C O L L E G E O F A G R I C U L TU R E , FO O D & E N V I R O N M E N TA L S C I E N C E S CONNECT LEARN LEAD I SSU E 8 SP R IN G 2019

Carrot Concept Cal Poly is pioneering sustainable ways to feed the future. Page 5

A NOTE FROM THE DEAN SPRING 2019

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ALUMNI FEATURE ————

Food for Thought California is widely considered the epicenter of American food innovation, and Cal Poly is uniquely positioned to harness its resources to propel the industry forward. With faculty experts from multiple departments focusing on various components of the food innovation spectrum – from food waste and food safety to product innovation, testing and marketing – Cal Poly is working hard every day to train tomorrow’s food leaders. The statistics around food waste in the U.S. are staggering – not only at the household level, but also when considering processing waste. Several of our faculty and their students have focused their applied research efforts on developing new uses for food that is “leftover” during processing. Aside from the ever-important environmental benefits of these solutions, companies are able to save hundreds of thousands of dollars from the bottom line. Students are also gaining hands-on experience in how to bring a product from idea to store shelf. Companies are increasingly turning to Cal Poly to help determine if a food product conceived in a conference room and lab will truly resonate with consumers. Working with faculty experts, students learn how to design and execute a sensory study, utilizing a broad base of students, faculty and staff panelists. These are just a few of the stories you’ll read in this latest issue of Cultivate. As always, we couldn’t do any of this without your support. Now is the time to commit to helping us continue this important work. This is reality — you, working with us, to support tomorrow’s leaders. Warmest regards,

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Cover Story CARROT CONCEPT ————

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TASTEFUL SCIENCE ————

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STUDENT SUCCESS ————

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Q&A ————

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THEN & NOW ————

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CULTIVATE is published for alumni and friends by the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES). Dean’s Office 805-756-2161 Communications Team Haley Marconett hmarcone@calpoly.edu 805-756-2933 AnnMarie Cornejo ancornej@calpoly.edu 805-756-2427

Publication Designer IE Design + Communications, Hermosa Beach, California Printer Lithographix, Los Angeles, California Staff Photographer Felipe Vallejo, agricultural communications student On the Cover Illustration by senior graphic communication student Julia Jackson-Clark

Andrew J. Thulin | Dean

cafes.calpoly.edu Stay connected on:

NEWS & NOTES

Award of Honor David Gill (Crop Science, ’72) was named the 2018 College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences Honored Alumnus. Gill is a fourth-generation farmer who started his own farm shortly after graduation and in 1979 founded Rio Farms with his brother Steven Gill, also a Cal Poly alumnus. In 1983, the brothers launched Gills Onions, one of the largest and most innovative fresh-cut onion processing plants in the world. Rio Farms grows a variety of crops, including lettuce, spring mix, spinach, cauliflower and peppers. Combined, Gill’s two farms rank among the top 10 growers in the Western United States. Gill is active in numerous industry organizations, including Western Growers, California Farm Bureau Federation, and the Produce Marketing Association. In 2017, Western Growers honored Gill with its Award of Honor, the organization’s most prestigious award, in recognition of his extensive contributions to the agricultural community. Gill is active in the planning and programming for the Cal Poly College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences new Plant Sciences Complex. An avid golfer, he is chairman of the board for First Tee of Monterey County and a strong supporter of King City Young Farmers, Boy Scouts of America, and Future Farmers of America.

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS APRIL 11-13

THIRD BEST IN THE NATION

Cal Poly’s Experience Industry Management Department was named the third best department in the nation for the study of parks, recreation and leisure studies, according to College Factual, a higher education research firm. The department is the first of its kind in California, encompassing a program that mirrors a national shift that blends sport, tourism, travel, lifestyle, conventions, meetings, events, experiential marketing, adventure, outdoor experiences, destination marketing, hospitality, community recreation and related industries. Cal Poly’s program was selected by College Factual based on a methodology that included education quality, average earnings of graduates, and accreditation, among other factors. Cal Poly graduates earn more than 26 percent more than the standard graduate with the same degree from other colleges, according to the report. “Recognition on a national level with the likes of the University of Illinois, Texas A&M University, the University of Utah, and Indiana University is a tribute to the exceptional quality of Cal Poly students and a faculty who embrace change and a futuristic view of disciplines that comprise the growing and evolving experience industry,” said Bill Hendricks, head of the Experience Industry Management Department. Cal Poly students majoring in recreation, parks and tourism administration launched careers at some of the industry’s most compelling companies including the Los Angeles Clippers, Google, Pebble Beach Resorts, George P. Johnson Experience Marketing, and Snapchat among others, working as destination marketing coordinators, global event strategy managers, experience design directors, tourism marketing directors, adventure travel guides, and more.

Open House

APRIL 12-13 Poly Royal Rodeo JUNE 1

Performance Horse Sale

JUNE 16

Spring Commencement CAFES.CALPOLY.EDU

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NEWS & NOTES

Meet Our New Faculty

Angelos Sikalidis Department: Food Science and Nutrition

Opportunity in Bloom Nine students majoring in agricultural and environmental plant sciences grew 4,191 poinsettias for Cal Poly’s annual poinsettia sale in December. They managed all aspects of the Poinsettia Agriculture Enterprise Project, from propagation of the plants to marketing and sales. “Working at the Horticulture Unit has allowed me to work directly alongside my professors and peers in the greenhouse, giving me lifelong connections,” said senior Kelsea Jones. “It has also given me the opportunity to really live the Learn by Doing motto, learn a lot about commercial sales and myself, and reaffirm my love for plants.”

Area of Specialty: Molecular Nutrition/ Metabolism Education: Ph.D. in molecular nutrition – metabolism, Cornell University Hometown: Thessaloniki, Greece What book are you currently reading? “Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief” by Jordan Peterson

Stella Cousins Department: Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences Area of Specialty: Forest Ecosystem Ecology Education: Ph.D. in environmental science, policy, and management, UC Berkeley Hometown: Ceres, California

Ag Showcase Cal Poly’s Agribusiness Management and National Agri-Marketing Association Club presents the annual Ag Showcase each year, recruiting more than 95 companies for the two-day event and giving students the opportunity to communicate and network with company representatives from a wide range of fields in the industry. Ag Showcase not only provides Cal Poly students with opportunities for internships and careers, it also allows representatives to showcase their companies and meet with potential employees.

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What book are you currently reading? "t zero" by Italo Calvino/translated by William Weaver

STUDENT FEATURE

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The opportunity

Learning to Do Armando Nevarez smiles reflectively as he talks about the year he spent serving as treasurer of the California FFA State Officer Team, traveling the state and advocating for agricultural education. Nevarez, a first-generation college student from Holtville, California, returned to Cal Poly in the fall after taking a year off to fulfill his duties as an elected officer in 2018. “In a year’s time, I explored all corners of the state, meeting people along the way – some of whom I now can't imagine my life without," Nevarez said. The agricultural systems management sophomore said that the year served as a time of personal awakening — rekindling his faith, strengthening his views about life's opportunities, and forming relationships with people across the state that he hopes will last a lifetime. In fact, as luck would have it, he is joined on campus this year by Genevieve Regli, a freshman majoring in dairy science, who served alongside him as secretary of the California FFA State Officer Team. “The opportunity to serve in that capacity for California FFA was a great one,” Nevarez said. “It needed me, and I needed it.”

to serve in that capacity for In all, he visited 38 high schools, meeting with FFA members, giving presentations and workshops, and sharing future opportunities. In addition, Nevarez and a team of five colleagues planned the California FFA State Leadership Conference, attended by thousands of high school students, advisors and other guests. Nevarez said he plans to take his experiences from his year as a state officer and apply them to his time at Cal Poly to strengthen his role at the university with the goal of one day teaching agriculture.

California FFA was a great one. It needed me, and I needed it. Armando Nevarez

Nevarez is a member of the Cal Poly Agricultural Engineering Society; College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences’ Ambassadors; Latinos in Agriculture; and a member of the Cal Poly Scholar’s program, a living-learning program aimed at recruiting and retaining high-achieving students from California high schools. “The values embedded in leadership through the FFA are support, guidance and understanding,” said Nevarez. “It is about understanding why people do what they do, guiding them and helping to show them the way. Those same values are the ones that will now continue to guide me every day at Cal Poly.”

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ALUMNI FEATURE

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Making Sense

The field of sensory and

perception is becoming more important as companies realize how strong the voice of the

Lauren Dooley (Food Science, ’04), a sensory scientist at Impossible Foods in Redwood City, California, was first introduced to sensory analysis — a scientific discipline that analyzes and measures human response to food and other products using experimental design and statistical analysis — as an undergraduate. She was so intrigued by the process, she pursued a doctorate degree in sensory science at the University of Arkansas, later going on to work for Givaudan Flavors in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Kellogg’s in Battle Creek, Michigan, before joining Impossible Foods in 2017. While the foundation of sensory analysis is in food, it expands to include hair products, cosmetics, household goods, automobiles, pet food and beyond, she said.

consumer is and the importance of creating products with desirable characteristics. Lauren Dooley

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“The field of sensory and perception is becoming more important as companies realize how strong the voice of the consumer is and the importance of creating products with desirable characteristics," Dooley said. “With the fast pace of innovation, the field has had to adapt to be nimbler and more flexible with its approaches.” Dooley’s sensory and perceptual research team at the Silicon Valley-based Impossible Foods, a company that develops plantbased substitutes for meat and dairy products and recently made headlines with its vegan Impossible Burger 2.0, studies consumer responses to taste, aroma, texture, appearance, sound and more. “We do an extensive number of tests daily using employees, trained tasters and consumers,” she said. “We test for understanding of ingredient or process changes, formula simplification, preference, liking and much more.”

While the approach of companies may differ, it is safe to assume that most consumer packaged goods have gone through some level of sensory evaluation, whether to gauge the quality, acceptability or liking of a product. Some tests can lead to subtle changes, while others are geared toward determining which direction a product will go. “When we were developing Impossible Burger 2.0, we wanted to create a superior product to Impossible Burger 1.0, so we wanted large, noticeable differences and preferences among the testing groups,” Dooley said. “Everything about the burger was improved – the appearance, texture, flavor, aroma, functionality and versatility, shelf life and processing. Every person at our company contributed to the success of this new product, and it was a huge endeavor.” The demand for sensory scientists will continue well into the future. Cal Poly students interested in pursuing a career in sensory analysis should sharpen their skills in statistical analyses, coding and data visualizations, as the field continues to grow. “Deep product understanding of sensory characteristics is critical, and the correct technical application of sensory-designed experiments can impact a product’s success,” Dooley said. “Sensory departments have existed at large companies for decades, but now newer, smaller companies are seeing the value of investing in this area.”

COVER STORY

Carrot Concept

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T COVER STORY

The small, bite-size allure of baby carrots have made them a staple in households across the United States, as consumers seek convenient ways to add fresh produce into daily meal plans. The sculpted, round cut-and-peeled vegetables are made from carrots specifically bred over time by growers to be very long, small in diameter and contain a sweet, crunchy flavor. The leftover remains of the carrot have historically been turned to compost or animal feed. Yet, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have ramped up efforts to reduce food waste, academics and industry professionals alike are seeking additional uses for the discarded bi-products of foods across the spectrum of production. Cal Poly Food Science Associate Professor Samir Amin P.h.D., is at the forefront of such research, seeking innovative ways to use the discarded nutrients from carrot production. Students are working with Amin to find uses from two carrot waste streams: pomace, which results from the carrot juice extraction process; and mash, the waste produced from

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peeling and shaping larger carrots into baby carrots or medallions. Amin said that consumer trends will continue to favor convenience. “People enjoy the ease of buying precut vegetables and being able to cook them and still feel like they have made a homecooked meal without doing all of the time-consuming prep work,” he said. "Given consumer preference for ease, there is a lot of opportunity to reduce food waste,” said Amin, who has a specialized background in culinary arts and food science. “Not only is there a lot of potential for the nutrients that are currently discarded to be used in other ways, there is also potential to reuse much of the water. And in California, there is always a need to find ways to reclaim water.” Graduate student Ali Duval, 23, the first College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences student to receive the USDA National Needs Fellowship in Food Waste, is pursuing ways to use the nutrients that remain

This is how we are going to feed a growing population. Ali Duval

COVER STORY

in carrot mash. The bright orange mush, which looks much like a pureed carrot, is rich in carotenoids and fiber. Duval, under the direction of Amin, is working with animal science Professor Ike Kang to use the mash to potentially increase the nutritional properties in beef patties. It also offers key functional properties that may enhance the sensory properties of beef patties. “This is how we are going to feed a growing population,” Duval said. “We are throwing away all these nutrients that we can use in fighting that fight. This has been an eye-opening experience — everything we are doing here at Cal Poly is practical in the industry today.” New uses for discarded food products expand beyond culinary creativity. Recent Cal Poly food science graduate Catalina Ramirez (’18) dedicated her senior project to researching ways to make paper out of carrot pomace — using its natural properties to bind with nanofibers and cationic starch to form paper. Ramirez, 27, worked with Amin and Associate Professor Joongmin Shin in the Industrial Technology and Packaging Area in the Orfalea College of Business to transform dried carrot pomace by blending with water and binding agents to make paper. To do so, Ramirez carefully poured the blend over a

mesh screen, allowing the water to drain out. Another screen was then placed on top, and more water was pressed out using a sponge. The fibrous network that was left over was then placed between sheets of cloth and dried for several days ­— resulting in an orange-tinted paper-like product.

development. “When food is wasted, it is not only the waste of something that could have been a meal to feed someone, but it is also a loss in the time, energy and capital that it takes to produce it,” she said. “If we can find a method to reduce food waste, it can help reduce our carbon footprint.”

“It was exciting to see that to see that making paper from carrots is possible," Ramirez said. “The paper that we made did not perform similarly to commercially produced paper, however, it demonstrates the potential for its application as paper exists. To get something that is closer to commercial-grade paper would require more treatments to the carrot pomace, but it’s a promising start.”

Amin said that the possibilities are endless, including making a plantbased bowl out of carrot mash for frozen meals or even replacing the plastic bags that baby carrots are packaged in with a product made from carrot waste. “When I worked in the food manufacturing industry, I saw the waste and was shocked by it,” Amin said. “The expense was also high. I walk through the grocery store and see all this produce cut and pre-diced and see the potential. We are working with carrots now, but it can be applied to other types of vegetables too.”

Ramirez is applying to graduate school at Cal Poly, hoping to pursue further avenues of food product

Catalina Ramirez holds an example of the paper that she made using carrot pomace.

Cal Poly has ambitious plans to accelerate food innovation, and food safety is a critical component of that. New state-of-the-art food safety laboratories and programs to meet the world’s growing demand for food production and to train highly skilled individuals to address food safety challenges across the food chain are being developed now. This year the university plans to break ground on a more than $100 million Science and Agriculture Teaching and Research Complex, which will include food safety teaching labs, a sensory analysis lab, a culinary teaching lab, a food safety research lab, and a teaching and research instrumentation lab.

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LEARN BY DOING

Tasteful Science

A student prepares the samples that will be used in a sensory test.

Chocolate cake. Shredded vegetables in a savory sauce. Macaroni and cheese. These simple foods, found in grocery stores across the U.S., have gone through countless sensory tests to ensure their consumer desirability.

Food science Professor Amy Lammert, who holds a doctorate in food chemistry, teaches students the hands-on practice of sensory testing from start to finish. In her classes, students learn about product development, including sensory analysis, working with corporate sponsors to develop new foods, and improve existing products. Cal Poly students play an integral role as companies work to embrace current consumer trends such as eating whole foods and increasing vegetable consumption by conceptualizing and marketing products that customers want. “At the end of the day, it is the consumer making a choice on how to use their dollar to purchase the food,� Lammert said. Sensory and consumer testing is the link between the development of a product from concept ideation through processing and its placement on

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LEARN BY DOING

target areas, and Cal Poly offers an advantage because it can do it at reduced cost compared to larger corporate sensory facilities — all while giving students real-world experience.” Sean Frisby (Agribusiness, ’91), senior director of brand engagement and communication at Green Giant Fresh, has worked with Lammert’s class to develop marketable products. “The class did some recipe development and presented us with their final, validated concepts,” Frisby said. “It was a great way for the students to take the process all the way through with a client and a great example of how Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing is directly aligned with strategy and the real-world marketplace.”

