Rep. Carbajal Celebrates Educational Partnership Agreement
Congressman Salud Carbajal and Cal Poly leaders celebrated the cutting-edge aviation research that aerospace faculty and students are conducting at San Luis Obispo Regional Airport. Carbajal joined a tour and ribbon cutting at the university’s ground station on April 11. The event, held at Cal Poly’s hangar at the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport, follows a $5 million federal grant as part of the university’s educational partnership agreement with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) that allows engineering students to conduct research on a general aviation airplane that is being modified to fly as an unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV. President Armstrong, College of Engineering Dean Amy S. Fleischer and Carbajal spoke to a group of dignitaries and project manager Paulo Iscold. Later, student researchers at the hangar facility provided a tour of the facility and the UAV. “We’re honored,” Fleischer said, “that our elected officials and the Air Force Research Lab recognize and acknowledge the incredible things our students and faculty do. While this funding will benefit Cal Poly, the work that is done with the money will ultimately advance society.”
Celebrate Earth Week Through April 23
There’s still time to celebrate Earth Week. Green Campus and the sustainability community are hosting events through Sunday, April 23. RSVP to secure free Earth Week swag and to get up-to-date information on all the events below:
- Food for Thought Discussion: Wednesday, April 19, 11:10 a.m.-noon, Food Pantry Garden.
- Green Careers Panel: Wednesday, April 19, 5-7 p.m., Career Events Center (No. 124, Room 117).
- Swap 'n Shop: Thursday, April 20, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Dexter Lawn.
- Real Food Collaborative Potluck: Thursday, April 20, 7 p.m., location TBD.
- Sustainability Charrette: Friday, April 21, 8 a.m.-noon, UU 220.
- Make Waves Film Festival: Friday, April 21, 7 p.m., Bread Bike, 2060 Parker St. in San Luis Obispo.
- All week: Online bike auction.
- SLO County Earth Day Celebration: Saturday, April 22, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Laguna Lake Park, San Luis Obispo.
- Garden Club Workday: Sunday, April 23, noon-2 p.m., Student Experimental Farm.
Additional event information can be found by following @cpgreencampus on Instagram.
Center for Service in Action to Honor Volunteers
The Center for Service in Action will host a week of service opportunities in honor of National Volunteer Week, their community partners and volunteers. All members of the Cal Poly community are invited to join the fun and check out the schedule of events on CP Now. Part of the week’s events will be the spring quarter volunteer and service fair for the campus community from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 20, on Dexter Lawn. This event is for anyone who has wanted to serve on a board of directors or an advisory committee or engage in meaningful service at a local nonprofit or governmental agency. Come by the volunteer and service fair to speak to representatives from organizations doing amazing work in San Luis Obispo County. Several community partner agencies will be present to share how service can take shape for faculty, staff and students.
Find National Volunteer Week events
Cal Poly Safer to Host Denim Day April 26
Safer invites faculty and staff to attend a Denim Day reception from 8:30-10 a.m. Wednesday, April 26, in the Campus Health and Wellbeing downstairs patio (No. 27) as part of its monthlong Sexual Assault Action Month campaign. Denim Day is an international campaign that evolved out of an Italian Supreme Court decision that overturned a rape conviction because the victim wore tight jeans. Millions of people across the world wear denim on this day to show their support for survivors. Wear denim and join us for pastries, coffee and community. Participants can write letters to survivors, make their own Denim Day buttons and take photos in front of a denim backdrop. Get a free Denim Day button (first 25 responders) to wear with your jeans by contacting Gillian Cutshaw at [email protected].
Connect in New Study Space in Spring Quarter
University Housing is hosting a temporary study space at the Sierra Madre Lounge. Opening up this new temporary study space is the most recent step to helping the university community prepare alternative study spaces around the campus in advance of the Kennedy Library building closure and renovation. Construction on the library is set to begin this summer. All students can sign in and access this space seven days a week between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. from the main entrance of Sierra Madre Community Center. Access to the lounge after hours will be limited to residents only.
Cal Poly Corporation Directors Meeting Set for April 28
The next Cal Poly Corporation board of directors meeting will be at 8:30 a.m. Friday, April 28, on campus in the Corporation Administration Building (No. 15), Room 124. The meeting agenda and more information will be posted online on the Cal Poly Corporation website five days before the meeting. Discussion topics can be added to the agenda at the discretion of the board. Submit comments by 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 26, via email to [email protected]. The meeting will be held in person; however, a Zoom webinar is available for the public to view only. Questions? Call Holly Clark at ext. 6-1131.
