COVID-19 Memorial Gives Campus Chance to Grieve, Remember and Heal
About 45 campus and community members came together for a COVID-19 memorial to commemorate the two-plus years of the pandemic, allow time to grieve the time lost and remember those who passed. During the service, held April 19 on O’Neill Green, attendees listened to Hospice SLO County Executive Director Shannon McOuat and Director of Counseling Services Tony Huffaker give inspirational messages focused on the need for self-care and compassion for others. Hospice’s Threshold Singers, an a cappella group that sings at the bedside of those who are dying, performed. Attendees had a chance to write down who or what they would like remembered, and each person placed a flower in a vase when their remembrance was read. “By the end, we had three beautiful vases of flowers that represented how our collective grief could be transformed into something beautiful,” said Sara Bartlett, lecturer in the Social Sciences and Psychology and Child Development departments. After the ceremony concluded, attendees could receive self-care kits and talk to Cal Poly counselors, visit the Hospice SLO County booth and participate in a seed-planting activity organized by the Cal Poly Psychology Club.
Students Design Technology Solution to Make School Buildings in Developing Countries Safer in Collaboration with the World Bank
The Cal Poly Digital Transformation Hub (DxHub), powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), and a team of Cal Poly students designed a mobile app for the World Bank to help improve school safety in developing countries. The app is projected to reduce costs and time by 50%. Millions of children’s lives and billions of dollars in infrastructure are at stake, since disasters such as earthquakes and cyclones put more than 1 million school buildings in low- and middle-income countries at risk of collapsing. The cutting-edge technology was developed by the DxHub, using AWS Cloud-based tools, for the World Bank’s Global Program for Safer Schools (under the umbrella of the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery). A multidisciplinary team of undergraduate and graduate students, as well as Professor Franz J. Kurfess in the Computer Science and Software Engineering Department, worked with DxHub officials to create the mobile phone app design and deep learning computer vision model. The model simplifies how different types of school buildings vulnerable to natural disasters are identified to speed up the risk-informed intervention and investment planning to ultimately make schools safer at scale.
Nominations Sought for 36th Annual Cal Poly Community Service Awards
The Center for Service in Action is seeking nominations for the 36th annual Cal Poly Community Service Awards, which will be celebrated on May 19. The deadline to submit a nomination for the categories of individual faculty, staff and student contributions, along with student organizations and community partner of the year, is midnight Monday, May 9. Learn more about the history of the awards, details on each category and a link to the nomination form. Anyone with questions about the nomination process can email the Center for Service in Action at [email protected].
Cal Poly Holds Open Call for Public Art
The Cal Poly Corporation is inviting proposals for the design and creation of a mural to be installed in a soon-to-be-renovated outdoor corridor on campus. The Via Carta Mural Project is seeking artists' proposals to transform a divided triptych wall at the intersection of Highland Drive and Via Carta into a vibrant mural that encourages student and community interaction while highlighting the agricultural bounty and beauty of the Central Coast. A public Request for Proposals was issued for artists to submit concept proposals by May 16. The finalist will be commissioned to install the mural on the exterior wall of the Food Processing Building (No. 24), adjacent to Campus Market this June and July with a public unveiling and celebration in fall 2022. To learn more about the scope of the project and to apply, download a copy of the RFP and application template.
A&F Thanks Faculty, Staff for for Participating in Focus Forward Survey
Administration and Finance thanks faculty and staff for providing their feedback on the 2022 A&F Focus Forward Survey. A&F received almost 1,000 responses to the survey from the campus community. The division sincerely appreciates each and every comment or suggestion. The division will review the results over the summer and will communicate more details soon. In addition, the survey prize winners will be notified via email by May 6.
Annual Service Awards Set for May 20
State, Corporation and ASI employees with milestone service anniversaries in 2021 will be honored at the Annual Service Awards ceremony from 2:30-4 p.m. Friday, May 20, in Miossi Hall of the Performing Arts Center, followed by a reception in the Performing Arts Center Main Lobby from 4-5 p.m. For a complete listing of awardees, view the program on the Service Awards website. Complimentary tickets are available to reserve online and emailed or picked up at Will Call at the Performing Arts Center Ticket Office. Tickets are required to attend. All award recipients received an email with a link to RSVP to the event; RSVP by May 5 to participate. Contact the committee chair at [email protected] with any questions. A slideshow of the awardees will be shown at the event. Anyone with photos to contribute should email them to [email protected] by May 5.
