Giving Report 2016

GIVING REPORT 2016

“ Agriculture is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals, and happiness.”

— Thomas Jefferson, 1787 0ii

Message from

THE DEAN Dear Friends,

“Every gift, large and small, makes an enormous impact on our students, faculty and staff, and ensures our Learn by Doing legacy thrives.”

On behalf of Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, thank you.

Every gift, large and small, makes an enormous impact on our students, faculty and staff, and ensures our Learn by Doing legacy thrives. In total, your tremendous generosity added up to $16.8 million in private donations, enabling students to receive a hands-on education and faculty to develop cutting-edge solutions to industry problems.

Looking forward, we’ll continue to focus on enhancing the college’s infrastructure. With several key capital projects underway — including the Boswell Ag Tech Center, Center for Wine and Viticulture, and Plant Sciences Complex — our financial need is greater than ever. We are poised to take the college to next level – and beyond. We hope you’ll be our partner in that vision.

Warmest regards,

Andrew J. Thulin, Ph.D. Dean

CAFES

01

Incoming Class of 2016 4,426 first-year and 949 transfer students applied to one of the nine departments within the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences.

02

Those students represent 59 counties in California; more than 20 states, from Alaska to New York; and more than 10 countries, including Lebanon and Switzerland.

3.9 The average GPA of incoming freshmen who applied directly from high school.

Of those, 1,700 were selected by the university for admission.

881 freshmen and 198 transfer students committed to attending Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences.

CAFES

03

STUDENT IMPACT

Earn by Doing The fresh, earthy smell of a just-planted field is not something that can be emulated in a textbook.

It’s about working the field as the sun rises and getting dirt under your fingernails long before the first class of the day begins.

The College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences knows that the best way to teach students is to immerse them in hands-on learning.

Each of the college’s departments strive to provide students with Learn by Doing opportunities both in and out of the classroom. Student interns are able to take full advantage

of these opportunities by receiving both valuable hands-on

experience and additional income to support their academic studies: Earn by Doing. These interns have worked at

Cal Poly’s organic farm, greenhouses, orchards, Farm Shop, and Beef and Equine units, among many more.

One supporter of the college’s Earn by Doing program is

the California Cotton Alliance, a nonprofit foundation with a primary mission to provide funding for cotton research.

The alliance is also a proponent of supporting academic and scholarship initiatives throughout the state of California.

The Earn by Doing opportunities provided by the California

Cotton Alliance allow Cal Poly’s Horticulture and Crop Science Department to hire up to five student assistants to work directly in the fields each year.

“It is probably the greatest example of Learn by Doing on

campus — to grow a crop from a seed and follow it to the

market,” said Scott Steinmaus, head of the Horticulture and Crop Science Department. “There are not a lot of programs

that offer students the chance to be involved in full production.

Here, they do it all, including crop management, irrigation, pest control, maintenance and diagnosis.”

These student positions are essential to the daily maintenance of

lands and agricultural operations across all of the college’s units.

Donors who contribute to the Earn by Doing program further the shared mission of preparing leaders to contribute to the diverse needs of society while allowing students to finance their education.

04

“ There are not a lot of programs that offer students the chance to be involved in full production. Here, they do it all, including crop management, irrigation, pest control, maintenance and diagnosis.”

— Scott Steinmaus

ALUMNI SUPPORT

Q&A with Lauren and Sandy Layne What inspired you to donate to Cal Poly?

There was never really a question with either of us that we would give money back to Cal Poly. Neither of us would be where we are today without our education and experiences at Cal Poly.

As young alumni, why is it important to give back?

Cal Poly is constantly growing and changing for the better.

It is great to be a part of that and help support the students that will be our future. It’s inspiring to see what the students are doing now and to meet with other alumni to see what they have accomplished because of their Cal Poly education.

Do you give to other organizations?

Young Alumni Reinvest in their Alma Mater

Sandy: Yes. We are involved in our community and donate to a variety of local nonprofits. Lauren also donates to her law school, Pacific McGeorge School of Law.

What compelled you to remain involved in the university through its alumni organizations after graduation?

their respective colleges — knowing that their financial support

We both liked the idea of connecting with other Cal Poly graduates and meeting new people in Modesto (where we lived in 2007). So, we responded to an outreach email from the Modesto chapter of the Cal Poly Alumni Association when that group was looking for additional chapter leaders.

We have been involved since.

Lauren, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in soil science

What was the best thing about your experience at Cal Poly?

Cal Poly alumni Lauren Layne (Corkins), 32, and her husband,

Sandy Layne, 39, have both committed scholarship bequests to will directly impact future generations.

in 2006, pledged her support to the College of Agriculture,

Food and Environmental Sciences. Sandy, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in graphic communication in 2000, is donating to the College of Liberal Arts.

