Senior Vice President Administration and Finance
Allison Baird-James Joins Cal Poly
Allison Baird-James starts Sept. 3 as Cal Poly’s senior vice president for administration and finance. With 14 years at UCLA, she most recently served as interim vice chancellor and chief financial officer, and previously as associate vice chancellor for business and finance solutions. She holds a degree in business administration from CSU Chico and has completed the executive management program at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management and the Leadership at Stanford Program. Baird-James has served on several governing boards including the UCLA Foundation and UCLA Investment Company.
Interim ASSOCIATE Vice President for Financial Services
David Valadez
David Valadez will serve as interim associate vice president for Financial Services. Valadez currently serves as Assistant Vice President for University Budget and Fiscal Planning, working alongside Cal Poly’s senior leadership on budget planning and reporting. David’s work has increased transparency with university financial information, as well as access to training and oversight of the campus finances.
Cal Maritime
Kraetsch to serve as Acting Chief Financial Officer
Associate Vice President for Financial Services Angie Kraetsch will begin supporting Cal Maritime in a shared service model as the acting chief financial officer. Kraetsch, who has been with Cal Poly since 2019, will start supporting Cal Maritime immediately and will continue in her role until the Board of Trustees acts on the recommendation to integrate Cal Maritime and Cal Poly in November. During that time, David Valadez, Cal Poly’s assistant vice president for University Budget and Fiscal Planning, will serve as interim AVP for Financial Services. Since 2016 Valadez has led Cal Poly’s budget planning and has increased transparency in the process.
ITS JOINS ADMINISTRATION & FINANCE
Search is on for New CIO
The transition of Information Technology Services (ITS) into Administration & Finance (A&F) is nearing the final stage. With this shift, A&F and ITS look forward to joining efforts in the pursuit of providing exceptional academic and administrative support to the campus community. With the move also came a change in leadership as Alison Robinson is serving as interim vice president for Information Technology and chief information officer. A national search for a new vice president for Information Technology and CIO is underway. Bill Britton was promoted to special assistant to the president and began his new role in May.
Cal Poly Partners Plaza
Open for Fall Athletics
The new 14,200-square-foot tiered hospitality area in the north end zone of Alex G. Spanos Stadium, is on schedule to open for the fall soccer and football seasons. A project of Cal Poly Partners, the plaza has three separate and distinct terraces and has an amazing field view that creates a continuous connection to the action on the field. Pair that with two uniquely different culinary and beverage venues, and one stand-alone drink concession, and the plaza brings the tailgate to the field from kick off to final whistle.
Cal Poly Foundation
Board of Directors to Meet Aug. 24
The Cal Poly Foundation Board of Directors will hold its quarterly meeting at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 24. In compliance with Cal Poly Foundation Policy 122, public comments must be emailed to [email protected] by 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16. The agenda will be available after Aug. 19 upon request to that email address. Virtual participation is encouraged; register for Zoom login details at [email protected] at least 72 hours before the meeting. Login details will be provided to each registrant to join as an attendee. For more information, contact the Cal Poly Foundation office at ext. 6-7147 or via email.
View Cal Poly Foundation Public Comment Policies
Cal Poly and Snopes
Develop AI Service to Fact-Check Your Questions
The Cal Poly Digital Transformation Hub (DxHub), in collaboration with Snopes.com and powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), has successfully integrated generative artificial intelligence (AI) to revolutionize user interactions with factual content. This partnership with Snopes leverages AI technologies, such as Amazon Bedrock, to enhance user experiences by providing concise, accurate summaries and answers to queries based on Snopes’ extensive repository of fact-checked articles. The 30-year-old organization is the oldest and largest fact-checking site online, widely regarded by journalists, folklorists and readers as an invaluable research companion.
Cal Poly to Paris
Four Mustangs Represent USA at the Olympics
Some Cal Poly alumni are strutting their stuff on the court, the course and behind the scenes this summer at the Paris Olympics. Architecture alum Taylor Spivey made her Olympic debut July 31, taking part in the women’s triathlon. She placed 10th — the top American — and competed in Team USA’s triathlon mixed-team relay Aug. 4, winning a silver medal alongside her teammates. Ranked fourth in the women’s World Triathlon rankings entering the Olympics, Spivey was a member of the Cal Poly swimming team 2009-14. She said her time as a Mustang helped shape her into the Olympian she is today.
Last Chance to Vote
CSU Photo of the Year
Cast a vote for Cal Poly in the CSU Photo of the Year competition now through Aug. 16. Cal Poly’s image, taken by university photographer Joe Johnston, features engineering students Benjamin Kurtz and Gretta Thompson working on the next CubeSat in the program’s vibrations lab. The stellar shot captures Learn by Doing in action and celebrates the 20th anniversary of the university’s first mini-satellite project. Cast a vote before the deadline on the CSU’s Photo of the Year competition page.
