News and Notes
New Director of Development
Allyson Fischlin joined the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences’ advancement team in June as a director of development.
She is returning to her native California after four years in Indiana. While in the Midwest, Fischlin worked at Purdue University as the director of development operations and donor stewardship for the College of Science. In this role, she was responsible for stewardship strategy, annual giving solicitations, donor event planning, and fundraising for diversity initiatives. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from UCLA and recently completed her master’s degree in public relations from Indiana University.
Meet Our New Faculty
Zach McFarlane
Department: Animal Science
Area of Specialty: Beef Cattle Production Systems
Education: Ph.D. in Animal Science from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; master’s degree in Animal Science from the University of Arizona; bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Science from the University of Arizona
Hometown: Gridley, California
What book are you currently reading? "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success," by Carol S. Dweck and "Letters to a Young Scientist," by E. O. Wilson
Siroj Pokharel
Department: Animal Science
Area of Specialty: Meat Food Safety
Education: Ph.D. in Food Safety and Microbiology from Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas; master’s degree in Meat Science and Muscle Biology from the University of Nebraska Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska; bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry from Tribhuvan University, Chitwan, Nepal
Hometown: Kathmandu, Nepal
What book are you currently reading? “Karnali Blues,” by Buddhi Sagar
The Power of Experiential Marketing: Q&A with Industry Leaders
The Experience Industry Management Department hosted an event in February that brought key leaders from leading experiential marketing firms to Cal Poly to meet directly with students. Alex Sapiz, Cisco Systems senior director of global sales events and talent, Catherine Simmons, Salesforce vice president of strategic events, and Chris Meyer, CEO of George P. Johnson, presented “The Power of Experiential Marketing: Q&A with Industry Leaders” to a crowd of several hundred students of varying academic focuses. George P. Johnson is a global creative agency that designs and delivers unique experiences that build brand devotion, including global events for Cisco Systems and Salesforce. The interactive presentation provided an overview of the power of experiential marketing and highlighted why Experience Industry Management curriculum and other programs at Cal Poly — including Construction Management, Graphic Communications, Engineering, Journalism, Computer Science, Information Systems, and Marketing — are relevant to the success of Cisco, Salesforce and George P. Johnson. “Our industry is one in rapid revolution,” said Sapiz, who oversees a number of high-profile sales events for Cisco, including the company’s annual global sales conference. “Nothing will ever replace live experiences.” Simmons encouraged students to gain global experiences to enhance their ability to provide genuine customer interactions. “We are always trying to be innovative and sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn’t,” said Simmons, who oversees the annual Dreamforce conference in San Francisco. “The significance lies in the stories we tell around our values and the experiences we create to display our products and our brand.” Sapiz said she was impressed by students’ questions and enthusiasm to enter the experiential industry. “These students are so brilliant, poised and thoughtful,” she said. “I am blown away with how hands-on the Cal Poly program is — these students have a huge leg up in their future endeavors.”
Open House 2018
Thousands of alumni and prospective students visited campus April 13-14 to learn more about the programs offered by the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences. Students showcased the college’s many programs, offering interactive displays and answering questions. In addition, the 78th annual Poly Royal Rodeo was once again held in Cal Poly’s Alex G. Spanos Stadium, bringing more than 14,000 spectators to the rodeo performances.
Award of Excellence
Professor Marni Goldenberg (pictured above second from the left), who teaches outdoor and experiential education in the Experience Industry Management Department, was honored with an Award of Excellence from the California Park and Recreation Society for outstanding research.
“The California Park and Recreation Society’s awards program is the highest recognition our department faculty can receive and it is credit to Goldenberg’s dedication to her scholarship, which has assisted our department in becoming a highly recognized and respected academic program across the U.S.,” Experience Industry Management Department Head Bill Hendricks said.
Goldenberg’s research on participant motivation has spanned from skateboard and dog parks to Special Olympics and outdoor trails and marathons. Her research findings have been published in more than 25 books and journal articles and in more than 120 international, national, regional, state and local presentations.
“She’s demonstrated her commitment to public parks and recreation not only through engagement at the state level but also at the district level,” said Keri Schwab, assistant professor in the Experience Industry Management Department. Since 2003, Goldenberg’s research has been accepted at all but one research symposium at the annual California Park and Recreation Society conference, a year in which she was on leave.
Visit the Cultivate Summer 2018 Page to read more stories.