the shelf to be chosen by consumers, she said. “Any food company as it evolves is going to need some sort of consumer sensory testing,” Lammert said. “Companies use it because the cost to innovate and create a product is high, and they want to reduce the risk of innovation by engaging the consumer in product creation.” Companies use the test to gauge the response to new products and to ensure that subtle changes in already popular products, such as changing sugar suppliers, go undetected. Outside of class, some students work with Lammert to do direct sensory testing for companies. “It is one thing to teach sensory testing in class, but another to be accountable for delivering results to someone who has a need,” Lammert said. Students who are interested in learning more about sensory work go through an interview process, are screened by Lammert, graduate students, and are then hired to be a part of the group. Established companies are eager to hire students to do research. “The value of doing sensory testing outside of corporate walls is that inside corporate walls there is bias toward the product,” Lammert said. “It’s important to get out and speak to real consumers in desired

Each year, using a network of Cal Poly employees to sample products, students conduct as many as 15 sensory tests for companies. Students collaborate directly with companies to design questionnaires about their products, develop a timeline, order supplies, recruit people based on desired demographics to do the survey, prep the foods to be sampled, conduct the test, and then analyze and report on the data. Cal Poly student Tara Egigian is working toward a master’s degree in agriculture with a specialization in food science. Her research is focused on sensory science and children’s acceptance of familiar and unfamiliar vegetables. Egigian is the lead sensory technician for Lammert’s on-campus sensory testing, helping to manage and conduct sensory tests on food products from outside companies. “Sensory testing is an important aspect of the food industry as it gives valuable insight on new and existing food products in order to help satisfy consumer preferences and needs,” Egigian said.

It is one thing to teach sensory testing in class, but another to be accountable for delivering results to someone who has a need. Amy Lammert

Tested products have ranged from beverages and baked goods such as cakes and pastries, to fruits and vegetables and pasta sauces. Students learn skills that translate directly to industry jobs, going on to work in leadership and management roles in multinational corporations and at such well-known companies as Conagra, Mission Produce and Impossible Foods.

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STUDENT SUCCESS

Definition of success

• degree or measure of succeeding. • satisfactory completion of something. • the gaining of wealth, respect or fame. • a person or thing that succeeds.

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STUDENT SUCCESS

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First Place

Top Ten

The Cal Poly Soil Judging Team won first place in the Regional 6 Collegiate Soil Judging Competition held Nov. 3 at Bartleson Ranch in Arroyo Grande, California. The competition, sponsored by the American Society of Agronomy and the Soil Science Society of America, challenged students to describe, classify and interpret soils in the field in a competitive setting using standards established by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Cal Poly’s team, comprised of nine students, took first place in group judging; first, second and third place in the individual competition; and first place overall. Forestry and natural resources major Braden Povah won first place overall in the individual competition. Senior environmental earth and soil sciences major Ryan Cunning took second place and junior environmental management and protection major Blake Toney took third. Cal Poly will host the next phase of competition April 14-19, when 24 teams from across the country attend the National Collegiate Soil Judging Competition.

All four members of the Cal Poly Floral Team placed in the Top 10 at the California State Floral Association’s (CSFA) annual event held Nov. 3-4 in Carlsbad, California, with one student taking second place. Agricultural science junior Amber Buzzard won second place overall and the People’s Choice category. Other winners included agricultural and environmental plant sciences junior Megan Borzone, who won fifth place, agricultural and environmental plant sciences senior Jennifer Apland, who took sixth place, and agricultural communication sophomore Emma Blair, who came in ninth place.

3 Regional Win The Cal Poly ROTC took first place at the 8th Brigade’s Best Ranger Challenge in January at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, near Seattle, Washington, advancing the team to the national Sandhurst Military Skills Competition at West Point in April. The Cal Poly team competed against the top teams in the western region, including teams from the University of Montana and the University of Hawaii. The team previously won first place at the regional 2018 Ranger Challenge at Camp San Luis Obispo in October, marking the first time in six years that the Cal Poly ROTC team has advanced to the next stage of the competition.

4 Case Study Win Agribusiness seniors Maya CapurroFrosch and Mackenzie Zeimet, junior Jenna Maturino and recent graduate Valerie Perez took first place in the Food Distribution Research Society's case study competition in Washington, D.C. in September for their efforts to devise a solution to the problem of coordinating farmers' market cooperation in the greater Washington, D.C. area.

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Twenty-six Cal Poly students received American FFA Degrees, the highest award bestowed upon FFA members. A group of students attended the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana to personally accept the degrees on stage in Lucas Oil Stadium.

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Q&A

What do you see as the top skills agricultural communication students are expected to have when they graduate?

A: Fundamentally, agricultural communication students need to be able to write well. This has been true since the early days of agricultural journalism when the field was about communicating new ideas about growing food to farmers. Today, the discipline has expanded and prepares students to communicate to public audiences who have little in the way of firsthand experience with agriculture, making the ability to write about complex ideas in a clear and concise manner essential. They have to be able to interact with people, listen deeply, and formulate great questions to help stimulate discussion and shape the story. Today’s student must also be digitally literate — using the exciting tools being developed to effectively communicate about the research and science behind how food is produced, how animal and plant diseases that have the potential to devastate food production are being addressed, and how other wicked agricultural problems are being addressed and communicate them in a way that target audiences can understand.

Karen Cannon, assistant professor and new director of the Brock Center for Agricultural Communication at Cal Poly, is a communication specialist in complex agricultural issues, including messaging and public relations efforts, and is exploring how to use new media and public events to bring people together to engage in discussion about significant food and agricultural challenges.

How do you see students bridging the gap between consumers and growers/producers?

A: Students have a unique opportunity to help growers and producers figure out how to tell the stories of food production in new and exciting ways, ways that resonate with consumer audiences because of the focus on digital. Because digital is everywhere and travels so fast, so too do messages about agriculture. Understanding how and when to use certain communication technologies is a tremendously valuable role that agricultural communication students can fill to be part of the bridge-building process between consumers and producers.

As natural resources continue to dwindle and the world’s population grows, will the role of agricultural communicators become increasingly important?

A: Cal Poly’s agricultural communication students’ ability to take in, process and communicate complex science and research material will increase in demand in the coming years as the science of food production becomes ever more complex. As scientists and researchers discover more, our need for professionals to help translate those results in ways that illustrate meaning will continue to increase, making the role of agricultural communicators ever more important. The fast pace of today’s digitally focused life means that people expect things to happen more quickly than ever. Students are trained to be able to learn new ideas, technologies and concepts quickly and turn around and apply them to projects they’re working on almost immediately. These Learn by Doing opportunities prepare them to hit the ground running when they enter careers in communication.

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Q&A

NEWS & NOTES

Pictured from left to right: John and Carol Salmonson, agricultural and environmental plant sciences senior Heidi Burgess, agricultural science senior Angel Carrillo, and College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences Dean Andy Thulin.

Salmonson Scholarship for Excellence in Agriculture John Salmonson (Crop Science, ’67) and his wife, Carol, recently met with the two students selected to receive the 2018-19 John and Carol Salmonson Scholarship for Excellence in Agriculture. The couple established the award in 2016 to benefit students in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences who are in their sophomore year or higher and who are interested in a career as a pest control advisor or a similar field. The Salmonsons pledged $50,000, which was matched by Brandt Consolidated — one of the nations largest agriculture-related firms — and will provide scholarship funding to two students annually for five years. This is the third year it has been awarded.

From left to right: Job Ubbink, head of Cal Poly’s Food Science and Nutrition Department, Jean-Yves Charon, co-founder of Galaxy Desserts, and Sarah Wally of Food Service Partners.

Galaxy Desserts Food Science and Nutrition Department Head Job Ubbink toured the production facility of Galaxy Desserts in Richmond, California, to discuss potential partnership opportunities to enhance students’ Learn by Doing opportunities.

Annual Symposium The Cal Poly Wine and Viticulture Department hosted a reception for alumni and friends at the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium in Sacramento in January. The annual two-day symposium is the largest wine and grape conference in the nation, providing current information on issues shaping grape growing and winemaking and offering networking opportunities for students. Pictured from left to right: Students David Bratcher, Nico Kent, Madison Garzoli, Olivia Hall, Liam Hunt, Jeremy Retornaz, Melissa Mannon, Ivy Thompson.

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ENDOWMENT

Learn by Doing Endowment Ten years ago, 11 innovative industry leaders and philanthropists came together to create a Learn by Doing Endowment that would provide support to the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences for years to come.

