Cultivate Summer 2021

FROM THE DEAN

As I stood on stage at Spanos Stadium on June 13 and shook the hands of the Class of 2021 graduating seniors, I felt my first sense of ease in what seems like a very long time. These students, as those that came before them and those that will come after, are our future. And let me assure you, it’s a bright one.

We are teaching these young people how to use climate-smart agricultural practices to provide food security and environmental protection.

They are learning the interconnectedness of it all and emerging into their chosen fields ready to work together, in unity, for a common goal of global health.

In this issue, you’ll read stories about students helping others — helping both their fellow scholars and the larger community outside of Cal Poly. They understand that compassion is the root of success and that working together at a societal level is essential for the future. Not just any future, but a very bright future.

As we emerge from the pandemic of this past year, let us not forget the valuable lessons that we learned in the last year-and-a-half — we are in this together, and combined, we can accomplish anything that we put our hearts and minds into. Thank you for supporting Cal Poly and our future.

To continued good health,

ANDREW J. THULIN, DEAN

College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences