Students with Dependents Program
Cal Poly Joins Effort in Support of Parenting Students
Cal Poly has been selected to become part of a new national college community of practice to support students who are parents. To support the work, Cal Poly will receive $60,000 over two years from the Urban Institute’s Data-to-Action Campaign for Parenting Students. Staff and faculty in Cal Poly’s Students with Dependents Program and the School of Education will work to collect data on parenting students and use it to support students and their educational goals — especially those students who are single mothers. There are currently about 100 students with dependents at the university. The actual number may be far higher.
More about the Students with Dependents Program
College of Engineering
EE Faculty Partner with Startup to Receive $1 Million Grant
In traditional Learn by Doing fashion, Steve Dunton and Dennis Derickson, electrical engineering faculty members, are working closely with 14 Cal Poly engineering students and startup OWL Integrations to build low-cost, long-range (LORA) radio mesh networks and, eventually, deploy the LORA link into space. The two groups recently received more than $1 million in joint research funding from the Air Force Research Labs Phase II Small Business Technology Transfer Program.
Division Of Research
Engineering Faculty Receive Two U.S. Patents
Three faculty members and a College of Engineering alumnus recently received U.S. Patents, the Division of Research announced. Electrical engineering Professor Taufik and alumnus Owen Jong, (Electrical Engineering, ’12), received a patent for “Zero Voltage Switching Hybrid Voltage Divider,” a novel method for energy conversion that may revolutionize how devices are powered. Associate Professors Majid Poshtan, electrical engineering, and the late Joseph Callenes-Sloan, computer engineering, received a patent titled “Using Power Infrastructures for Wildfire Detection” for an innovative approach to curbing the spread of wildfires. Questions? Visit the Technology Transfer website or email [email protected].
Housing
Future Housing Program to Launch in Summer
This summer, Cal Poly is embarking on a 10-year program to expand and improve campus housing to enhance the residential student experience and promote student success. The Housing Future Program will add 3,000-4,000 beds to campus housing and incorporate major renovations to University Housing’s six red-brick residence halls in multiple construction phases to ease demand, accommodate growth and address aging facilities. The program concept will be submitted to the CSU for the Board of Trustees for consideration at its July meeting. For questions, email [email protected].
University Personnel
Outside Refresh: Benefits of Restorative Landscapes
A team of psychology seniors — Abby Abraham, Britta Kleitsch, Karissa Nunez and Samantha Silva — partnered with University Personnel’s Lisa Gray to publish research on the restorative benefits of nature. Their project aims to spread knowledge of how biophilic design, an architectural approach to connect building occupants more closely to nature, and natural landscapes relieve directed-attentional fatigue, or DAF, improving employee wellbeing and productivity. DAF is a neuro-psychological phenomenon that results from incoming distractions while maintaining focus on a specific task. Their research was completed during the winter and spring quarters, supervised by psychology Professor Shawn Burn.
President’s Office
Employee Appreciation Event Set for June 6
An employee appreciation event will take place Thursday, June 6, from 3-5 p.m. at the Cal Poly Partners Pavilion (Building 19A). RSVP here by Thursday, May 30. President Armstrong, Mrs. Sharon D. Armstrong, the President’s Cabinet and colleagues from across campus will gather to honor the dedication and hard work of faculty and staff. Connect with colleagues in this new facility off the UU Plaza while enjoying live music and refreshments. Questions? Reach out to the Office of the President at ext. 6-6000 or [email protected].
Guardian Scholars Program
Foster Youth Ally Virtual Training Offered May 29
The Guardian Scholars Program will host a virtual Foster Youth Ally Training on Wednesday, May 29, from 3-4:30 p.m. The goal is to spotlight the experiences of students who have been or are currently in foster care. The training is designed to bring together faculty and staff who are interested in enhancing inclusive and equitable practices to bolster foster students’ success. Topics will include the challenges students experience in foster care, what it means to be an ally and strategies for empowering students to succeed. The Zoom link will be sent out to all confirmed participants before the event.
Campus Dining
Lunch Club at Cal Poly Partners Pavilion Open All Week
Faculty and staff members can enjoy the comfort and calm of the Lunch Club at Cal Poly Partners Pavilion Monday through Friday, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. The beautiful space is conveniently located in the heart of campus, off the UU Plaza, providing a perfect midday oasis to eat and relax away from the office. Grab a bite from one of the seven venues inside nearby 1901 Marketplace, and head next door to enjoy comfortable seating among peers and colleagues, without the hassle of finding a seat.
Office of University Diversity and Inclusion
BEACoN Study Offers Survey on Microaggressions
Faculty, staff and administrators are invited to participate in a BEACoN study investigating campus microaggressions — small, often unintentional actions or comments that convey negative attitudes or stereotypes toward marginalized groups. Participants need to have witnessed or experienced a microaggression in the past six months. A 15-20-minute online survey includes questions on incident details, perceptions and demographics. Confidentiality will be maintained, and respondents will be entered to win one of 16 $25 gift cards.
Campus Health and Wellbeing
Counseling Services Is Changing its Name
Counseling Services at Campus Health and Wellbeing will be renamed Counseling and Psychological Services for the start of the 2024-25 academic year. The change aligns closely with naming conventions for identical programs at most CSU campuses and helps clarify its purpose to address the psychological and mental health needs of Cal Poly students. The program will continue to offer the same support services for students, including individual, group and couples therapy, weekly online drop-in support, urgent and same-day services, eating disorder treatment and recovery, mental health workshops, and more.
Recreation Center
Free TRX Training Workshop for Members
Embark on a transformative fitness journey with ASI’s “TRX Suspension Training" workshop. TRX means Total Resistance Exercise. Learn the essential setup and proper form for TRX fundamentals that will enable Rec Center members to expand and deepen workout routines. Spots will fill quickly, so register today!
Music Department
Choirs to Present ‘Sacred Sounds’ Concert in SLO Mission on May 23
Two choirs will present a concert of music from the sacred choral tradition spanning more than 600 years Thursday, May 23, at 7:30 p.m. in Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa. The Chamber Choir will perform the oldest piece of the concert, Guillaume Dufay’s “Nuper rosarum flores,” plus a rare performance of Tomás Luis de Victoria’s “Missa O quam gloriosum” in its entirety. Cantabile will sing several movements from Giovanni Battista Pergolesi’s celebrated “Stabat Mater,” featuring solos by Music Department voice instructor Kaitrin Cunningham, and music majors Melissa Scarpelli and Erika Foreman. More information is on the Music Department’s website.