Andrew Thulin, Dean of Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, To Retire After 25 Years of Service to University
Feb 28, 2023
Andrew Thulin, Dean of Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, To Retire After 25 Years of Service to University
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Andrew J. Thulin, dean of Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES), has announced his plans to retire from the university at the end of the 2023 calendar year.
Thulin, a Cal Poly alumnus, joined CAFES in 1998 as head of its Animal Science Department and has led the college for the last 10 years. Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore, Cal Poly’s provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs, shared the news of Thulin’s impending retirement with the campus community Tuesday.
“Dean Thulin’s legacy is built on his vision for the future and passion for collaboration with faculty, staff and students, as well as his strong connections to industry and government organizations,” said Jackson-Elmoore. “He has been instrumental in improving both the college’s programs and its facilities.
“He has worked to ensure the college is continuously poised to prepare future generations of students in sustainable agriculture practices that will build long-term food safety and security, environmental sustainability, and climate-smart agricultural systems.”
Jackson-Elmoore will work with Thulin to ensure a smooth transition of the many critical projects currently underway in the college. A national search for the next dean will be conducted in partnership with an external search firm.
During his 25-year tenure, more than $230 million was raised for numerous new laboratories and the construction of a new Beef Center, Animal Nutrition Center, J & G Lau Meat Processing Center, Oppenheimer Family Equine Center, Boswell Ag Tech Center in the William and Linda Frost Center for Research and Innovation, and the $22 million JUSTIN and J. LOHR Center for Wine and Viticulture, which has been recognized as the largest donor-funded project in California State University history. All projects were built to reflect Thulin’s vision of offering advanced technologies to provide students with the hands-on experience needed to succeed and thrive in varied industries, and to support the Teacher-Scholar Model for the college to ensure faculty and students are partners in discovery and innovation.
“It has been my great pleasure to serve as dean of the Cal Poly College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences for the past 10 years, focusing on developing solutions to food security, environmental sustainability and climate-smart agriculture,” Thulin said. “My love for Cal Poly runs deep, and I am honored to have spent the last 25 years alongside those who work tirelessly to prepare our graduates to address these global issues. I can retire knowing that the future is in good hands.”
As dean, Thulin hired nearly 100 new faculty and numerous full-time lecturers to support the college’s nine departments and 15 majors, with an emphasis on adding international and diverse expertise. His mentorship facilitated partnerships across the university and strengthened interdisciplinary efforts collegewide. A strong believer in diversity of thought and respect for others, Dean Thulin initiated the college’s first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and has encouraged and funded innovative programs to support first generation and underrepresented minority students.
His focus on expanding student and faculty success helped pave the way for faculty to grow research grant funding to $21 million in 2022 from about $5.5 million in 2014. In addition, his passion for providing students the opportunities to innovate and conduct undergraduate research showed through the development of the Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP). Since 2015 he has supported as many as 100 students and faculty with up to $400,000 each summer to support this important program. In addition, he updated the college’s strategic plan, and he advocated for the preservation of the college’s more than 6,000 acres of agricultural production, water supply, processing and research land and facilities near the campus core during the university’s master plan update.
Thulin strategically partnered with industry leaders who recognize and share the value of investing in the future to provide significant funding to launch the Cal Poly Strawberry Center, the Grimm Family Center for Organic Production and Research, and the Wildland-Urban Interface FIRE Institute, and reinvent the Dairy Processing and Technology Center, all of which are poised to expose students daily to existing challenges and prepare them to be future leaders in industries that sustain life.
Cal Poly’s Horticultural and Crop Science Department Changes Name to Plant Sciences to Better Reflect the Program’s Academic Mission
May 23, 2022
SAN LUIS OBISPO — Cal Poly’s Horticulture and Crop Science Department has formally changed its name to the Plant Sciences Department. The agricultural and environmental plant sciences major will also be renamed to reflect predominant employment opportunities more accurately for graduates and prospective students.
The department, which was formed in 2002, offers curriculum that is designed to train plant scientists who are ready upon graduation to make informed decisions and recommendations regarding sustainable farming or horticultural practices that maximize plant production and protection while minimizing economic, environmental and social impacts. The name change enables the program to clearly convey its academic mission and broaden recruitment of applicants who may or may not have a background in agriculture and allow them to be successful in robust careers throughout California and beyond.
“The Horticulture and Crop Science Department embarked upon careful consideration of the proposed name change with input from industry, its advisory council, and market analysis assessing prospective student interests,” said Scott Steinmaus, head of the department. “The name, ‘Plant Sciences,’ better reflects the interests of prospective students, predominant employment opportunities for graduates, aligns with programs at competitor institutions, and the department's academic mission.”
Within the plant sciences major, students can focus on three concentrations: environmental horticultural sciences, fruit and crop science and plant protection science.
Cal Poly students majoring in plant sciences are graduating and accepting jobs as production managers, agronomists, horticulturalists, food safety technicians, pest control advisors, certified crop advisors, government positions, and sales representatives throughout the country.
“This change reflects the department’s expertise in providing students with the tools, knowledge and abilities to meet the challenges of tomorrow — from best practices in drought management to the sustainable growing of plants, both indoors and outside,” said Andrew Thulin, dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences. “Students are given direct learning opportunities in the university’s fields, gardens, orchards, and labs; students are encouraged to look for solutions to real-world problems.”
About Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
Cal Poly is a nationally ranked, comprehensive polytechnic university. The College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences is comprised of expert faculty members who take pride in their ability to transform academically motivated students into innovative professionals ready to solve the complex challenges associated with feeding the world in sustainable ways. Students have access to state-of-the-art laboratories — including organic and conventional crop land, orchards, vineyards, forests and rangeland — all of which provide the basis for Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing methodology. It is the fifth-largest college of agriculture in the country with more than 4,100 undergraduate students. For more information, visit cafes.calpoly.edu.
Cal Poly Animal Science Students Advance to National Competition with First-Place Win
Apr 27, 2022
The Cal Poly Animal Science Academic Quadrathlon team members (left to right), Ashley Tartaglia, Genna Vieira, Assistant Professor Zach McFarlane (team mentor), Rachael Stucke and Sophia Juarez after their win at the Western Section of the American Society of Animal Science Academic Quadrathlon competition hosted by Cal Poly.
SAN LUIS OBISPO — Cal Poly animal science students used their knowledge of drought, livestock and rangeland management to win a recent regional competition, advancing them to the nationals in June. The team animal science majors took first place at the 2022 Western Section of the American Society of Animal Science Academic Quadrathlon, held April 1-2 at Cal Poly.
The team included Sophia Juarez from San Pedro, California; Rachael Stucke, from San Mateo, California; Ashley Tartaglia, from Delano, California; and Genna Vieira, from Fremont, California. They competed in four events: a written exam, oral presentation, a practicum of eight labs, and a quiz bowl.
The topic of the oral presentation was “Using management and technology to address severe drought conditions in the Western United States.” Students were asked to identify key strategies and tools available to ranchers and land managers to help mitigate the impact of severe drought and maintain water in western landscapes — a relevant topic throughout California and beyond. The Cal Poly team focused on how animal genetics, rangeland management, water storage, and feed selection are all tools that producers can implement in times of drought.
“The Academic Quadrathlon is a true test of a student’s ability to apply the knowledge they gain in the classroom,” said Animal Science Department Assistant Professor Zach McFarlane, who mentored the team. “Our incredible students in the Animal Science Department truly embody Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing motto. The 2022 team will represent the Western Section of the American Society of Animal Science with pride.”
Cal Poly hosted the regional completion and welcomed the teams from five other Western U.S. universities, including Chico State, Fresno State, Colorado State University, New Mexico State University, and Oregon State University.
Teams are ranked by their performance in each of the four competitions of the quadrathlon, with multidisciplinary and multispecies sections designed to test students in all facets of animal science. Cal Poly ranked first in the lab practicum, written exam and quiz bowl, and second in the oral presentation. Lab practicum stations focused on application of skills related to animal physiology, lactation, nutrition, reproductive physiology, and animal health.
This is the third consecutive time that Cal Poly has won the regional competition, with additional first place wins in 2019 and 2020. The 2021 contest was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019 the Cal Poly team won the national competition.
“Participating in the Academic Quadrathlon competition was very fulfilling experience, since I was able to see how far my education in animal science has grown over the past four years,” Rachel Stucke said. “Winning the western section was a perfect capstone to my Cal Poly experience. Our team win is very much attributed to the strength and diversity of our department’s hands-on curriculum, as each team member has specialized species strengths, in addition to a strong understanding of foundational animal science concepts.”
The win advances the Cal Poly team to the national American Society of Animal Science competition in Oklahoma City in June.
About Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
Cal Poly is a nationally ranked, comprehensive polytechnic university. The College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences is comprised of expert faculty members who take pride in their ability to transform academically motivated students into innovative professionals ready to solve the complex challenges associated with feeding the world in sustainable ways. Students have access to state-of-the-art laboratories — including organic and conventional crop land, orchards, vineyards, forests and rangeland — all of which provide the basis for Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing methodology. It is the fifth-largest college of agriculture in the country with more than 4,100 undergraduate students. For more information, visit cafes.calpoly.edu.
Cal Poly’s Leaning Pine Arboretum Receives $1 Million Donation for Upgrades and Improved Programming
Apr 27, 2022
Gift from longtime university supporters Kathleen Enz Finken (former provost) and Gerald Finken honors agriculture dean Andrew J. Thulin
SAN LUIS OBISPO — Kathleen Enz Finken, Cal Poly’s provost from 2012-19, and her husband, Gerald Finken, both longtime supporters of Cal Poly, have donated $1 million to the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science’s Leaning Pine Arboretum. The gift was made in honor of Andrew J. Thulin, the college’s dean since 2013 and former head of the college’s Animal Science Department.
Nestled on five acres, the Leaning Pine Arboretum is Cal Poly’s living classroom for students, faculty and the community. The arboretum features a stunning array of landscape plants representing the world’s five Mediterranean climate regions.
This collection of landscaping serves multiple purposes for the university and community. An extension of the Cal Poly Horticulture and Crop Science Department’s Environmental Horticulture Science facility, the arboretum’s foremost goal remains education: a resource for independent study, research and workshops that promote horticulture best practices for Cal Poly students and faculty spanning numerous areas of study.
The gift will help fund the further integration of the arboretum into the fabric of the Cal Poly community through increased access, improved directional signage, programming and opportunities for education, while serving as a regional draw for visitors to the Central Coast and those within the horticulture industry.
This is not the first time that the College of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences has benefited from the Finkens’ generosity. The couple are avid supporters of the Swanton Pacific Ranch, Cal Poly’s vast, 3,200-acre property in Santa Cruz County whose diverse and fragile ecosystems — including Redwood forests, coastal grasslands, and a lush estuary — are the locus for student research and educational activities.
“The Finkens’ philanthropic support of Cal Poly and the community exemplifies their commitment to furthering educational opportunities for students and the environment,” Thulin said. “Just as their past support of Swanton Pacific Ranch allowed the college to enhance educational opportunities there, this donation will expand our offerings at the one-of-a-kind Leaning Pine Arboretum to incorporate the larger community.”
The arboretum has long been a crown jewel for the campus community as well as the greater San Luis Obispo Community. Over the years, many horticulture and botany students, faculty and staff have worked in the garden to maintain its beauty and importance. However, it is not sustainable under the college’s current budget scenario, nor is it fully accessible to many visitors. Infrastructure and accessibility improvements are needed, and the Finkens’ gift will help make those improvements a reality.
“Dean Thulin has led the complete transformation of Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences by working tirelessly to raise funds in support of students and faculty, and to bring college facilities into the 21st century,” said Kathleen Enz Finken. “He is a high-energy, caring professional wholly invested in strengthening the learning environment and preparing students for successful careers. While the arboretum is personally important to Gerald and me, it will be upgraded as part of a larger enhancement to the college’s student-learning facilities, all of which will stand as a testament to the leadership of Dean Thulin and the support of numerous generous donors for many years to come.”
Said Thulin: “The Leaning Pine Arboretum will serve as an essential tool in addressing the increasing impacts from drought, climate change and wildfire which is demanding research, education and outreach on Mediterranean landscapes. As a regional destination, the Leaning Pine Arboretum can meet the need for Mediterranean climate horticultural education and training and give students valuable hands-on experience.”
