News
Cal Poly Maritime Academy
Cadets Embark on 2026 Summer Sea Term
Over 300 cadets set out May 8 for a two-month mission aboard Training Ship Golden Bear on its final Pacific voyage. The 65-day Pacific training session is both a defining part of cadet education and the end of an era for the vessel, which has served the seafaring academy for three decades. The voyage also marks the first since the transition from California State University Maritime Academy to Cal Poly Maritime Academy, now part of Cal Poly. The training cruise provides cadets with immersive, hands-on training operating a working vessel while navigating real-world maritime conditions.
California Impact
Study Finds Building Density Was Strongest Predictor of Home Loss in 2025 LA Fires
A new peer-reviewed study by Cal Poly faculty and scientists found that building density, not urban trees, was the strongest predictor of whether homes were destroyed during the catastrophic Southern California firestorms of January 2025. The team examined 15,082 structures and 52,893 tree canopies within the Eaton and Palisades fire scars and evaluated the relative associations of urban canopy and structure density with structure damage. The study examined two of the most destructive urban-interface fires in California history. Their conclusion was clear: Houses packed closely together were far more likely to burn than homes in less dense neighborhoods.
Environment and Sustainability
Tiny Ocean Life Helps Scientists Estimate Whale Prevalence Off the California Coast
A new approach to assessing whale population data has emerged, led by Cal Poly statisticians and a marine biology research team from UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Scientists typically monitor whales through traditional methods such as visual surveys, photo identification, acoustic monitoring, satellite imagery and, increasingly, genomic methods. But a wide-ranging migration area and intermittent surface pop-ups, among other difficulties, create challenges. Using an innovative alternative method, the Cal Poly-Scripps team examined microbial “ecological habitats” as highly accurate predictors of how many filter-feeding whales were occupying California’s coast between 2014 and 2020 from San Diego to Morro Bay.
Student Success
Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Three Cal Poly Student Teams Win $30,000 at 21st Innovation Quest Competition
Three student startup teams split $30,000 at the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s annual Innovation Quest competition, where students pitched inspired business ideas to a panel of judges to fund their startups. Since the first high-stakes Innovation Quest, or IQ, was held in 2004, hundreds of thousands of dollars have been awarded to student startups that have blossomed into thriving businesses. The top three presentations and proposals in the annual competition received cash prizes: third place got $5,000; second place got $10,000; and first place got $15,000.
Academic Affairs
Alumna Ella Leback Receives EU IMBRSea Award
Ella Leback, a 2025 Cal Poly graduate in Marine Sciences with minors in Environmental Studies and Statistics, received a prestigious EU IMBRSea award and will pursue a two-year International Master of Science in Marine Biological Resources. The program will take her to institutions across Portugal, Spain, France, Sweden and beyond, combining specialized coursework with professional practice and a thesis. This experience will prepare her to address global challenges in sustainable marine resource use. Her success reflects the support of Cal Poly’s Office of National and International Fellowships and Scholarships.
Faculty and Staff
Academic Affairs
Susan Cheng Selected for DAAD Germany Today 2026 Information Tour
Susan M. Cheng, Ed.L.D., MPP, associate provost for student success at Cal Poly, has been selected by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for the Germany Today 2026 Information Tour. The program will take her to Berlin, Leipzig, Jena and Fulda to explore Germany’s higher education system, research landscape and opportunities for transatlantic collaboration. Cheng will engage with global leaders to advance innovation and student success initiatives. Her selection reflects the support of Cal Poly’s Office of National and International Fellowships and Scholarships.
Academic Affairs
Business–Higher Education Forum Faculty Innovation Fellowship Recognition
Cal Poly faculty members David Askay and Leida Chen have been selected as 2026 Fellows in the national Business–Higher Education Forum Faculty Innovation Fellowship, a competitive program supporting faculty leaders advancing innovations in AI skill development and work-integrated learning. The 2026 cohort includes 22 fellows from 20 institutions across 15 states. Askay and Chen will develop capstone projects focused on expanding applied learning opportunities, strengthening employer partnerships and preparing students for a rapidly evolving workforce.
Catastrophic Leave
Astra Keelin, custodian, Facilities Management- Custodial Services, has qualified for catastrophic leave. To donate leave credits to help Keelin remain in full-pay status during an extended leave of absence, please contact the catastrophic leave coordinator Sonika Dacosta at (805) 756-3054 or sodacost@calpoly.edu to request a donation form.
Retirements
College of Engineering
Hugh Smith Retirement Reception
Please join us from 4–5:30 p.m. Friday, May 29, in Kennedy Library’s James P. Sargen Courtyard as we celebrate and honor a longtime colleague, friend and valued faculty member of our computer engineering and computer science and software community. We’ll toast Hugh’s many accomplishments during his career at Cal Poly and wish him all the best in his retirement!