The couple, who met at a friend’s barbecue during Mardi Gras in San Luis Obispo, now live in Fresno, Calif., and have two sons, Wesley, 5, and Parker, 3.

Lauren is an attorney at Baker, Manock & Jensen focusing on

water, agricultural and public agency law. She remains an active volunteer at Cal Poly. In 2011, she helped re-form the Fresno

chapter of the Cal Poly Alumni Association, and in 2014 was

elected to the Cal Poly Alumni Association board of directors to serve as the regional director for the Central Valley. Sandy

Lauren: One of the most influential experiences I had at Cal Poly was co-chairing the National Agricultural Ambassador Conference and hosting it at Cal Poly. Plus, I am still best friends with my co-chairwoman, and I didn’t even know her before we started planning the conference. I met great friends at Cal Poly, and those friendships have continued beyond college.

Sandy: I would say that working at Cal Poly’s University Graphic Systems (UGS) was one of the best things I did at Cal Poly. It was truly Learn by Doing. I was in charge of operating a $1 million press. Additionally, the friendships we made on our management team at UGS remain intact.

The experiences at UGS were invaluable to my career in the printing/packaging industry.

is an operations manager for Sterling Coated Rollstock, a Georgia-Pacific company.

Both agree that the Learn by Doing experiences they encountered at Cal Poly have helped them immeasurably in their careers.

CAFES

05

BY THE NUMBERS The College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences has the fifth largest undergraduate enrollment in agriculture and renewable resources programs in the nation.

2,215

1,719

The total number of gifts and matching gifts

The total nuber of donors

**All numbers represent the 2015-16 fiscal year.

06

1,461

196

53

7

2

Gifts of $1,000 or less

Gifts of $1,000 to $9,999

Gifts of $10,000 to $99,999

Gifts of $100,000 to $999,999

Gifts of $1 million or more

3%

2%

1%

10% Alumni Corporations

11%

Parents Other Individuals Other Organizations Foundations Fundraising Consortia

55%

18%

Year

CAFES

Cal Poly

Gift Breakdown

Dollar Value

2010-11

$8,673,899

$29,906,189

< $1,000

$254,004.72

2011-12

$11,644,916

$28,682,362

$1,000 - $9,999

$555,489.65

2012-13

$20,690,239

$42,468,045

$10,000 - $99,999

$1,206,637.26

2013-14

$14,618,091

$44,129,765

$100,000 - $999,999

$1,838,415.57

2014-15

$37,728,514

$71,848,329

> $1,000,000

$4,250,000.00

2015-16

$16,841,139

$85,988,889

Total

$8,104,547.20

**These are total gift commitments including planned gifts such as bequests, naming CAFES as a beneficiary in a retirement plan or life insurance policy, and charitable gift annutiies.

CAFES and Cal Poly Gift Commitments: Five-Year History ($M) $90 $80 $70 $60 $50 $40 $30 $20 $10 $0 2011 CAFES

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Cal Poly

CAFES

07

08

CAFES

09

DONOR PROFILE: Cal Poly Provost Kathleen Enz Finken

Swanton Pacific Ranch Endowment Upon her first visit to Swanton Pacific Ranch, Cal Poly Provost

about a vast number of topics, allowing them to get involved

the university’s Learn by Doing philosophy.

“It is very compelling to me because every college we have

Kathleen Enz Finken knew that it was a priceless attribute to

Like others who had visited before her, she was enchanted by the

breathtaking beauty of the ranch. However, it was the vast learning

opportunities it offers and model of excellent land stewardship that compelled Enz Finken and her husband, Gerald, to give.

After consulting with Swanton Pacific Director Brian

Dietterick, the couple pledged a financial gift to hire a staff member to support the ranch’s operations. They are also

building an endowment over time that will assist with costs well into the future.

Cal Poly’s Swanton Pacific Ranch, located along California’s scenic Highway 1 in Santa Cruz County, is a 3,800-acre

ecologically diverse living laboratory. The ranch, managed

has the opportunity to be active there. Whether studying land management, public policy, education or engineering — there is a way to get involved at Swanton Pacific Ranch.”

Educational opportunities available at the ranch extend

beyond the traditional classroom and offer hands-on lessons

in sustainable agriculture, timber harvesting, natural resource management, and riparian protection.

Enz Finken and her husband are passionate about land

management and environmental concerns. They also have close ties to agriculture. Enz Finken was raised on a New Jersey farm and worked the land alongside her family. The farm remains in their family today.

by the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences,

“It is a very beautiful place, and it holds deep meaning for us,”

of its lands, including cropland, redwood forest and grassland

resources and have preserved it to ensure that it will remain

is known as an ecological hotspot because of the biodiversity

for cattle grazing. It is used by hundreds of Cal Poly students

annually through internships, courses, field trips and research.

“That variety makes it a wonderful place for students to learn 10

in projects and research from many angles,” said Enz Finken.

said Enz Finken. “We are invested in the stewardship of natural farmland forever.”

Enz Finken said she sees her financial support of Swanton

Pacific Ranch as a way to encourage similar actions by others.

“ In general, investing personal resources in a public institution is what can make the difference between a good education and a great one.”

“It is one thing to own a farm, it is another to provide the

opportunity for others to learn to respect the land for the

— Kathleen Enz Finken

future,” said Enz Finken. “Our investment in the stewardship of Swanton is an investment in education and a way to

encourage people to go out into the world and do good work.”

Enz Finken said that private and corporate donations allow

Cal Poly to provide unique learning opportunities that allow students to experience something life changing.

“In general, investing personal resources in a public institution is what can make the difference between a good education and a great one,” she said. “State funding and tuition

essentially keep us afloat. Private and corporate donations

make us vibrant and exciting — giving Cal Poly the edge to

do things that will make a very big difference. Otherwise, we simply don’t have enough money to do the things necessary to get students out of the classroom and have the hands-on experiences that make them shine.”

For the past three years, a monthly deduction has been made

from Enz Finken’s paycheck. “It makes giving simple and it’s

amazing to watch it add up over time. I think anybody can do that. Any amount, small or large, helps support our efforts to give students an outstanding educational experience.”

CAFES

11

INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Presqu’ile Winery Presqu’ile Winery, located in the Santa Maria Valley of Santa

”My family and I believe formal education can provide

investing in the next generation of wine industry leaders.

to enriching culture and humanity,” said Murphy. “To have

Barbara County, has formed a key partnership with Cal Poly: Matt Murphy heads his family’s multigenerational

collaboration at Presqu’ile, pursuing a childhood intrigue for the wine business and a passion for wine.

The Murphy family, including Matt’s parents, Madison

and Suzanne Murphy, and siblings Anna and Jonathan,

has long given back to the community through the Murphy Foundation — a charitable nonprofit established by Matt’s grandfather, Charles.

a talent base that is familiar with the Central Coast and its vineyards is great for this area and lifts everyone up.”

Third-year wine and viticulture major Patricia Williams, who hopes to one day own her own winery in her hometown of

Napa, Calif., is the 2016-17 recipient of the Murphy Foundation scholarship. “Because of generous donors such as the Murphy Foundation, I am on track to graduate from college debt free,”

said Williams. “I am able to focus solely on academics and not worry about financial burdens, which I know is a privilege in

That support has led to numerous internship opportunities for

a time of increasing costs for higher education.”

that links directly to students’ hands-on experiences.

Their Roots Run Deep

Founding winemaker Dieter Cronje, a cool-climate pinot noir

The family is also deeply rooted in agriculture: four

students direct insight into his expertise of enology.

in Louisiana going back nearly a century. They also have

Cal Poly students, an annual scholarship, and an endowment

specialist, has visited Cal Poly as a guest lecturer — giving

12

impactful, positive effects on the lives of people and is key

generations of the Murphy family have been farming land a deep appreciation for the world’s great pinot noirs.

Photo courtesy of Presqu’ile

“My passion for wine stems in part from my parent’s

involvement in a small winery in Santa Maria beginning

in the early 2000s,” said Murphy. “Through that involvement, I became more familiar and enamored with the wines from this part of California.”

Murphy moved to the Central Coast in 2006 and worked at

two wineries in the Santa Maria Valley, both of which sourced pinot noir from vineyards across California and Oregon.

“Over the course of several harvests, and quite a bit of wine tasting, I began to notice my preference for pinot noir from Santa Barbara County and more specifically Santa Maria

Valley. This epiphany led my family and me to plant our roots in this area when we formed Presqu’ile,” he said.

Murphy then began to invest in the community surrounding him.

“After becoming more familiar with the Wine and Viticulture Department at Cal Poly, we saw a great opportunity to

play a small part in helping develop the next generation of wine industry leaders,” said Murphy. “It is invaluable that employers throughout the state have a pool of potential

employees that are well educated and prepared to enter

the workforce. This is what we have seen from the Cal Poly graduates we have hired at Presqu’ile. Cal Poly provides

Thank you, Murphy Foundation. This scholarship means everything to my family — I would not be in college if it were not for your generosity.