The generosity of these founding individuals has inspired more than a decade of giving. Russ Kabaker,

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assistant dean of

Their generosity and vision led to 37 new donors who contributed more than $770,000, bringing the endowment total to more than $1.8 million. Since 2012, the endowed funds have generated earnings that have been used to purchase cutting-edge equipment and software for labs and provide other hands-on learning opportunities and programs for our students. Recent enhancements to classrooms and laboratories made with earnings from the endowment include the purchase of an i-Stat machine (a handheld blood analysis tool used for cows and horses) for

advancement and external relations

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Each founding member donated $100,000 to create a fund of $1.1 million that was used to perpetuate the impact of their original gifts through matching endowments from other generous individuals. Potential donors were encouraged to pledge a minimum of $12,500 over a five-year period, which was matched using the founding donors’ money to create a new $25,000 endowment.

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the Animal Science Department, a laboratory refractometer for the Food Science and Nutrition Department, and three Trimble GPS units for the Natural Resources and Management and Environmental Sciences Department. “The generosity of these founding individuals has inspired more than a decade of giving,” said Russ Kabaker, assistant dean of advancement and external relations. “The result is better-equipped classrooms, inspired students, and a future generation that is prepared to meet industry demands.”

THEN & NOW

Indonesian Reservoir: A Campus Landmark BY LA U R A S O RVE TT I | University Archives

In June of 1952, 14 students arrived in San Luis Obispo for a six-month intensive course in agricultural mechanics at Cal Poly. They had traveled more than 8,000 miles to attend Cal Poly, and while their time at the university was brief, they left a mark on campus that remains today. The 14 men, who came from Indonesia, were the first of a wave of international students to enroll at Cal Poly in the two decades after World War II, under the Point IV program. The objective of the program was to prepare the men, who worked for the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture, to return to Indonesia as agriculture instructors. As part of their curriculum, the men worked on a project to construct a new reservoir on campus. They surveyed, graded and constructed a reservoir at the

north end of campus near the present Oppenheimer Family Equine Center, designed to capture water runoff from Horse Canyon and to receive water pumped from Middlecamp and Nelson Reservoirs in order to irrigate the Cal Poly farmland. The reservoir, named Indonesian Reservoir in recognition of their work, is one of five reservoirs on campus that supports campus agricultural operations. The water from the Indonesian Reservoir is still used today by the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences to irrigate agricultural lands.

Selected photos from a scrapbook kept in the University Archives detailing the six-month experience of a group of Indonesian students learning agricultural practices at Cal Poly.

At the conclusion of the Point IV program, the men presented then-Dean of Agriculture Vard M. Shepard with a scrapbook, which is now part of the University Archives at the Kennedy Library. To see the scrapbook in full, visit https://digital.lib.calpoly.edu/rekl-87635. CAFES.CALPOLY.EDU

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PHOTO ESSAY

In December faculty attended a two-day industry tour to learn more about the latest advancements being used by growers and manufactures at Betteravia Farms, Windset Farms, Gills Onions, Mission Produce, Grimmway Farms, Wonderful Citrus and Wonderful Nurseries. 16

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cultivating

STUDENT SUCCESS FINANCIAL SCHOLARSHIPS for students in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences remain a critical need. Even with financial aid packages, parental assistance, and loans, some students cannot close the gap between their available resources and the growing cost of education. Donors can customize scholarships to assist a variety of students in specific departments and majors or prioritize who receives the financial support by GPA, financial need, class level or geographic region. Additionally, endowed scholarships provide financial aid to students in perpetuity. A named, endowed scholarship can be established with a minimum gift of $25,000 plus a 5 percent gift fee.  To learn about how you can help, call 805-756-6235.

by the numbers ... $28,281

THE PROJECTED PER-YEAR COST for an undergraduate to attend Cal Poly in 2018-19, which includes fees and tuition, books and supplies, room and board, and transportation.

1 in 3

THE NUMBER OF UNDERGRADUATES who are unable to cover the cost to attend Cal Poly, with an unmet need for financial aid that ranges between $14,000 and $28,000 per year, per student.

4,000

THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS enrolled in our college who compete for 370 department scholarship awards.

$25 million

THE APPROXIMATE ANNUAL TOTAL of the collegewide gap in unmet financial aid need.

this future requires your participation

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