Cal Poly Foundation Board of Directors to Meet May 6
The board of directors of the Cal Poly Foundation will hold its quarterly meeting at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 6. This meeting serves as the annual meeting of the board. In compliance with Cal Poly Foundation Policy 122, public comments for this meeting must be submitted in writing by 5 p.m. Friday, April 28, via email to [email protected]. Obtain a copy of the agenda after April 25 by emailing [email protected]. Staff and members of the public are encouraged to participate virtually and can request Zoom login information by registering with the Cal Poly Foundation Office at [email protected]. Registration as a non-speaking guest for electronic or telephonic meetings is required prior to the meeting. Once registered, login details will be provided to each registrant to join as an attendee. Registration requests should be emailed to [email protected] a minimum of 72 hours prior to the meeting. For more information, contact the Cal Poly Foundation office at ext. 6-7147 or [email protected].
Student Varenya Gupta Reelected Chair of Cal State Student Association
Cal Poly industrial engineering student Varenya Gupta has been reelected to serve as the 2023-24 chair of the Cal State Student Association (CSSA), a student-led organization striving to improve the lives of students throughout the CSU system. The organization advocates for student needs and engages students in systemwide, state and federal higher education policymaking. Gupta, a third-year student, is currently in his first term as CSSA chair. His second term will begin June 1, 2023, and go through May 31, 2024. Prior to CSSA, Gupta served as secretary of CSU Affairs as part of the Associated Students Inc. Executive Cabinet.
Two Marine Science Students and Recent Alumnus Earn Prestigious Fellowship Awards
Three students from Cal Poly’s marine science program have received prestigious fellowships that will help support their careers and offer opportunities to explore research interests in their field. Fourth-year student Audrey Sarin of Seattle and Noel Clark (Marine Science, ’21) of Sebastopol, California, received National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship awards, which provide three years of financial support through an annual $37,000 stipend, along with a $12,000 education allowance for graduate education tuition and fees. Jake Roth, a fourth-year student from Bellevue, Washington, is among the 2023 cohort of the African American Scholar Program that was started by Long Beach’s Aquarium of the Pacific in 2021. The scholarship provides $10,000 to support each recipient’s studies and exploration of fields related to the work of the aquarium.
Read more about the students’ studies
Final Transfer Inclusivity Training of the Year Set for May 8
The Transfer Center is hosting the final Staff and Faculty Transfer Inclusion Training of the 2022-23 academic year from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Monday, May 8 on Zoom. This virtual training is focused on learning about the transfer population at Cal Poly, sharing research on practices for creating transfer-inclusive environments and discussing ways to create a transfer-friendly culture. Check out the Supporting Transfer Students website for additional resources on creating a transfer-friendly website and a transfer-inclusive classroom. Email Heather Domonoske with questions at [email protected].
Nominations Open for 37th Annual Community Service Awards
The Center for Service in Action is hosting the 37th annual Cal Poly Community Service Awards, and nominations for this esteemed recognition are due by midnight Sunday, May 7. Awards for the categories of individual faculty, staff and student contributions, along with student organizations and community partner of the year, will be awarded during a ceremony on May 18. President Armstrong bestows the awards and recognizes recipients for their efforts. Learn more about the history of the awards, details on each category and a link to the nomination form. Questions? Email the Center for Service in Action at [email protected].
New Faculty Workshops Available in Building Toward Equity Program
The Office for University Diversity and Inclusion and the Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology are launching more new workshops with the Building Toward Equity faculty development program that scaffolds DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) learning to develop faculty awareness, knowledge and skills. A group of eight Faculty Associates for DEI in Teaching collectively designed a Racial Equity Series of workshops that are the core element of this program. Save the date for these upcoming workshops:
- DEI/Social Justice in STEM: Arnold Deffo and Michael Whitt — Thursday, April 20, 10-11:30 a.m.
- Equity-Minded Assignments and Assessment: Dawn Janke and Joni Roberts
- Part I: Equity Minded Assignment Design: Friday, April 21, 9-11 a.m. (rescheduled).
- Part II: Equity Minded Assessment: Friday, April 28, 9-11 a.m. (rescheduled).
CSU Webcast Shows Tips for Realizing Your Potential
All employees are invited to participate in another edition of the CSU’s Got Talent series. Lifestyle medicine physician, longevity coach, author and speaker Dr. Alka Patel will present a webcast, “How to Achieve: Peak Productivity Through Strategic Self-Care.” In this persuasive and provocative webinar, Patel presents powerful techniques to help participants unlock their potential to live longer, upgrade their performance and elevate their energy to new levels based on scientific principles. The webcast will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 25. View previous CSU’s Got Talent recordings on the Learning Hub.
Last Call to Submit CET Seed Grant Program Applications
The Center for Expressive Technologies (CET) Seed Grant Program is open to faculty and staff from all departments until Friday, April 28. Any project studying or using technology in creative ways to improve the human experience is eligible for up to $4,000 in funding for student assistants, travel or additional compensation to support the research or creative activity. This year, CET is also looking for projects that could utilize its new studio space in the center of campus, where users can experiment with the latest projection, sound and lighting technologies; exhibit art, video, audio or mixed-reality experiences; or conduct live performances and community engagement. Have questions or need help finding a collaborator? Email CET Interim Director Martine Lappé.
Find more information on the grant program
Employee Assistance Webinar Set for April 27
Empathia - LifeMatters, Cal Poly’s employee assistance program, offers a free benefit for workers and household members, including dependents living away from home. The benefit includes 24-hour access to confidential well-being services. In a live hourlong webinar — set for 11 a.m. on Thursday, April 27 — Phil Gray of Empathia — LifeMatters will provide an overview of the types of services available through the program, including counseling, legal and financial referrals, convenience services, how to access services and information about the provider network. No registration needed; access the webinar at the link below. The session will be recorded and available one week after the presentation date. Empathia - LifeMatters services are available 24 hours a day and can be accessed at mylifematters.com using the sign-in “calpoly,” by phone at 1-800-367-7474, or through the LifeMatters app. Contact Lisa Gray at [email protected] with questions.
Safer Spring Quarter Book Circle Begins May 3
Safer is committed to engaging every discipline on campus in the work of violence prevention and trauma-informed response. To do this, Safer has developed the Safer Learning Community, with quarterly book circles specifically geared toward empowering faculty and staff to join this work alongside Safer. Its spring quarter book is "Beyond Survival: Strategies and Stories From the Transformative Justice Movement.” The book circle will meet Wednesdays at noon from May 3 through May 24.
Visit the Safer Learning Community Page to sign up
Nominations Open for the 2023 LEAD Awards
The LEAD Awards recognize students, student organizations, programs and events in Student Affairs. This collaborative awards ceremony honors the following pillars: Leadership, engagement, advocacy and distinction. The LEAD Awards are geared toward celebrating the outstanding efforts on campus and are given to students or student organizations based on three categories:
- Leadership.
- Engagement.
- Distinction.
Students can nominate themselves or others. Additionally, nominations can be submitted for the Advocate Award, which recognizes Cal Poly faculty/staff or offices/departments that are allies for students, programs or events, organizations and beyond.
University Personnel Offers Well-being Workshops in April and May
University Personnel — Employee Wellbeing has worked with Cal Poly’s employee assistance program, LifeMatters, to offer synchronous well-being workshops. They include:
- Personal Resilience: Learn how engagement and energy management relate to personal resilience. The concepts covered will challenge long-held beliefs and habits about maintaining a work-life balance. The session will discuss principles of energy management, understanding engagement and developing energy rituals. April 20 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. May 18 at 11 a.m.
- Mind-Body Wellness: Practicing mindfulness, breathing and guided relaxation promote mind-body wellness. Learn how to develop a centering mindset and improve focus. May 23 at 2 p.m.
Contact Lisa Gray at [email protected] for more information on well-being workshops.
New Spring Book Circles for Employees
Employee and Organization Development has announced the spring 2023 Book Circles. Engage in enriching conversations and connect with peers across campus while reading a book over the course of three to four sessions. The books are:
- “Mastering Community: The Surprising Ways Coming Together Moves Us From Surviving to Thriving” by Christine Porath. Discover how to create communities that support personal wellbeing and enhance our work experience.
- “The Upside of Uncertainty: A Guide to Finding Possibility in the Unknown” by Nathan Furr and Susannah Harmon Furr. Gain the inspiration, tools, and strategies to embrace uncertainty and thrive.
- “Whistling Vivaldi: How Stereotypes Affect Us and What We Can Do” by Claude M. Steele. Examine racial and gender-based stereotypes, learn how negative stereotypes can diminish performance, and discover techniques to mitigate "stereotype threats."
- “The Art of Frugal Hedonism: A Guide to Spending Less While Enjoying Everything More” by Annie Raser-Rowland and Adam Grubb. Explore the psychology behind consumerism, what shapes spending habits, and practical tips for a fulfilling way of life.