About the Leaning Pine Arboretum
The five-acre Leaning Pine Arboretum, established within the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences 50 years ago, is a distinctive representation of plant species that make up the five Mediterranean ecosystems worldwide. The student-managed botanic garden, surrounded by stunning vistas overlooking the Cal Poly campus, showcases a vast array of curated collections of flowers, plants and trees and provides an opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience in a thriving living laboratory of worldwide plant species. Learn more at https://aeps.calpoly.edu/leaning-pine-arboretum.
About Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
Cal Poly is a nationally ranked, comprehensive polytechnic university. The College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences is comprised of expert faculty members who take pride in their ability to transform academically motivated students into innovative professionals ready to solve the complex challenges associated with feeding the world in sustainable ways. Students have access to state-of-the-art laboratories — including organic and conventional crop land, orchards, vineyards, forests and rangeland — all of which provide the basis for Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing methodology. It is the fifth-largest college of agriculture in the country with more than 4,100 undergraduate students. For more information, visit cafes.calpoly.edu.
Annual Tomato Spectacular Plant Sale to Be Held Two Consecutive Weekends in April at Cal Poly
Mar 22, 2022
SAN LUIS OBISPO — More than 75 different types of tomato plants will be available at Cal Poly’s annual Tomato Spectacular plant sale from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 1-2 and April 15-16, at the Horticulture Unit near the Poly Plant Shop.
Brandywine, Early Girl, Kellogg’s Breakfast, Vintage Wine, and a selection of cherry tomato plants, including Nature’s Bites, are some of the unique cultivars that will be available during the student-run enterprise project, one of several such hands-on courses offered by the university’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences.
This year, the program is directed by a team of five students who have grown more than 3,000 tomato plants from seed to provide home gardeners with quality plants that will produce fresh tomatoes throughout summer. Students began seeding the plants in early February and have tended to them in the campus greenhouses.
“Being a part of the Tomato Spectacular student-run enterprise has enabled me to gain first-hand experience with growing a crop commercially for sale in a production setting,” said Ryan Schrader, a fourth-year agricultural and environmental plant sciences major. “Everything from cleaning pots to how to set up the sale has been done by our fantastic team of five hardworking students. I’m so excited to share with everyone the tomato fruits of our labor these past few months.”
The plants cost $8 and are available on a first-come, first-served basis — with no holds or reservations made in advance. Customers are encouraged to bring boxes and/or wagons to transport plants to their vehicles.
The sale will take place at the Environmental Horticultural Sciences Building (No. 48) on Via Carta Road off Highland Drive. Parking will be provided for free in lot H14. For more information, follow Cal Poly Tomato Spectacular on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CalPolyTomatoSpectacular and Instagram at www.instagram.com/calpolytomatospectacular.
About Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
Cal Poly is a nationally ranked, comprehensive polytechnic university. The university’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences is comprised of expert faculty members who take pride in their ability to transform academically motivated students into innovative professionals ready to solve the complex challenges associated with feeding the world in sustainable ways. Students have access to state-of-the-art laboratories, including ranch land, orchards, vineyards and forests, all of which provide the basis for Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing methodology. It is the fifth-largest college of agriculture in the country, with 4,000 undergraduate students.
Photo information: Ryan Schrader, a fourth-year agricultural and environmental plant sciences major, tending plants in the campus greenhouse. He is one of five students involved in the Tomato Spectacular student enterprise.
Cal Poly Team Wins First at National Grocers Association Student Case Study Competition
Mar 14, 2022
SAN LUIS OBISPO — A team of four Cal Poly Agricultural Business seniors won first place in the National Grocers Association 2022 Student Case Study Competition for their presentation on March 1. This is the second consecutive year that Cal Poly has won first place.
The team included students Carsen Beckwith of Clovis, California; Kaylee Earnshaw of San Jose, California; Megan Poyar of San Luis Obispo; and Brittney Tran of Danville, California. Agribusiness Associate Professor Ricky Volpe advised the team.
Tran said the opportunity to represent Cal Poly at the national level was something she had dreamed of since her freshman year.
“It was surreal to pitch an idea we had worked countless hours on and meet passionate members of the industry,” Tran said. “I couldn’t be prouder of how far I've come as a student at Cal Poly and of my team and what we've accomplished.”