Students’ Sustainable Packaging Design for San Luis Obispo Business Wins First Place in National Competition
After a year of research and development, a team of graphic communications students gained hands-on experience designing new sustainable packaging and labels for a San Luis Obispo-based gourmet cupcake and dessert business — and took first place for its effort. Seven students participated in the Phoenix Challenge, a yearlong project in which students help a local small business rebrand and market itself with materials using the flexographic print process, a technique that uses a flexible plate to print on a variety of materials. The students, Naomi Furuya, Mandy Ko, Isabel Lao, Kaitlin Sakae, Ashley Rubens, Madeline Wales and Sadie Curdts, won first place at the college-level competition in March against teams from across the U.S. This year’s theme was sustainable packaging for sustainable business, and the students focused on helping a local small business reduce packaging costs and make its brand stand out.
Learn more about the competition
Students Studying Effects of Climate Change Earn Prestigious Research Fellowships
Two graduate students in the biological sciences program were awarded National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships to support their ongoing research on responses to environmental changes to plants and animals in California. Annie Meeder, a first-year graduate student from Paso Robles, with the support of her faculty advisor, Jenn Yost of the Biological Sciences Department, is studying dynamics of Santa Cruz Island vegetation communities and how these communities have changed in response to certain historical disturbances. Savannah Weaver, a second-year graduate student from San José, plans to continue to study the water balance of reptiles, specifically how water requirements and water-conserving adaptations vary over time and among species and different habitats. Fellowships provide students with a three-year annual stipend of $34,000 along with a $12,000 cost of education allowance for tuition and fees, as well as access to opportunities for professional development available to NSF-supported graduate students.
Students Invited to Participate in Sexual and Reproductive Health Study
Cal Poly's Sexual and Reproductive Health Lab is currently interviewing students about their knowledge and attitudes surrounding STIs and condom usage. Led by Joni Roberts, assistant professor in the Kinesiology and Public Health Department, the study aims to gain a better understanding of the trends and factors related to STI clean status among college students through one-on-one interviews. The conclusions of this study will be used to create a better understanding of contraceptive products and improve sexual health behaviors on campus. This study is open to any current Cal Poly student who wishes to participate. Students who complete interviews (via Zoom or in person) will receive a sexual health goody bag for their time.
Student Applications Open for the Californians For All College Corps Program
Students from any college or major can apply for a College Corps Fellowship of up to $10,000. Fellows will work with community organizations to tackle meaningful challenges in climate change, food insecurity and K-12 education, and may additionally receive academic credit. This program is part of the historic Californians For All program, a statewide initiative for service-learning. Cal Poly is one of 45 institutions participating in the inaugural year. There are 165 fellowship positions. The application deadline is May 15.
Ed Saliklis Honored with National ASCE George Winter Award
The American Society of Civil Engineers has awarded architectural engineering Professor Ed Saliklis the 2022 ASCE George Winter Award. Created in 1990, this prestigious national award recognizes “the achievements of an active structural engineering researcher, educator or practitioner who best typifies the late Dr. George Winter's humanistic approach to his profession: i.e., an equal concern for matters technical and social, for art as well as science, for soul as well as intellect.” ARCE Department Head Al Estes said, “The award was tailor-made for Ed, who can teach an architecture studio in the morning and a graduate-level mechanics class in the afternoon. He sings, plays the ukulele, writes poetry and paints, while still finding time to author three engineering/architecture textbooks in the last five years.” The award will be formally presented to Saliklis at the 2023 ASCE Structures Congress next May in New Orleans.
International Center to host International Student Inclusivity Workshop for Faculty and Staff
The International Center invites faculty and staff to join the International Student Inclusivity Workshop hosted in collaboration with the International Advisory Council. This virtual workshop will be held from 12:10-1:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 10, for who those interested in enhancing inclusive and equitable practices to help international students achieve success. During the session, participants will learn about international student experiences within the classroom and campus community and engage in discussion around ways to increase academic support and build students' sense of belonging. Topics will range from cultural adjustment to academic success, and will include strategies for empowering this community of students to succeed. Feel free to enjoy your lunch during this workshop. Those unable to attend the workshop are encouraged to visit the International Center’s Considerations for Teaching International Students webpage for information on promoting an inclusive campus environment for international students.
Emeritus Staff Response Needed for Parking Permits Renewal
Current emeritus parking permits will expire June 30. All emeritus staff are asked to respond to the email sent to their Cal Poly account regarding extension of their parking privileges. A response is required to activate an updated virtual emeritus permit that will be valid starting July 1, 2022. Employee and emeritus parking account should reflect accurate information at all times to stay compliant. Emeritus employees should log into their parking account and ensure that their license plate number is correct and linked to an active parking permit. For more information about the License Plate Recognition software, visit the Transportation and Parking Services website at parking.calpoly.edu/LPR.
Ethics and Social Justice in Data Science Workshop Set for May 5-6
Join the Ethics and Social Justice Committee of the Data SRI (Strategic Research Initiative) program at Cal Poly in its first-ever workshop on ethics and social justice (ESJ) for data science practitioners from noon to 2:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, May 5-6, in Kennedy Library, Room 216B. The interdisciplinary committee comprised of faculty from philosophy, computer science, education, economics and city and regional planning will discuss a newly detailed rubric to reflect on and evaluate research in data science with regard to ethics and social justice issues. Faculty are encouraged to bring their own research so they can apply a valuable toolkit for building out their research in this evolving space. Learn about ESJ issues, including data biases, algorithmic biases and human biases. Find contact information and learn more.
Sign Up to Volunteer at Spring Commencement June 11 and 12
The Cal Poly Commencement team seeks help from faculty and staff who want to volunteer to help create amazing memories for graduates at Spring Commencement ceremonies in Spanos Stadium on Saturday and Sunday, June 11-12. Volunteer tasks may include greeting graduates and guests; ensuring guests have access to shuttles, wheelchairs and first aid; helping with stadium logistics and more. Volunteers will receive food, drinks and a $50 gift card to the University Store for each shift completed. For additional details on faculty and staff shifts at Spring Commencement ceremonies, visit the Employee Engagement Program page.
University Personnel Offers Well-Being Workshops in May and June
University Personnel has worked with employee assistance program LifeMatters to offer synchronous well-being workshops in May and June. The workshops include:
- Mind-Body Wellness: The practice of mindfulness, breathing and guided relaxation promotes mind-body wellness. Learn to develop a centering mindset to improve focus. May 17 at 2 p.m.
- Expanding Your Sphere of Influence: The ability to influence others is central to effective leadership. Learn to cultivate influence regardless of your title. Understand the qualities of effective leaders, learn key traits for expanding influence and strategies for building leadership skills. May 24 at 10 a.m.
- Respect in a Diverse Workplace: Learn about the benefits of a diverse, inclusive workplace and how to remove barriers through constructive, assertive confrontation. This session will review definitions of diversity and respect, examples of respectful and disrespectful behaviors, and assertive confrontation. June 16 at 10 a.m.
Contact Lisa Gray at [email protected] for more information on well-being workshops.
May Brings More Professional Development Courses
Employee and Organization Development announces the release of the May professional development offerings as part of the Cross Campus Collaboration, a series of online workshops offered by Cal Poly and other CSU campuses. These unique opportunities extend learning beyond campus borders and offer a new way to share professional development. Employee and Organization Development has recently added new courses and dates for May. View and register using the links below. Registration opened April 25 on a first-come basis. The workshops are:
- Mindfulness Wellness Circle (series 3 of 3), May 4, noon-1 p.m.
- Retaining Continuity when Employees Leave, May 5, 9-10 a.m.
- Resume 101 Workshop, May 5, 10-11 a.m.
- Personal Branding – Building Your Professional Presence, May 10, 2-3 p.m.
- Decisions, Decisions! Creative Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Techniques, May 12, 10 a.m.-noon.
- Positive Psychology – The Happiness Advantage, May 12, 10 a.m.-noon.
- The Value of Making Values Valuable for You and Your Team, May 12, 11a.m.-12:30 p.m.