Apply for the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s Summer Accelerator by April 30
The Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship is accepting applications for its upcoming Summer Accelerator program. Applications must be received before midnight on Sunday, April 30. Faculty and staff who know students who would be interested in sprouting their startup can encourage them to apply. Exclusively for students and recent alumni, the 12-week program provides students with everything needed to bring their startups to life. With a talented pool of mentors and speakers from the startup world, students receive hands-on mentorship, weekly workshops and access to $10,000 in seed funding to start building their startup.
Learn more about the Summer Accelerator Program
Cal Poly Corp. Enhancing Campus Dining Experience
To continue to enhance the student experience, Cal Poly Corporation is expanding its current partnership with Chartwells Higher Education that will bring additional resources to Campus Dining starting July 1. The expanded partnership will offer access to new systems and industry expertise, as well as financial support that will further the success of the Campus Dining program. Chartwells’ increasing partnership creates a new model to maintain an affordable dining program as the campus grows. While Chartwells will provide daily management, the corporation will continue to lead the short- and long-term program decisions and the development of master plans. Campus Dining staff, including students, will keep their current positions as Chartwells employees and will continue to receive competitive wages and more choices in their new benefits packages. Compass Group, Chartwells’ parent company, was ranked in Forbes 2022 Best Employers for Diversity and Newsweek’s America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity in 2023. Chartwells has worked with the corporation since 2017, when it was first contracted to provide management and consulting services for Campus Dining operations.
Stay Connected to Kennedy Library Transformation Project News
It’s no secret that Kennedy Library, an essential catalyst to student success, is in need of renovation. With $77 million in funding secured from the CSU Chancellor’s Office, the university can begin the work in earnest. Construction is projected to start in summer 2023, and the target date for re-opening the renovated building is fall quarter 2025. Ongoing updates will be shared throughout the transformation project. The library renovation project team has developed a monthly newsletter, Connections, to keep the campus community informed. Learn about the latest library services and program, get updates about renovation progress and discover some tips and tricks to help successfully connect.
Subscribe to the library transformation monthly newsletter
Safer Hosts Annual Take Back the Night on April 27
Safer will host Sexual Assault Action Month throughout April. This year’s theme is “Resistance and Resiliency” to recognize the long-term commitment to social justice that this anti-violence movement requires, while also celebrating the resiliency of survivors in our community. The month culminates in Safer’s biggest night of the year — Take Back the Night — from 5-8:30 p.m. Thursday, April 27, in the UU Plaza. Take Back the Night is an international movement against sexual violence, with its own roots in San Luis Obispo since the 1980s. With a focus on uplifting survivors and building empowerment in community, this event will feature live music, catered food, art installations, resource fairs, speakers from the local community, a solidarity march, and will end with a candlelight vigil. This event is made possible with generous support from ASI Events, Planned Parenthood and the Career Services Diversity Funding Committee.
Visit Safer's website for more information
Faculty and Staff Housing Project Set to Break Ground in 2023
The new faculty and staff housing project located on the corner of Slack Street and Grand Avenue is on schedule to break ground this year. Cal Poly Corporation (CPC) leadership announced at the Feb. 3 board of directors meeting that a design-build team was brought on late last year, and the conceptual design for this latest housing project had been completed. The design-build team will be led by Thompson Dorfman Pacific as the master developer, SVA Architects for architecture and Pismo Beach-based Coastal Community Builders for building. Pending board of trustees approval, the team is ready to start construction in 2023. The development will feature 200 units, including 150 rental multifamily units and 50 single-family units for sale expected to be available for faculty and staff by 2025. The Corporation is also working to establish financing to make the units as attainable as possible.
Award-Winning Poet Major Jackson to Speak at Writers at Work Virtual Event on April 20
The campus community is invited to a free, upcoming Writers at Work event hosted by the College of Liberal Arts and the English Department. A virtual reading with poet Major Jackson will be held at 12:10 p.m. Thursday, April 20, on Zoom. Jackson has authored six books of poetry, including “Razzle Dazzle: New and Selected Poems,” “The Absurd Man” and “Leaving Saturn,” which received the Cave Canem Poetry Prize for a first book of poems. He has received a Whiting Writers’ Award, and has been honored by the Pew Fellowship in the Arts and the Witter Bynner Foundation in conjunction with the Library of Congress. Jackson also serves as the poetry editor of “The Harvard Review.”