This year’s competition focused on providing solutions for Woodman’s, a 19-store independent supermarket chain operating in Wisconsin and Illinois. Woodman’s was seeking ideas for improving its e-commerce presence and better utilizing customer data.
The National Grocers Association (NGA) hosted the annual competition, which returned to an in-person format in Las Vegas, Nevada, after using a virtual platform in 2021 due to COVID-19. Each year, the NGA Foundation selects an independent retailer and a pressing industry issue to use as a subject for the competition. The competing schools are all members of the Food Industry University Coalition, which has programs that relate directly to the food retail sector. After months of research, student teams presented their findings to a panel of judges, executives from Woodman’s, and NGA Show attendees.
Nine schools, including Cal Poly, competed in a bracket-style competition from Feb. 27 to March 1, with Cal Poly and Auburn University competing in the final round. Teams from Arizona State University, Cal Poly Pomona, Findlay University, Fresno State, Niagara University, St. Joseph’s University and Western Michigan University also participated.
The Cal Poly team began preparing during winter break and worked on the prompt throughout winter quarter. Volpe hosted an internal competition at which four student teams enrolled in the senior project course Agribusiness Industry Consulting prepared unique solutions. The winning team advanced to represent Cal Poly at the NGA competition.
“Coaching and advising this amazing team throughout the quarter and during the competition was such a great experience,” Volpe said. “The NGA show is one of my favorite events of the year, not just because the competition but also because our students get the chance to see the grocery industry in action and to network. This really was a big win for Cal Poly, and I am so excited to see what next year brings.”
About Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
Cal Poly is a nationally ranked, comprehensive polytechnic university. The university’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, cafes.calpoly.edu, is comprised of expert faculty members who take pride in their ability to transform academically motivated students into innovative professionals ready to solve the complex challenges associated with feeding the world in sustainable ways. Students have access to state-of-the-art laboratories, including ranch land, orchards, vineyards and forests, all of which provide the basis for Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing methodology. It is the fifth-largest college of agriculture in the country, with 4,000 undergraduate students.
About NGA
NGA is the national trade association representing the retail and wholesale grocers that comprise the independent sector of the food distribution industry. The independent grocery sector is accountable for close to 1% of the nation’s overall economy and is responsible for generating $131 billion in sales, 944,000 jobs, $30 billion in wages and $27 billion in taxes. NGA members include retail and wholesale grocers, state grocers associations, as well as manufacturers and service suppliers. For more information about NGA, visit www.nationalgrocers.org.
Photo information
Top Photo — From left to right: Kristin Popp of Woodman’s Markets with Cal Poly students Carsen Beckwith, Brittney Tran, Megan Poyar and Kaylee Earnshaw, and Maggie White of NGA Foundation.
Second Photo — From left to right: Carsen Beckwith, Kaylee Earnshaw, Brittney Tran and Megan Poyar.
Cal Poly Logging Team Takes First Place in Timbersports Competition
Feb 23, 2022
The Cal Poly Loggers, an intercollegiate team of male and female students involved in traditional forestry field skills, took first place at the Sierra-Cascade Logging Conference and Exhibition in Anderson, California. In addition, Kelly Schwenger, second-year forest and fire sciences major, earned top women’s competitor at the event.
Seven teams representing four western states competed in traditional timber sports Feb. 10-12. This was Cal Poly's first competition since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Students competed in events including underhand chopping, single bucking, double bucking, jack and jill, stock saw, choker setting, axe throw and speed axe.
The Cal Poly logging team, advised by Professor Samantha Gill and assisted by Walter Ruzzo (Natural Resources Management, ’78), competed against teams from Oregon State University; California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt; University of Nevada Reno; U.C. Berkeley; Shasta College; and Northern Arizona University.
The Cal Poly team includes Schwenger, from Esparto, California; fourth-year forestry and natural resources majors Dustin Morgan from Susanville, California; Austin Law from San Luis Obispo; Mark Inman from Springville, California; Owen Purcell from San Luis Obispo; Mary Cizin from Hilt, California; and Teoman Dogan from Ladera Ranch, California; fourth-year architectural engineering major Emmett Huggins from Seattle; first-year forest and fire sciences major Gregory Crook from Sonora, California; fourth-year business administration major Nate Mirizzi of San Jose; fourth-year animal science major Helen Dubee of San Luis Obispo: second-year forestry and natural resources major Kai Hansen of North Fork, California; and Cal Poly alumna Nikki Bright (Environmental Management and Protection, ’21). (The name of the forestry and fire sciences major changed with the 2021 cohort; it was previously forestry and natural resources.)
