College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
Engage with Eye-Tracking Tech at the Experience Innovation Lab Workshop
Faculty and staff are invited to attend the Experience Industry Management Department’s upcoming Experience Innovation Lab Workshop Series event: Eye-Tracking Technology in Research and Design on Thursday, Feb. 26, from 11:10 a.m. to noon at the Experience Innovation Lab (Building 181, Room 205). This interactive workshop will introduce eye-tracking technology and explore its applications in research and design. Participants will gain hands-on experience with the technology while engaging in interdisciplinary discussions aimed at sparking collaboration and generating new grant ideas. Lunch will be provided.
Office of Research
Teacher-Scholar Mini Grant (TSMG) Program Applications due by April 9
Proposals are currently being accepted for the 2026-27 Teacher-Scholar Mini Grant (TSMG) Program. To learn more, we invite you to attend the Teacher-Scholar Mini Grant Information Session at 11:10 a.m. Thursday, March 5, on Zoom. Phil Costanzo, TSMG review panel chair, will explain the program, answer questions and provide tips and suggestions for drafting competitive proposals. Please email research@calpoly.edu with any questions. For full application and submission instructions, please view the TSMG Request for Proposals. Applications are due by noon on Thursday, April 9.
View the Request for Proposals
College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
Plant Sciences Department Head Returns to the Classroom After 12 Years
Scott Steinmaus, head of the Plant Sciences Department in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, will return to his faculty position at the end of the 2025-26 academic year after serving as head of the department since 2014. During his tenure, he oversaw the department’s strategic evolution strengthening its academic identity, expanding student interest and deepening its connection to industry and applied research, including the transition from the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science to the Department of Plant Sciences. A national search for a new department head will begin in the coming months.
Transportation and Parking Services
TAPS Offers Self-Help Guest Parking Portal for Campus Departments
Cal Poly Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) continues to offer a self-help guest parking portal called Offstreet. This online platform allows departments to provide customized parking access for guests without the need for physical pay stations. Departments can share a link with guests or enter license plate information directly, streamlining the parking process. TAPS will charge departments only for actual usage at the end of each month. The portal improves convenience for both departments and visitors. For more information or to schedule a demo, contact eventparking@calpoly.edu.
Administration and Finance
Concur System Blackout Scheduled for Feb. 28 through March 8
Faculty and staff who book travel or submit, review or approve expense reports should note that Concur will be unavailable from Feb. 28 through March 8 as system enhancements go live March 9. All open expense reports must be fully approved and processed by Feb. 27, or they will be deleted and must be recreated starting March 9. Visit the Blackout site for guidance to minimize rework. Support will be available beginning March 9 to help rebuild and resubmit reports. Learn more about the enhancements and new features on the Concur Enhancements site to prepare for upcoming changes and updates.
Academic Affairs
Save the Dates: Dean of CENG Finalists to Visit SLO and Solano Campuses
Cal Poly will soon host finalists in the search for the next Dean of the College of Engineering (CENG). Three-day finalist visits will take place across both campuses on March 2–4, March 4–6 and March 16–18. The first two days of each visit will be held on the San Luis Obispo campus, with the third day at the Solano campus. Each visit will include an open forum on the first day from 11:10 a.m. to noon, offered in person and via Zoom. Additional details will be shared in advance.
Theatre and Dance Department
'Urinetown: The Musical' Plays Feb. 26 – March 7
The Theatre and Dance Department will present “Urinetown: The Musical” Feb. 26 – March 7 in the Spanos Theatre. “In a world… where every flush could be your last… One man will stand up… One woman will sing out… And together, they'll spark a revolution that will change the way you think about plumbing… forever.” Tickets are $30 for the public and $19 for students, senior citizens and children. Tickets are available through the Performing Arts Ticket Office. To order by phone, call (805) SLO-4TIX (756-4849) or order them online.
Cal Poly Arts
Chris Thile Brings His Bold, Eclectic Music to San Luis Obispo Feb. 28
Chris Thile, a Grammy-winning mandolinist and MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient, is a genre-defying musician best known for founding the musical groups Punch Brothers and Nickel Creek, and collaborations with artists like Yo-Yo Ma and Fiona Apple. His 2025–26 solo tour is coming to PACSLO on Feb. 28 and will feature a wide-ranging program blending Bach, folk and improvisation, including music from his upcoming Bach volume and the ambitious song cycle, “ATTENTION!” This event has a 20-percent staff and faculty discount available.
Cal Poly Partners
'March Fourth' With Cal Poly Partners Next Wednesday
Faculty and staff are invited to join Cal Poly Partners for “March Fourth” from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 4, on Mustang Way. The annual campuswide celebration highlights the many ways Partners supports the university while celebrating 85 years of service and impact. The event will feature Partners teams sharing how they collaborate to advance student success and university operations, along with games, interactive activities and opportunities to learn more about Partners services.
Music Department
Cal Poly Jazz Combos Winter Showcase Set for March 5
The Jazz Combos Winter Showcase is set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 5, in the Pavilion of the Performing Arts Center. There are four jazz combos: the contemporary combo, composer/arranger combo, Latin combo and jazz standards Combo. The small ensembles explore a wide spectrum of jazz performance, from modern and traditional styles to original compositions and arrangements, Afro-Cuban and Brazilian–influenced repertory and classic standards. Learn more on the Music Department website.
Music Department
Cal Poly Choirs to Present ‘Cantus Novus’ Concert at SLO Mission on March 6
The Cal Poly Choirs’ “Cantus Novus” Concert at 8 p.m. Friday March 6, in Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa will feature Renaissance works as well as more modern compositions that draw on Renaissance-style elements. University Singers will open the concert with one of the most iconic choral works of all time, “Sicut cervus” by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. The Chamber Choir will perform “Missa pro defunctis” by Spanish Renaissance composer Cristóbal de Morales. PolyPhonics and the chamber choir will join to perform the featured piece of the program, “Mass in G Minor” by Ralph Vaughan Williams.
University Development and Alumni Engagement
Celebrate 125 Years of Learn by Doing and Mustang Pride This Founders Day
The Cal Poly alumni: the San Luis Obispo community invites you to celebrate Cal Poly's founding date from 2 - 4 p.m. Sunday, March 8, at Woodstock's Pizza in downtown San Luis Obispo. Tickets are $15 and include Woodstock's pizza, salad, breadsticks, one drink ticket for alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages and a special swag item. This event is open to Cal Poly alumni and guests of all ages.