I can promise that I will continue to strive for academic excellence and live my life according to the Mustang Way: pride, responsibility and character. I hope that one day I will be able to make such an impactful difference in someone else’s life, like you have made in mine. Knowing that I have generous people backing me and supporting me on the journey to achieve my goals, pushes me even more to strive for greatness.

— Patricia Williams, third-year wine and viticulture student

students who are business savvy and ready to learn because of the Learn by Doing ethos. Partnering with the college has worked well for us.”

CAFES

13

“ The Boswell Ag Tech Center will provide much needed laboratories and research space to partner with industry to conduct applied research.”

— Andy Thulin

Boswell Ag Tech Center Momentum is growing to build Cal Poly’s Boswell Ag Tech Center

endowed faculty position, funding a remodel of the dairy science

the construction of the planned multidisciplinary undergraduate

the Master of Professional Studies in dairy foods program.

as critical donors continue to step forward to pledge support for research and technology center in the heart of campus.

The College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences

recently received a $1 million pledge from longtime supporters

Mike and Suzy Leprino, who hope to now inspire others to come forward in support.

The Boswell Ag Tech Center will provide students and faculty

with state-of-the-art teaching and much needed laboratories and research space — expanding the college’s ability to work with more industry partners to solve real-time problems.

“The agricultural landscape is rapidly changing, and Cal Poly’s faculty and students are ready to solve tomorrow’s problems today,” said Andy Thulin, College of Agriculture, Food and

Environmental Sciences dean. “The Boswell Ag Tech Center will

provide much needed laboratories and research space to partner with industry to conduct applied research.”

“We are extremely thankful for the continued generosity and

teaching laboratories, and providing the initial start-up costs for Today, Cal Poly’s Dairy Science Products Technology Center is one of the most advanced academic facilities in the country.

Building a Future The James G. Boswell Foundation kicked off the

fundraising campaign for the Boswell Ag Tech Center with an $8 million commitment. Programming for the building is currently underway.

The Boswell Ag Tech Center will be part of the larger Science and Agriculture Teaching and Research Complex, a 74,517-square-foot building featuring research labs and technology space to benefit Cal Poly’s colleges of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences; Science and Mathematics; and Liberal Arts.

Earlier this year, Cal Poly announced a pledge of $20 million from

alumnus William L. Frost and his wife, Linda, to support the complex.

support of the Leprino family in helping us move one step closer to breaking ground,” Thulin continued.

The Leprino family has long supported Cal Poly’s hands-on

programs — recognizing them as essential components in the training they seek for their employees.

In 2011, the Denver-based Leprino Foods Co, pledged $5 million to support the college’s dairy science program, supporting an

14

To make a gift or learn more, contact: Russ Kabaker, assistant dean of Advancement and External Relations 805-756-6601

rkabaker@calpoly.edu

CAFES Dean’s Advisory Council Charles Ahlem

Robert Graf

Kirk Messick

Anthony Van Ruiten

Partner, Hilmar Cheese Co.

Former President/CEO, California League of Food Processors

President & CEO, Farmers’ Rice Cooperative

Attorney, Van Ruiten Law Corp.

Lawyer, California Advocates

Luawanna Hallstrom

Al Montna

Chairman & Partner, Downey Brand LLP

Rick Antle

Chief Operating Officer & Principal, Collaborative Communications

Owner, Montna Farms and American Commodity Co.

Jeff Huckaby

Peter Oppenheimer

President, Grimmway Farms

Retired/Former CFO, Apple

Merle Jensen

Kristin Power

Director, Greenhouse Vegetable Consultants

Vice President, State Affairs, Consumer Specialty Products Association

Dennis Albiani

Chief Executive Officer, Tanimura & Antle Inc.

Stephen Barnard President & CEO, Mission Produce Inc.

Irene Bernal

Stan Van Vleck Mary Wagner Senior Vice President, Global Product Innovation/Food Safety and Quality

Charles Walton Chairman of the Board, Smithers-Oasis Co.

Karen Watts

Senior Product Manager, Amazon.com

Steve Junqueiro President, Save Mart Supermarkets

John Salmonson

West Region Professional Products Manager, Crop Production Services Inc.

Kiran Black

Debbie Lohmeyer

Lynn White

Marketing Manager, Sacramento Valley Walnut Growers

Director, The National Food Lab

Consultant, Brandt Consolidated Inc.

Ed Boutonnet

Attorney & Trustee, Robert C. Taylor, Attorney at Law

Jean-Pierre Wolff

President, Paramount Farming Co.

Jim Marderosian

Brian Ternan

George Wurzel

President & CEO, Ocean Mist Farms

James Brabeck President & CEO, San Luis Obispo County Farm Supply Co.

