Fall 2023 | Issue 20
From the Dean
As I prepare to retire as dean in December after more than 25 years at Cal Poly, I find myself reflecting not only on all of the firsts that I experienced along the way, but on the lasting lessons that will remain long beyond my time here.
Cover Story
Boswell Ag Tech Center
Boswell Ag Tech Center serves as a hub for students, faculty and industry
Students are immersed in classes focused on culinary and food science, sensory analysis, product development, food safety and nutrition.
Vertical Farming
Third-year bioresource and agricultural engineering major Anna Wescott kneels in the upper level of the indoor vertical farm transplanting lettuce that was moved just minutes prior from the plant propagation chamber next door.
Climate Research in the Tundra
In the remote Alaskan Arctic tundra, the impacts of a changing climate are like beacons guiding scientists to better understand the environmental shifts that will impact populations well beyond the rural landscape.
Alumni Spotlight: Mobile Veterinary Business
Alumnus Jacob Wright (Animal Science, ’20) co-founded a mobile veterinary franchise that allows doctors to offer a wide range of services such as exams, routine care and vaccinations on the go.
Q&A with Frank Frievalt, director of the Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Institute
Retired fire chief Frank Frievalt joined Cal Poly this year as the director of the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Fire Institute.
25 Years of Dean Andy Thulin
Andrew J. Thulin, dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, will retire from the university at the end of the 2023 academic year after more than 25 years of service.
The Grant is Greener
In California, legalized cannabis is a $5 billion industry. But are excessive taxes and a hodgepodge of municipal regulations hampering the market? A group of Cal Poly professors are investigating just that.
Ornamental Greenhouses
Anticipated enhancements and repairs are in the works for the college’s 18,000-square-foot ornamental horticulture facility thanks to a generous donation by an alumnus of the program.
Alternative Breaks
In late June, two College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences students participated in a global service trip to Cape Town, South Africa, where they engaged in learning outside of the classroom and connected with the community through service projects.
Earn by Doing Endowment
Andrew Thulin, dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES), will retire from the university at the end of 2023 after more than 25 years of service.
Preparing Students to make headlines
Cultivate is the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences quarterly magazine, sharing student Learn by Doing stories and exploring how our faculty, staff and alumni continue to positively impact the world.