College of Liberal Arts
Alyson McLamore Retirement Send-off on June 4
Music Professor Alyson McLamore will retire in June after 35 years of dedicated service to Cal Poly. She leaves an extraordinary legacy of scholarship, teaching and leadership. As co-founder of Cal Poly’s music degree, she spearheaded program refinements that led to accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Music. She taught widely across the curriculum, including numerous general education courses. An active scholar, she published a book on musical theater and is a beloved pre-concert lecturer and program-note author. You’re invited to her retirement send-off at 11:10 a.m. Thursday, June 4, in Room 218 of the Davidson Music Center.
Campus Announcements
Academic Affairs
CSU Talent Exchange Grant Award
Cal Poly — in collaboration with CSUs in Bakersfield, Fresno and Monterey Bay — has received $100,000 in funding through the CSU Regional Pitch Contest to advance the CSU Talent Exchange (CSU-TX), an initiative focused on expanding access to paid, high-impact experiential learning opportunities. The proposal — developed by Susan Cheng and Amie Hammond with colleagues across participating CSU campuses — was recognized for its cross-campus collaboration and alignment with the CSU Student Success Framework. The pilot will support coordinated employer engagement and increased paid placements in priority sectors, including agriculture, food systems, energy and clean technology, with potential for future systemwide expansion.
Faculty and Staff Housing
Vista Meadows Housing Project Update
The Vista Meadows faculty and staff housing project continues to advance at the corner of Grand Avenue and Slack Street. The development will include 34 single-family homes designed to support a connected campus community. Interest in the program has been strong, with a prioritized lottery process used to allocate the limited number of homes. Homes will be delivered in phases, with the first phase planned for completion in July 2026 and a dedication ceremony anticipated in fall 2026.
Learn More About Vista Meadows
Cal Poly Print and Copy
Print and Copy Survey Draws Strong Response
Thank you to the 831 students, faculty and staff who participated in the Cal Poly Print and Copy survey. Your feedback is invaluable as Print and Copy evaluates opportunities to better serve the campus community and strengthen its services. The team is now reviewing and tabulating survey results, with plans to incorporate many of the findings into future business practices and improvements. Congratulations to Jennifer Fanning, Lilly Wade, Camille Marcelino and Sabrina Harper, winners of the $25 Visa gift cards.
Events
Campus Community
Center for Health Research to Host May 21 Spring Symposium
The Center for Health Research welcomes the university community to its spring symposium, “Advancing Health Research for Impact: From Discovery to Real-World Change.” The event takes place 4–6 p.m. Thursday, May 21, in the Cal Poly Tech Park Conference Room on the first floor. The engaging symposium will showcase innovative health research from across Cal Poly’s campus and highlight how faculty are generating evidence that strengthens scientific recommendations and improves health outcomes — both in our local communities and worldwide. Light hors d’oeuvres will be served.
View a full speaker lineup and RSVP
College of Liberal Arts
‘Finding the Sunny Side: Design in California Then and Now’ with Louise Sandhaus
Louise Sandhaus will present on California design in Building 3, Room 112 at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 21. This lively presentation by the author of the seminal book on California graphic design history, “Earthquakes, Mudslides, Fires & Riots: California and Graphic Design, 1936-1986,” celebrates resiliency, reinvention and imagination in times of upheaval and change. Sandhaus will share tangents of her work as a California designer and observations about California design’s past to consider how alternative visions lead to other possibilities for design and for our lives.
Music Department
Cal Poly Choirs to Present ‘Who is My Neighbor?’ on May 22
Two Cal Poly Choirs — Chamber Choir and Cantabile — will present a concert of two cantatas at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 22, in the San Luis Obispo United Methodist Church: Benjamin Britten’s “Cantata Misericordium,” which asks the question: “Who is My Neighbor?” and Dan Forrest’s cantata “Lux: The Dawn from on High.” John Buffett, baritone, and George Gorrindo, tenor, will be guest soloists for the Britten piece, and faculty and student string players will perform for both. Scott Glysson will conduct the concert, and Paul Woodring will accompany on piano and organ.
Music Department
Cal Poly Soundings to Present ‘Music of the Spheres’ May 28-29
Soundings will present “Music of the Spheres” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, May 28–29, in the Pavilion of the Performing Arts Center. Soundings is an interdisciplinary program that joins original compositions by music technology and composition students with contemporary choreography by dance students. The performances will feature visiting artists T.J. Borden, cello, and Mari Kawamura, piano, of the [Switch~ Ensemble], a group dedicated to the creation and performance of new acoustic, electroacoustic and multimedia works. Music faculty member Julie Herndon is the show’s director, and dance Professor Emeritus Diana Stanton is the dance director.
College of Engineering
Engineering Expo is Slated for May 29
Please join the College of Engineering and the Noyce School of Applied Computing at the annual Engineering Project Expo. The event will be held noon to 3 p.m., Friday, May 29, in the Engineering Plaza, Bonderson, the Advanced Technology Lab and Engineering IV. More than 200 projects will be on display throughout these engineering spaces.