Ethics Behind Robots’ ‘Inner Speech’ Talk Is April 20
John P. Sullins, a Sonoma State University philosophy professor, will speak on the ethics of social robots from 11:10 a.m. to noon on Thursday, April 20, in Room 123 of the Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering Building (No. 8). In a world where social robots are becoming increasingly common, the ethical implications of their design cannot be ignored. The talk will explore groundbreaking experiments using the concept of inner speech, found in psychology, to create social robots with some glimmers of an ethical conscience. By giving users access to the machines’ inner dialogue, people can work alongside these machines to make more informed ethical decisions. The talk will cover how the concept of inner speech plays a role in skilled moral reasoning — or what philosophers call phronesis — and its potential impact on the future of robotics in the context of elder care.
San Salvador Performs on April 21
Cal Poly Arts presents the six-voice percussion collective San Salvador at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 21, in Spanos Theatre. Hailing from Correze in southwestern France, San Salvador combines Occitan poetry with hypnotic vocal harmonies propelled by surging percussion. Their compositions use the Occitan language — a Romance language spoken in southern France, Italy’s Occitan Valleys and in parts of Spain and Monaco — as a rhythmic instrument, combining poetry with hypnotic vocal harmonies cascading over shifting patterns of compelling percussion to create their own compositions. This event has a 20% staff and faculty discount available.
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 events, 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.
- April 18: PolyRhythmics Percussion Recital
- May 2: All That Brass
- May 5: Guitar Ensemble Recital
- May 9: An Evening of Woodwinds and Strings
- May 16: Instrumental Student Recital
- May 23: Piano Student Recital
- May 25: Vocal Student Recital
- June 10: Clarinet Festival
The Theatrical Mendelssohn: ‘Elijah’ Comes to the PAC on April 23
SLO Master Chorale presents The Theatrical Mendelssohn: “Elijah” at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 23, in Miossi Hall. This dramatic oratorio tells the story of the prophet Elijah in a series of scenes, including the resurrection of a youth, a contest between the prophets of Baal and Elijah, the plotting of Queen Jezebel against Elijah, and Elijah’s final ascension into heaven. Mendelssohn imitates the great oratorios of Bach and Handel. Conducted by Professor Emeritus Thomas Davies, musical director and conductor of the San Luis Obispo Master Chorale, “Elijah” is performed in two parts, with a dramatic overture to begin the action.
Pianist W. Terrence Spiller to Perform Beethoven Sonatas April 28
Pianist and Music Professor Emeritus W. Terrence Spiller will give an all-Beethoven recital at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 28, in the Pavilion of the Performing Arts Center. The recital is the seventh in Spiller’s survey of the complete piano sonatas of Beethoven. For this year’s program, Spiller will perform the poetic masterpiece Op. 109; two large early works: Sonatas Op. 2, No. 2, and Op. 10, No. 3; and the compact and joyous Sonata Op. 78. 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.
Actress Isabella Rossellini Brings Her One-Woman Show to the PAC April 29
Cal Poly Arts presents Italian actress, author, philanthropist and model Isabella Rossellini in Miossi Hall at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 29. Best known as an award-winning actress but also holding a master’s degree in animal behavior and conservation, Rossellini seeks to reconcile her two worlds of acting and complex scientific theories in this new one-woman show through humor, insight and a killer Charles Darwin impression. The show is both a lesson on evolution and acting. In her usual comical tones, she demonstrates how acting could be used to understand the mysterious nature of animals and their emotions. With humor and simple devices, she plays on stage dogs, cats, chickens, peacocks, and of course, Charles Darwin.
Get tickets to see Isabella Rossellini
University Art Gallery’s 2023 Juried Student Exhibition Open Through May 2
The annual Juried Student Show is open in the University Art Gallery in the Dexter Building (No. 34), from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The show, juried by artist Chen Tianquitao, a visiting professor of photography, features work made in Cal Poly Art and Design classes. The 2023 Juried Student Show includes an impressive grouping of artwork from many different mediums, all carefully selected from a larger pool of submissions.
Darryl Taylor to Present Vocal Master Class and Seminar on May 4
Countertenor Darryl Taylor, a soloist, recording artist, professor, arts administrator and founder of the African American Art Song Alliance, will present a vocal masterclass and seminar on Thursday, May 4, in Room 218 of the Davidson Music Center. The master class will be at 11:10 a.m. and will feature performances by three music majors studying voice. The seminar will begin at 5:10 p.m. Taylor will speak and answer questions about his extensive career. Students interested in careers in the arts, education, arts administration or African American repertoire are encouraged to attend and ask questions or observe. The presentations are free and open to the public. 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 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 includes 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.