving the community and working with the great people at Cal Poly, and plans to slow down, relax and enjoy life, while giving more attention to her favorite outdoor activities and family.
Leon Maksoudian, a longtime faculty member in the Mathematics and Statistics departments, passed away Jan. 6 with his family at his bedside. Maksoudian was born Oct. 30, 1933. He began his career as an international student at the age of 19 when he immigrated to the United States from Allepo, Syria. After earning his bachelor's degree from Cal Poly and his master's and doctorate from the University of Minnesota, Maksoudian returned to Cal Poly to begin his teaching career in the Mathematics Department. He was instrumental in the development of the Computer Science and Statistics Department and was one of the first members of the Statistics Department when it was formed in 1973. After nearly 31 years of service, he retired as professor emeritus in 1999. During his tenure with Cal Poly, Maksoudian touched the lives of thousands of students and was well respected by his colleagues. Said to be a man of strong faith, he was devoted to his family and community and extremely generous to those around him.
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.
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.
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.
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.
2021 Aspire to Grow Conference Set for Feb. 18
The College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences is hosting the third annual Aspire to Grow Conference, exploring innovation in food and agriculture, virtually from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18. Register here for the event. The symposium will focus on new technologies and developments and the role diversity of thought and experience plays in achieving these. Keynote speakers include Michael Frank, executive vice president and CEO of retail at Nutrien; Karen Ross, secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture; Justin Trabue, alumna and assistant winemaker at Lumen Wines; Patricia Carillo, executive director of ALBA Organics; Surendra Dara, cooperative extension advisor with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources; and Fadzayi Mashiri, Mariposa County director/farm advisor. There are more than 21 million jobs associated with food and agriculture in the U.S. The Aspire to Grow Conference aims to inform and empower students from across campus about the many and varied career opportunities in these industries and create a forum for students to learn from and network with companies for which diversity and inclusion are an essential part of their visions. For more information, visit: https://cafes.calpoly.edu/aspire-grow-2021.
Cal Poly Jazz Ensembles to Present Virtual CD Release Concert on Feb. 19
Cal Poly's Jazz Ensembles will present a virtual CD release concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 19, to celebrate their recently produced double album titled “another time, another place.” The album is the result of at-home rehearsals by members of the Cal Poly Jazz Ensemble and Cal Poly Vocal Jazz Ensemble that began in March due to the pandemic. Arthur White, director of jazz studies, wrote compositions and arrangements for the groups. The album also features a student composition by Davis Zamboanga, who graduated from Cal Poly with a degree in music in spring 2020. There are guest solos by Grammy Award-winner Randy Brecker and three Grammy-Award nominees: saxophonist Ada Rovatti, trombonist Robin Eubanks, and vibraphonist Joe Locke, who contributed solos from their East Coast home studios. Cal Poly’s Vocal Jazz Ensemble, Contemporary Jazz Group, Hard Bop Group and other student ensembles will perform for the virtual event, which will also include interviews with students who participated in the album-making process. Tickets are $5 and are sold at the Performing Arts Center, ext. 6-4849. For more information, visit the Music Department 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.