Culture and Institutional Excellence (CIX)
Artist-Writer Thi Bui Comes to Cal Poly May 27
In celebration of Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Heritage Month, CIX presents an evening with award-winning author Thi Bui at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 27, at Chumash Auditorium. A book-signing will follow. Thi Bui is a Vietnamese-born American cartoonist and graphic novelist. Her best-selling debut memoir, “The Best We Could Do” (2017), follows her parents’ lives in Vietnam, escape during the Vietnam War and migration to the U.S. as refugees. She is working on a graphic nonfiction book about immigrant detention and deportation. The event is free and open to the public and co-sponsored by CIX and APIDA Center.
Employment Opportunities
CSU / State Positions
The official listing of staff and management vacancies is posted on jobs.calpoly.edu. As a courtesy to our on-campus employees, job vacancies are also published in the Cal Poly Report. Current employees can also find job postings at CSU Careers, an internal job site for CSU employees. To apply, go online and complete the application form. Applicants needing assistance may contact Human Resources at (805) 756-2236.
For assistance with academic positions, email Academic Personnel.
Submit all requested application materials as attachments to your online application by the review begin date for full consideration.
- Computer Science and Software Engineering - Personnel and Budget Coordinator (Administrative Support Coordinator II) - Academic Affairs-Provost – CENG-Computer Science and Software Engineering. $52,404 - $76,344 Per Year. Anticipated hiring range: $52,404 - $66,456 Per Year. Open until filled. #558080
- Computer Science and Software Engineering - Faculty and Student Coordinator (Administrative Support Coordinator I) – Academic Affairs-Provost – CENG-Computer Science and Software Engineering. $48,564 - $70,752 Per Year. Anticipated hiring range: $48,564 - $56,904 Per Year. Open until filled (unless there is a close by date). #558083
- Wellbeing Services Administrative Support Coordinator - Campus Health and Wellbeing – Student Affairs – CH&W-Campus Wellbeing. $48,564-$70,752 Per Year. Anticipated hiring range: $48,564 - $56,904 Per Year. Open until filled. #557796
- Emergency Hire - Administrative Support Coordinator II - Experience Industry Management – Academic Affairs-Provost – CAFES-Experience Industry Management. $25.19 - $36.70 per hour. Anticipated hiring range: $25.19 - $27.81 per hour. Open until filled. #558104
- Human Resources Information Systems Analyst - University Personnel (Confidential Admin Support 12 Mo) University Personnel – UP-HR Information Systems. $56,244 - $134,676 Per Year. Anticipated hiring range: $80,000 - $120,000 Per Year. Open until filled. #556345
- Industrial Technology & Packaging Labs Technician - Orfalea College of Business (Instructional Support Technician II) - Academic Affairs-Provost – OCOB-Industrial Technology and Packaging. $54,140 to $80,328 per year. Anticipated hiring range: $67,212 to $80,328 per year. Open until filled. #555293
- Civil and Environmental Engineering - Personnel and Budget Coordinator (Administrative Support Coordinator II) - Academic Affairs-Provost – CENG-Civil and Environmental Engineering. $52,404 - $76,344 Annually. Anticipated hiring range: $52,404 - $66,456 Annually. Open until filled. #557706
- Painter - Facilities Management and Development- Solano Campus- (CMA Painter II) - Administration and Finance – FacMD-Solano Multi-Craft Svc. $54,744 - $94,092 per year. Anticipated hiring range: $70,000 - $80,000 per year. Open until filled. #557440
- Full-Time Lecturer - Water Resources Engineering (AY 26-27) - CENG-Civil & Environmental Eng - #557441
- Full-Time Lecturer AY - Communication Studies (26/27) - CLA-Communication Studies - #555067
- Full-Time Lecturer - Structural Engineering (AY 26-27) - CENG-Civil & Environmental Eng - #557402
PART-TIME LECTURER POOLS - Pools are opening for 2026-27 academic year. Please visit jobs.calpoly.edu and search department of interest.
Submission Guidelines
Cal Poly Report (CPR) is Cal Poly’s official employee newsletter, designed to communicate information about officially sanctioned university news or events to faculty, staff and administrators.
All announcements, events and other listings and information must be faculty- and/or staff-focused. Submissions may run only one time — with the exception of Catastrophic Leave announcements and Employment Opportunities, which can run up to two consecutive weeks. Items are strictly limited to 100 words and should, whenever possible, provide a link to additional information online.
To help ensure CPR continues to contain only relevant and approved information, submissions are required to come from or be approved by the employee designated to approve submissions in the respective colleges, units and work areas. Entries submitted by those other than the designated approver must be accompanied by an approval form signed by the unit’s approver. CPR is published on Wednesdays weekly during the school year, except during academic breaks, and monthly in the summer. The deadline for each issue is 5 p.m. the Thursday prior to publication.
Event Marketing Resources
University Communications and Marketing has resources and tools to help promote your event to the campus community.
University Events Calendar
University Events Calendar is a Master Calendar that lists all events — such as performances, lectures, workshops and more.
25Live: Space and Event Scheduling
Use 25Live to 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.
Cal Poly Now
Turn to 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 through Cal Poly Now.
Thank you for reading the Cal Poly Report.
The next issue will be Wednesday, May 27.