- Exposing Hidden Bias, May 27, 9-10:30 a.m.
More classes are coming in June. Check the Upcoming Opportunities page of the learnandgrow.calpoly.edu website for updates.
Cal Poly to Host Job Fair May 21 to Fill Over 65 Positions
More than 65 full- and part-time positions are available in communications, administrative support, custodial, facilities/trades, dining and other areas across campus. Job seekers are invited to come to a Cal Poly Job Fair and Hiring event on Saturday, May 21, in the Advanced Technology Laboratories (ATL), No. 7, prepared to interview on site. Select roles will receive same-day offers and sign-on bonuses.
Nutrition, Heart and Gut Health Research Volunteers Needed
Faculty and student researchers from the Food Science and Nutrition Department are looking for postmenopausal women to participate in the "ReCHARGE with Strawberries" project, a research project looking at the impact of strawberries on heart and gut health. Women who participate will be eligible to receive $350, free gut microbiome and heart health assessments, and a free diet consultation driven by participant goals. If you, or someone you know, may be interested in participating, learn more online, call ext. 6-1175, or email [email protected].
Ready to Develop New, Healthy Behaviors?
The Food Science and Nutrition Department is offering free, individualized nutrition and wellness coaching to help participants develop new, healthy habits that promote personal wellness. Participants will work one-on-one with a senior-level nutrition counseling student for four 30-to-60-minute sessions, scheduled around their availability. Meetings will be held in person or virtually over Zoom. Each participant and their coach will find solutions for their wellness challenges and set achievable goals each week. Sessions will be tailored to participants’ individual needs and priorities, such as: healthy food preparation, food labels, physical activity, healthy weight, grocery store tours, meal planning and more. This is a Learn by Doing and graded experience for students, as they enhance their nutrition counseling skills. Participants commit to attending four sessions when they sign up. All sessions are confidential. Contact Sherry Elliston at ext. 6-2565 or [email protected] with any questions.
German and Russian Conversation Tables Open to All
Grab lunch and head to Kennedy Library to practice your language skills, learn more about German and Russian cultures and meet new friends. The German Conversation Table occurs every Thursday from 11:15 a.m. to noon with upcoming events on April 21, April 28 and May 5 on the steps in front of Kennedy Library (No. 35). The Russian Language Conversation Table meets every other Wednesday from 11:10 a.m. to noon with upcoming events on April 27, May 11 and May 25 in room Kennedy Library (No. 35, Room 220 C). Contact German lecturer Angelica Browne at [email protected] for more information.
Free Upcoming Music Department Events
The Music Department has numerous free student presentations through the rest of the academic year. In addition to the following, there will be several senior recitals. For a complete list with times and locations, visit the department’s calendar website or call ext. 6-2406. Events include:
- May 5: Guitar Ensemble Recital
- May 10: An Evening of Woodwinds and Strings
- May 12: All That Brass
- May 17: Instrumental Student Recital
- May 19: Polyrhythmics Percussion Recital
- May 21: Jazz Combos Spring Hang
- May 24: Piano Student Recital
- May 26: Vocal Student Recital
- June 3: Clarinet Festival
Cal Poly Women’s Chorus and Kitka Women’s Vocal Ensemble to Present ‘Slavic Sounds’ Concert on May 7
The Cal Poly Women’s Chorus and Kitka Women’s Vocal Ensemble will present a concert titled “Slavic Sounds” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 7, at the First Presbyterian Church of San Luis Obispo. The Women’s Chorus will begin the program with arrangements of traditional Cuban and Latvian folks songs and pieces with a message of social justice. Special guest ensemble Kitka will perform arrangements of traditional folk music from Bulgaria and the greater Eastern European region. Kitka is a professional small ensemble with deep ties to Balkan, Slavic and Caucasian lands. Its members have performed, taught and conducted cultural exchange activities in Armenia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Macedonia, Poland, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine. The concert will close with several Eastern European folk songs performed by both groups. The Women’s Chorus is conducted by Director of Choral Activities Scott Glysson and accompanied by staff accompanist Paul Woodring. Tickets for the concert are sold at the Cal Poly Ticket Office, ext. 6-4849. For more information, visit the Music Department calendar website or call ext. 6-2406.