“I am proud of the team’s hard work to earn the championship title and the outstanding way they represented Cal Poly,” said Ruzzo, who was recently named the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences honored alumnus and serves on the Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences Department’s advisory council.
About Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
Cal Poly is a nationally ranked, comprehensive polytechnic university. The university’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (cafes.calpoly.edu) is comprised of expert faculty members who take pride in their ability to transform academically motivated students into innovative professionals ready to solve the complex challenges associated with feeding the world in sustainable ways. Students have access to state-of-the-art laboratories, including ranch land, orchards, vineyards and forests, all of which provide the basis for Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing methodology. It is the fifth-largest college of agriculture in the country, with 4,000 undergraduate students.
Kelly Schwenger (left) and Helen Dubee hold the winning plaque.
Top photo: The Cal Poly Loggers at the 73rd Sierra-Cascade Logging Conference in Anderson, California,
February 16, 2022
Contact: AnnMarie Cornejo
805-756-2427; ancornej@calpoly.edu
2022 Poly Royal Rodeo Celebrates 80 Years of History at Cal Poly
Feb 23, 2022
The 80th annual Poly Royal Rodeo is returning to its roots to commemorate eight decades of history at the Cotton Rosser Rodeo Complex on campus.
The Poly Royal Rodeo Finals, open to the public, will be held at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, April 9, and will be followed by a concert by a headlining country music band, which will be announced soon. Tickets go on sale March 1.
The Poly Royal Rodeo is the marquee event on campus during Cal Poly’s annual Open House. The event will feature the top collegiate rodeo athletes from around the West Coast who have advanced to the championship performance from the weekend’s earlier rounds. Athletes will compete for a championship title in events such as barrel racing, team roping, breakaway roping, tie down roping, saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, bull riding and steer wrestling.
“This is our big comeback event,” Coach Ben Londo said. “These students have been working hard behind the scenes for the last two years while COVID-19 precautions limited their ability to compete. Now, they get to shine.”
A special guest will also participate in this year’s Poly Royal Rodeo. The Cal Poly Rodeo Team has been working with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to fulfill the wish of 12-year-old Maddie Owens, of Winton, California, who at age 10 was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, an aggressive form of bone cancer. After treatment, surgery, and the fortunate circumstance of an early diagnosis, she is now ready to saddle back up and spend more time doing what she loves — riding horses. With the help of Sierra Spratt, assistant coach and member of the Cal Poly Rodeo Team, Maddie was invited to practice on campus several times leading up to the big event. She will make a cameo appearance as barrel racer at this year’s 80th annual Poly Royal Rodeo as a special guest of Cal Poly.
In prior years, the annual Poly Royal Rodeo was held at the Spanos Stadium, offering two full nights of entertainment. However, a $3.2 million turf replacement project has temporarily closed the stadium — leading the event back to the campus rodeo grounds where it began 80 years ago. To accommodate the expected large crowds, a special ASI-sponsored student night has been added to the week’s offerings on Wednesday evening.
The Saturday evening event is slated for 6:30 p.m. April 9. Tickets are $20 for children ages 2 to 12; and $40 for general admission. Admission is free for children under 2. Tickets will go on sale March 1 at https://tickets.calpoly.edu. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Cal Poly Rodeo Program.
About Cal Poly Rodeo
Cal Poly Rodeo, coached by Ben Londo, is one of the most successful programs in the history of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA). Cal Poly sent six men to the inaugural College National Finals Rodeo in 1949. Since then, Cal Poly Rodeo’s student-athletes have won more national titles than any other college rodeo program — holding 45 national titles. The program is open to all Cal Poly students.
About Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
Cal Poly is a nationally ranked, comprehensive polytechnic university. The university’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (cafes.calpoly.edu) is comprised of expert faculty members who take pride in their ability to transform academically motivated students into innovative professionals ready to solve the complex challenges associated with feeding the world in sustainable ways. Students have access to state-of-the-art laboratories, including ranch land, orchards, vineyards and forests, all of which provide the basis for Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing methodology. It is the fifth-largest college of agriculture in the country, with 4,000 undergraduate students.
Contact: AnnMarie Cornejo
805-756-2427; ancornej@calpoly.edu
Feb. 14, 2022
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Cal Poly’s Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Research Receives Funding from Three Investor-owned Utility Companies
Oct 19, 2021
The pledge is another step toward bringing industry and academia together to help build fire resilient communities
Cal Poly is establishing the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) FIRE Institute, as the first-of-its kind at a California university and is getting critical support from the three largest California investor-owned electric utility companies. Pacific Gas and Electric Company, San Diego Gas and Electric Company, and Southern California Edison Company have pledged funding and support over a three-year period to assist in launching the institute which will be focused on developing holistic solutions to prevent destructive wildfires and help build more resilient communities.
The Cal Poly WUI FIRE Institute, comprised of an interdisciplinary group of Cal Poly faculty, staff and students, partnered with industry and community members, is focused on developing and evaluating methods of managing forests and designing communities in ways that reduce wildfire severity and threats to human welfare and property while maintaining environmental and community health.
The support of the three investor-owned utilities is part of a larger strategic effort by Cal Poly to collaborate with a broad cross-section of stakeholders that includes agencies, industry, policy makers, community planning and design, forest management, and response organizations.
“These stakeholders are integral to better connecting problems with solutions and preparing the future workforce for these challenges,” said Dan Turner, a retired CAL FIRE chief and business manager of the San Luis Obispo County Fire Safe Council who is helping to lead the WUI FIRE Institute effort. “The investment of these utility companies in the Institute is a new path forward toward reducing community damages from wildland-urban interface fires including advances in planning, prevention, mitigation, response, and recovery. Their financial support will enable research, recruitment of graduate students, educational outreach, and administrative support of the institute.”
Cal Poly’s WUI FIRE Institute will work with the utilities on optimizing their Wildfire Mitigation Plans (which are required by the California Public Utilities Code), infrastructure design and protection, fire prevention, and technology solutions.
“We welcome the opportunity to aid the organization’s goal to be the ‘center of excellence’ using a multi-disciplinary systems-based approach focused on education and research,” said SDG&E’s Chris Terzich, environmental regulatory and technology lead, who spearheaded SDG&E involvement and the utility partnership effort with SCE and PG&E. “We applaud the Institutes’ broad focus on the multi-faceted wildland fire problem, where the electric utilities are only one of many factors to be considered. The institute will have the ability to connect multiple public and private stakeholders to establish statewide research, collect and disseminate information, convene stakeholder dialogues, guide workforce education and training, and inform policy.”
“The rapid onset of catastrophic wildfire risk has heightened our focus on hardening the electric grid and deploying other wildfire mitigation techniques to protect our communities,” said Steven D. Powell, Southern California Edison executive vice President. “While we have robust plans, we have to look beyond the technologies available to us today, as well as focus on many aspects of fire management. Our research partnerships can help us look at all of them.”
“Serving as the center of collaboration, the WUI FIRE institute will allow exploration of research in wildfire risk topics that normally fall outside traditional utility business operations,” continued Richard Lam, senior advisor of Grid Technology Innovation for Southern California Edison, who is the company’s lead in working with the institute. “Key decision-makers from the IOUs, government agencies and academia will be involved, and the institute is our intersection for information sharing and coordination.”
About Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
Cal Poly is a nationally ranked, comprehensive polytechnic university. The university’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences is comprised of expert faculty members who take pride in their ability to transform academically motivated students into innovative professionals ready to solve the complex challenges associated with feeding the world in sustainable ways. Students have access to state-of-the-art laboratories, including organic and conventional crop land, orchards, vineyards, forests, and rangeland, all of which provide the basis for Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing methodology. It is the fifth-largest college of agriculture in the country with more than 4,100 undergraduate students. For more information visit CAFES.calpoly.edu.
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Cal Poly Teams Rank Platinum and Gold at Region Dairy Challenge
Mar 11, 2016