John Franzia Jr. Co-President, Bronco Wine Co.

Troy Gillespie The Wagner Foundation

Joseph MacIlvaine

Founder & Owner, Bee Sweet Citrus

Managing Director, Twemlow Group

Robert Taylor

Owner & Vintner, Wolff Vineyards

President of Commercial Business, Anthem Blue Cross

Vice President & COO, J. G. Boswell Co.

Administrator, California Farm Bureau Federation

Rob Trice

Timothy York

Founder, The Mixing Bowl

President, Markon Cooperative

Paul McFadden

Kerry Tucker

Donn Zea

Richard Matteis

Senior Sales Manager, Toro Micro-Irrigation

Chief Executive Officer, Nuffer, Smith and Tucke

Executive Director, California Dried Plum Board

Meet the Chair of the Dean’s Advisory Council Karen Watts is the professional products market manager for Crop Production Services (CPS).

She has been employed by CPS, formerly known as Western Farm Service (WFS), since 1985 in a variety of sales and management positions. As a member of the Agrium Women’s Leadership Group, she is involved with encouraging the

women of Agrium as they become more involved in positions of leadership within the company.

She was appointed to Cal Poly’s College of

Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences

Dean’s Advisory Council in 1999 and currently

serves as its chair.. Watts is a founding member of the Cal Poly Kappa Delta Sorority San Luis

Obispo chapter and has served her community in various positions with her church and local schools. She earned a bachelor’s degree in

“ When I attended Cal Poly 40 years ago, there were faculty and alumni who made sure that I was exposed to the diversity of California’s agriculture and horticulture industries,” said Karen Watts. “Because of their profound influence on me, I strive to make an equal investment in the students, faculty, staff, administrators and alumni who I am privileged to serve as an advisory council member.”

— Karen Watts

ornamental horticulture from Cal Poly.

CAFES

15 015

Message from the

Fundraising Team Dear CAFES Family, Each year we are extremely fortunate to have members of the Cal Poly community support the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences. Whether you are an alumnus, parent, industry partner or friend, your contributions have a direct impact on students by supporting our Learn by Doing tradition.

Russ Kabaker

In this year’s Giving Report you will find several examples of how private support transforms the lives of students, faculty and staff.

Whether gifts support scholarships, fund research, or provide cutting-edge technology to enhanced learning facilities, each gift makes a difference.

Again, thank you for your generosity. Together we have accomplished a great deal. With your continued support, we will remain steadfast in our mission of preparing students to become the next industry leaders.

We look forward to working with you to continue the CAFES legacy of excellence and innovation.

Russ Kabaker

Assistant Dean, Advancement and External Relations

Grant Kirkpatrick

rkabaker@calpoly.edu 805-756-6601 Grant Kirkpatrick Senior Director of Development gkirkpat@calpoly.edu 805-756-2173 Alexis Bradfield Director of Development abradfie@calpoly.edu 805-756-3269

Alexis Bradfield 16

cafes.calpoly.edu/giving

HELP CREATE FUTURE AGRICULTURE INNOVATORS WE NEED YOUR HELP TO MODERNIZE NEW FACILITIES.

The college has not had a new teaching and research facility in nearly 30 years, and we are in critical need of a new building.

Thanks to a generous donation by the J.G. Boswell Foundation, we have begun designing the Boswell Ag Tech Center to help us land at the forefront of 21st century agricultural teaching and research. But we need your help. Gifts of all sizes will make a diï¬&#x20AC;erence in the lives of current and future students for years to come.

HUNDREDS

OF THOUSANDS

OF STUDENTS GAINING HANDS-ON

EXPERIENCE TO MAKE A GIFT OR LEARN MORE, CONTACT:

Russ Kabaker, Assistant Dean, Advancement and External Relations rkabaker@calpoly.edu or 805-756-6601

FUNDING IS NEEDED FOR THE FOLLOWING: PLANT PATHOLOGY LAB

SENSORY ANALYSES LAB

PHYSIOLOGY LAB

CULINARY LAB

BREEDING AND GENOMICS LAB

WATER, SOIL AND AIR ANALYTICS LAB

ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY LAB

OFFICES AND MEETING SPACES

FOOD SAFETY AND MICRO LAB

COLLEGES UNITED IN ONE EFFORT TO PROVIDE THE BEST FOR OUR STUDENTS College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences College of Science and Mathematics College of Liberal Arts

CAFES

17

Photo credit: Aaron Lambert

1 Grand Avenue, 11- 211 San Luis Obispo, CA 93407-0250

www.cafes.calpoly.edu