Ruby Ibarra to Perform May 12 in Celebration of APIDA Heritage Month
The campus community is invited to a concert featuring Ruby Ibarra, a rapper, producer, and spoken word artist, on the UU Plaza Stage from 5:45-7 p.m. Thursday, May 12. The event, sponsored by the Ethnic Studies Department, Office of University Diversity and Inclusion (OUDI) and ASI, is also a celebration of Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Heritage Month. This is a free event, open to all. The event is organized by Ryan Buyco, assistant professor in the Ethnic Studies Department. For more information, email him at [email protected].
Chanticleer to Perform with Cal Poly Choirs on May 12
The Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble Chanticleer and two Cal Poly Choirs — PolyPhonics and Chamber Choir — will present a concert titled “Beauty of the Day” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 12, in the Performing Arts Center. Chanticleer has been hailed as “the world’s reigning male chorus” by The New Yorker, and it is known around the world as an orchestra of voices. Founded in San Francisco in 1978 by singer and musicologist Louis Botto, the group has sold more than a million recordings and performed thousands of live concerts to audiences worldwide. The groups will perform their own selections, then will join to perform Nico Muhly’s “Beauty of the Day,” which was commissioned by Chanticleer. The piece will feature university organist Paul Woodring on the Forbes pipe organ. Muhly is well known for his commissions for both classical and popular musicians, and he has written two operas for the Metropolitan Opera in New York. The concert will be dedicated to the memory of Zach Blanchard, who had been a member of PolyPhonics. Tickets for the concert are $15-$35 and are sold at the Cal Poly Ticket Office, ext. 6-4849. For more information, visit the Music Department calendar website or call ext. 6-2406.
Theatre and Dance Department Presents ‘Sometimes the Rain, Sometimes the Sea’ May 12-15 and 19-21
The Theatre and Dance Department’s spring show, “Sometimes the Rain, Sometimes the Sea,” will run at 8 p.m. May 12-14 and 19-21, and 2 p.m. May 15 in the Spanos Theatre. In the show, Dolan, a narrator who bears an uncanny resemblance to author Hans Christian Andersen, tries to tell a simple and sweet story about a rain cloud that falls to Earth when they becomes enamored with a human. But characters in the story keep turning into figures from Dolan’s own history of turbulent relationships, blending fantasy and reality. An adaptation, reimagining and critique of ”The Little Mermaid,” this play teases and expands ideas of romantic, obsessive and unrequited love that we learn from popular stories. Tickets are $12 for students, seniors and children, and $20 for adults.
University Art Gallery’s ‘2022 Juried Student Exhibition’ Runs Through May 13
The “2022 Juried Student Exhibition” opened April 21 in the University Art Gallery in Dexter (No. 34). The student show represents an impressive grouping of artwork from many different mediums, all carefully selected from a larger pool of submissions. All work in the show was made in Cal Poly art and design classes. This year’s juror is Toni Scott, whose exhibitions and installations weave together artistically powerful stories presented through installations, multimedia, photography, painting, sculpture and digital ingenuity, often referencing fraught histories. She holds an MFA from UCSB. She is a citizen of the Muscogee Creek Nation and part of a global traveling exhibition of Muscogee Creek Artists.
Pianist W. Terrence Spiller to Perform Beethoven Sonatas May 13
Pianist and Music Professor Emeritus W. Terrence Spiller will give an all-Beethoven recital at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 13, in the Pavilion of the Performing Arts Center. The recital is the sixth in his survey of the complete piano sonatas of Beethoven. For this year’s program, Spiller will perform two of Beethoven's most famous “named” sonatas: “The Tempest” and the mammoth “Hammerklavier.” Spiller retired from full-time teaching in March 2021, but he continues to teach applied piano in the Music Department. Tickets are sold at the Cal Poly Ticket Office, ext. 6-4849. For more information, visit the Music Department calendar website or call ext. 6-2406.
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 [email protected].
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.
Note that a minimum three-day lead time is required to process a request for use of space through the Office of the Registrar.
Visit Cal Poly Now for Student Affairs events, learning opportunities and more
Find the latest student-focused campus events from your favorite Student Affairs programs and services by visiting the new Cal Poly Now.