Cal Poly Symphony and PolyPhonics
Performance Tour of France
Cal Poly’s Symphony and PolyPhonics choir went on a tour of France in June which included performances at the American Cemetery in Normandy, in the Church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine in Paris, and other locations throughout the country. Special guest tenor Wayne Jennings, staff soloist of the Washington National Cathedral in the nation’s capital, accompanied the groups to perform American composer Nathaniel Dett’s “Chariot Jubilee,” based on the African American spiritual “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.” The performances were enthusiastically received, and the Normandy performance — which was close to the 80th anniversary of D-Day — moved the audience members and performers to tears.
Save the Date
Inaugural Dean of Students Summit
The inaugural Dean of Students (DOS) Summit will be held Thursday, Oct. 3, providing training and information on the Office of the Dean of Students and equipping participants with knowledge and skills to collaboratively support students. The summit will offer specific training and information on academic integrity and managing disruptive students, CARE services, support for Guardian Scholars (foster youth) and students with dependents, and off-campus housing programs. It also will cover the dynamics of the 2024 presidential election and details on Cal Poly Cares Grants. More details regarding session times and locations will be provided on the DOS website soon.
Learn more to better equip our diverse student population
Paul Anderson Wins Fulbright for AI Research
Professor to Develop AI Framework for Chronic Pain at Universidad de Murcia
Computer science Professor Paul Anderson has earned a prestigious Fulbright Scholar Award to conduct research in Spain, aiming to harness artificial intelligence and global perspectives to transform the treatment of chronic pain. Anderson will spend his winter quarter at the Universidad de Murcia, forging connections to enable his NIH consortium to conduct larger, more diverse studies on low back pain. This project aims to develop an AI-powered framework to improve diagnosis and care.
Learn More About the Fulbright Scholar Award
Improve Your Nutrition
August is National Wellness Month
Proper nutrition builds stronger immune systems and lowers the risk of cognitive decline, diabetes and other diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average American consumes 22 teaspoons of sugar per day, much of it as added sugars. CDC recommends adding fruit to water instead of consuming sugary drinks and offers tips on healthy eating. Cal Poly employees have access to the Cal Poly Food Pantry on Fridays between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. This month, consider a new routine to improve your nutrition.
Check out local farmer’s markets
Upcoming In September
Well-Being Workshops
University Personnel and Cal Poly’s employee assistance program, LifeMatters, offer the following well-being workshops: Addressing Burnout - Burnout leaves us exhausted, detached from work, and inefficient. Learn to create mindful habits, build resilience through managing energy, and increase emotional intelligence through self-awareness, self-management, and empathy. Sept. 17 at 2 p.m. Co-worker Communication - Effective communication is essential to building and maintaining relationships and central to addressing workplace conflict. Join this session to learn about conflict resolution, eliminating defensive behavior, active listening, and problem-solving skills. Sept. 26 at 11 a.m. Contact Lisa Gray at [email protected] for more information.
Employee Assistance Program
LifeMatters Services
Cal Poly provides access to LifeMatters employee assistance program for all employees, their household members, and dependent children. Around-the-clock support is available to support your emotional well-being. LifeMatters also provides consultation on financial and legal matters, health and workplace issues, child and elder care and convenience services. LifeMatters can be reached at 800-367-7474. Contact Lisa Gray at [email protected] for more information.
Echo Labs: Grant Opportunity
Free Captioning of Videos
Thanks to a special grant, Echo Labs is offering free captioning for up to 250 hours of Cal Poly’s videos over the next four weeks. Enhance accessibility and engagement by having your content professionally captioned at no cost. Turnaround time is usually one to two days but can be expedited upon request. Interested? Simply email John Lee at [email protected] to get access for uploading or linking your videos to be captioned by Echo Labs. Don’t miss out on this fantastic resource — act now to improve your video content!
Now Available to Post Student Positions
MustangJobs Platform
Faculty and staff are invited to advertise student assistant positions for the 2024-25 academic year by posting on the newly updated MustangJobs website. This platform provides enhanced tools for both students and employers and is available to help faculty and staff advertise their on-campus student jobs, internships and Federal Work-Study (FWS) opportunities. FWS funding is available beginning the first day of fall classes, Sept. 23. Questions? The Career Services team can be reached at [email protected] or 805-756-2501.
Check out the Onboarding Guide for Assistance
Sign-Up to Volunteer
Mustang Move-in in September
Mustang Move-in is Tuesday-Wednesday, Sept. 17-18, for new students and Friday, Sept. 20, for continuing students. University Housing is seeking support from faculty and staff to welcome more than 8,800 residents to campus housing for the 2024-25 academic year. Sign-up for a volunteer shift today and help create a memorable move-in experience for students and their supporters. Volunteer tasks may include greeting new and returning residents and their supporters, directing traffic, checking in volunteers or residents, collecting carts, and more. Volunteers will receive up to two $50 gift cards to the University Store.