Agriview Summer 2016

IN THIS ISSUE: CAL POLY ROTC CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

C O L L E G E

O F

A G R I C U L T U R E ,

F O O D

A N D

•

BUILDING OUR FUTURE

E N V I R O N M E N T A L

•

FACULTY AND ALUMNI UPDATES

S C I E N C E S

•

S U M M E R

2 0 1 6

Building Our Future

FROM the D E A N

Looking Toward the Future

DEAR CAFES ALUMNI AND FRIENDS,

With another successful academic year just completed, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on all we have done, together, to move the college forward.

Last year, we finalized and communicated the CAFES Vision: 2015-2020. Since then, leaders from across the college, as well as our advisory council members and other supporters, have worked tirelessly to achieve our collective vision. Below are just a few of these accomplishments.

CAFES graduates will be confident lifelong learners prepared to achieve personal and professional success in a global society.

•L aunched the inaugural CAFES Summer Undergraduate Research Program, providing opportunities for nearly 50 students to gain valuable research experience •C ontinued work on several new college facilities — including the Boswell Ag Tech Center — that will enhance student and faculty teaching and research opportunities

See story, page 6

• Developed a minor degree program in Leadership CAFES will attract and retain exceptional teacher-scholars and staff.

• Hired 12 new tenure-track faculty, six new lecturers, and seven new staff • Hired new faculty that teach across multiple departments A mutually beneficial relationship will exist among CAFES, industry and the community.

•R estructured the college and department advisory councils to increase engagement and mutually enhance benefits •H osted more than 200 companies to share college vision and discuss partnership opportunities CAFES will be globally respected for its visionary leadership, innovation and expertise.

•H osted six tours and meetings with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and California Department of Food and Agriculture officers, as well as hosted a USDA grant-writing webinar • Started and/or completed multiple research projects with industry partners As you can see, together we have accomplished a tremendous amount. It has been my great honor to serve you. I hope you enjoy a wonderful summer with family and friends.

Warmest regards,

Andrew J. Thulin | Dean

N EWS & NO TES

SUMMER 2016

1 News & Notes State and federal agricultural leaders visit Cal Poly 2 Advancement Cal Poly Rodeo receives largest donation in the program’s history 4 News Cal Poly ROTC celebrates the programs 100th anniversary 6 Cover Story The $36 million Boswell Ag Tech Center will benefit each of the college’s nine departments and provide much needed up-to-date research facilities for students

On Campus

Jenny Lester Moffitt, deputy secretary of the

California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA)

The College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences is committed to offering the most relevant programs possible to students. The college strives to maintain an ongoing dialogue with top state and federal agricultural leaders to accomplish this. We appreciate the time that several of these leaders took to visit our campus in recent months.

➀ Amrith Gunasekara, science advisor to the

secretary of the CDFA Annette Jones, D.V.M., state veterinarian and

director of Animal Health and Food Safety Services at the CDFA Elvis Cordova, deputy under secretary for the

Marketing and Regulatory Programs Mission Area at the USDA ➁ Oscar Gonzalez, California state executive

director for the USDA Farm Service Agency

8 Hands-on Learning Wine and viticulture senior Courtney Gillespie introduces viticulture curriculum to grade schoolers 10 Student Success Wins for Cal Poly Loggers and the National Agricultural Marketing Association; Cal Poly Polo Team wins regionals 12 Learn by Doing Fighting Fire with Fire: NRES students traveled to Sierra Nevada Mountains to assist in a prescribed burn AGRIVIEW 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 Editor Jo Ann Lloyd jlloyd@calpoly.edu | 805-756-7266 Publication Designer IE Design + Communications, Hermosa Beach, Calif.

Printer Journal Graphics, Portland, Ore. Stay Connected on:

ON THE COVER: The Boswell Ag Tech

Center will benefit each of the nine college departments and more than 4,000 students.

➀ Amrith Gunasekara, CDFA science advisor,

➁ Oscar Gonzales, state executive director of the

tours the Cal Poly Dairy Products Technology

USDA’s Farm Service Agency, toured CAFES facilities,

Center with Director David Everett.

including the Irrigation Training and Research Center.

The Cal Poly Center for Sustainability hosted a panel discussion on sustainability initiatives within the retail food industry. Panel representatives included Kendra Doyel, vice president of public relations and government affairs of Ralph’s Grocery Co. and Food4Less divisions of Kroger Co.; James Parker, senior coordinator for the global perishable procurement office of Whole Foods Market; and Eric Lindberg, co-CEO of Grocery Outlet.

Dave Evans, co-founder and chief technology officer

of Silicon Valley startup Stringify, spoke at the Spanos Theater at Cal Poly in March. Evans, previously the chief futurist for Cisco, established himself as a forward thinker who could identify and foresee trends in technology.

His new venture aims to unleash the true potential of the “Internet of Things” by bringing together the physical and digital worlds in ways previously unimagined. An expert on emerging technologies, Evans holds numerous patents in the fields of connected cars, virtual people, and mobile phone technology.

C A F E S . C A L P O LY. E D U

1

ADVAN C E M E N T

Cal Poly Rodeo Receives Largest Donation in the Program’s History THE $1 MILLION GIFT WILL PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS TO STUDENTS IN PERPETUITY

MARK MILANO, a cattle rancher and

“Our love of ranching is tied to the deep

their intent to establish a $1 million endow-

retired oil industry executive, is enraptured

respect for the people and the communities

ment to benefit the Cal Poly Rodeo Team

by the western way of life. It is on the back

whose livelihoods are tied to agriculture,

in perpetuity. The money will be provide

of a horse, riding in pastoral ranchland, that

ranching and the western way of life,” said

scholarships to student athletes for their

he feels the most alive.

Milano. “We have the deepest of admiration

performance both in and out of the arena.

He and his wife, Jessie, have long been

for them.”

“The Milano’s gift has taken our program

pillars of support in the communities they

The couple’s generosity now extends to

from offering just a few students some finan-

own land, extending the opportunity for

Cal Poly.

cial assistance, to offering several students

others to experience the environment that

At this year’s 76th annual Poly Royal

a significant level of support,” said Ben

they have grown to love.

Rodeo, Mark and Jessie Milano expressed

Londo, the university’s rodeo coach.

2

AGRIVIEW •

SUMMER 2016

ADVA NCEMENT (Left) Mark and Jessie Milano intend to establish a $1 million endowment to benefit the Cal Poly Rodeo Team.

(Right) Charlie Brennan, a senior bioresource and agricultural engineering major, welded the pictured sign to commemorate the Milano donation.

The Milano Family Rodeo Scholarship will be awarded to Cal Poly rodeo students based on their overall contributions to the program. Leadership, academic performance, athletic contribution, financial need, teamwork and camaraderie will all be considered.

Cal Poly Rodeo Team Shines Cal Poly Rodeo, coached by Ben Londo, is one of the most successful programs in the history of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA).

Cal Poly sent six men to the inaugural College National Finals Rodeo in 1949. Since then, Cal Poly Rodeo’s student athletes have gone on to win six national championships — more than any other school in the NIRA competition — and 44 national titles.

“This program is built on the principles of building better individuals,” said Londo.

“Thus, the scholarship program is built to encourage and reward those qualities.”

Macy Cox, a third-year agricultural The gift will increase the program’s

business major from Arbuckle, Calif., said

scholarship offerings to $80,000 in 2016-2017,

that the rodeo program was a large part

up from $16,000 awarded in 2015-2016.

of why she chose to attend Cal Poly.

Milano said he admires Cal Poly’s Learn by

“The entire rodeo team is thankful to

Doing philosophy and the rodeo program’s

the Milano family for their support of our

reverence of the western way of life.

sport,” said Cox. “This will truly benefit

“I feel humbled to even be in their pres-

future classes. The program just keeps

ence,” said Milano. “Rodeo life is not all glory

getting better and better; I am pretty excited

— it is a culmination of hard work, getting

to see what it will be like in five to 10 years.”

your hands dirty and dedication. To take on all

Under Londo’s guidance, the rodeo pro-

of those responsibilities on top of a demand-

gram has grown to 64 students, up from just

ing scholastic program is just incredible.”

24 when he started coaching three years ago.

Milano said he found his own connection

Londo said the program’s success is built

with western heritage late in life, when

on the students’ wholehearted dedication

what was once a weekend retreat became

and the support it receives from supporters

a way of life.

like the Milano family.

“Western heritage embodies all of the best

“Mark and Jessie are truly amazing

American traditions and principles,” said

people with a genuine passion for helping,”

Milano. “We see the Cal Poly Rodeo program

said Londo. They have made a huge impact

preparing students for healthy, productive

on this program, and more importantly,

lives. We wanted to support that by helping

on our students. Their gift will allow us

to provide a means to worthy students who

to continue to build on the legacy that the

might otherwise not be able to attend.”

Cal Poly Rodeo program is known for.”

This year’s Cal Poly Rodeo Team continued its winning streak at the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association’s West Coast Regional Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, qualifying for the College National Finals Rodeo in June.

The women’s team won first place in the regional competition, with agricultural communications sophomore Katie Rice of Clements, Calif., winning the reserve all-around champion title for the West Coast Region.

Londo was also named Coach of the Year for the West Coast Region. A professional Rodeo Cowboys Association rider since 2003, Londo has amassed an admirable list of achievements, including being named a saddle bronc champion four times for the Columbia River circuit.

C A F E S . C A L P O LY. E D U

3

N EWS Cal Poly President Julian McPhee (1933-1966) riding with Col. W. E. H. Doel and R. Lynne Rucker, ROTC Queen.

Photo taken in the 1950s.

Then & Now CAL POLY ROTC CELEBRATES THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PROGRAM

CAL POLY’S ARMY RESERVE OFFICERS’ TRAINING CORPS

(ROTC) has deep roots at the university, dating back 63 years. This year the program is celebrating an even larger milestone: the 100th anniversary of the ROTC program in the United States.

The objective of the Military Science Department, open to all Cal Poly students, is to commission future leaders of the U.S. Army while also supporting their academic endeavors at the university.

“I am not a recruiter,” said Lt. Col. Joshua Gillen, head of the Cal Poly Military Science Department. “I always tell students that this program has to coincide with that vision they have for their lives.”

ROTC began in 1916 when President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Defense Act. At the time it was needed because the U.S. was on the brink of war. Today, there are more than 275 such programs nationwide.

In the last century the program has evolved from a tactical-based

“Some of these cadets will become platoon leaders,

training to a problem-solving model — training effective leaders. “The moral and ethical underpinnings have remained the same, yet cadets are no longer trained to just fight wars,” Gillen said, adding that they

leading members of our

are now the first responders to things like the Ebola crisis and major

very own community.”

Cal Poly students are concurrently enrolled in a four-year degree

—Lt. Col. Joshua Gillen

Since the program’s inception at Cal Poly, more than 1,300 officers

earthquakes. “We have evolved in the way we train cadets.” program while taking the required ROTC courses and trainings. have been commissioned into the U.S. Army, Army Reserve and the National Guard.

“If students are interested in improving their leadership skills, this is a program for them,” said Gillen. “We teach general leadership

4

AGRIVIEW •

SUMMER 2016

NEWS Cal Poly ROTC cadets march during the annual 2016 Open House Parade

skills such as time management, critical thinking and communication.

summer course in Kentucky, where students learn leadership skills,

Those skills are needed in any industry.”

and paid internships with the National Security Agency and elsewhere.

The Military Science Department is part of the College of

In the past, students have also attended air assault training and

Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES).

shadowed platoon leaders in countries such as Peru and Macedonia.

“Cal Poly’s abundance of land affords the program unique and

Spencer Davis, 22, has been a part of the Cal Poly ROTC program

valuable access to training areas that most other programs do not

since his freshman year.

have,” said Ken Harris, ROTC career and scholarship advisor. “Our

The fourth-year bioresource and agricultural engineering major

close proximity to Camp San Luis Obispo and Camp Roberts allows

will enter active duty when he graduates next year.

us to train in official Army settings very easily.”

“I have wanted to be in the Army for a long time,” he said.

The program remains one of the top 30 Army ROTC programs

“This was a good way to get my degree and prepare for that

in the country — a testament to the high-caliber students who

at the same time.”

attend Cal Poly.

“Each of these cadets graduate with more confidence than when

On average, 12 cadets are commissioned as officers each year.

they enrolled in the program,” said Gillen, who has served in the

Of those, six will likely go into active duty to serve a four-year

Army for more than 18 years.

commitment, and the remaining six will serve in the army

Prior to being selected two years ago to head Cal Poly’s ROTC

reserve or National Guard. Currently there are 65 cadets enrolled

program, Gillen served in the Army Cyber Command based at

in the program.

Fort Belvoir, Va. The ROTC program was an enticing one, he

The majority of the cadets are studying a STEM- (science,

said, because of the influence and guidance he could offer youths

technology, engineering and math) related field, and about

interested in serving in the Army.

15 percent are pursuing majors within CAFES.

“This was a way to help develop the leaders that we think

Cal Poly ROTC commissions two to three times the national

America’s sons and daughters deserve,” said Gillen. “Some of these

average of STEM graduates — making it unique and a valuable

cadets will become platoon leaders, leading members of our very

asset to the overall national program.

own community.”

CAFES provides additional funding beyond that which the

Gillen will end his post at Cal Poly later this year to meet his

Army provides, ultimately allowing the program’s recruits to

next achievement: command a battalion of up to 600 people at the

complete additional training.

Pentagon in Washington, D.C.

Opportunities for upper-level cadets include a monthlong C A F E S . C A L P O LY. E D U

5

COVE R S TO RY

This is not just some building, it’s our future.

1953 Veterinary Hospital

1992

Alan A. Erhart Agriculture

Eugene and Rachel Boone Dairy Science Complex

1954

1962

1988

Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering Building

Crops Unit

Agricultural Sciences Building

By the Numbers

6

1959

10

Number of teaching and research labs

AGRIVIEW •

SUMMER 2016

2

Instrument and equipment rooms

5

Student research workstations

8

Research technical support rooms

*

CAFE’s most recent teaching and research building

3

Colleges united in the effort*

* ➀ College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences

➁ College of Science and Mathematics ➂ College of Liberal Arts

C OVER STO RY

2018 Proposed Boswell Ag Tech Center

Total building square feet is 74,517 CAFES square feet of the total building is approximately 38,000

Five Things You Should Know About the Campaign for the $36 Million Boswell Ag Tech Center

1 2

Three Decades+ The last CAFES teaching and research building was constructed nearly 28 years ago. The college is now utilizing existing buildings at 113 percent of capacity.

Global Demands CAFES is in critical need of teaching and research space, offices and conference facilities. As our new faculty seek to develop their teaching and applied research, they need state-of-the-art equipment and facilities to prepare graduates for the global demands of the next century.

3 4

2011

Collaboration Expanding agricultural research facilities will allow the college to work with more industry partners to solve real-time problems.

Intellectual and Experiential Hothouse CAFES new strategic vision outlines the college’s goals through 2020 — aligning the college to be an intellectual and

J&G Lau Family Meat Processing Center

experiential hothouse, cultivating and nurturing people who creatively solve problems in agriculture, food, health and the environment. The Boswell Ag Tech Center is the next step in providing the infrastructure needed to meet those goals.

5

All Will Benefit Each of the nine college departments and their more than 4,000 students will benefit from the new facility and its offerings: Food and Beverage Analytical Lab; Soil, Air and Water Research Suite; Animal Physiology Research Lab; Sensory/Culinary Research Lab; Plant Physiology Research

To make a gift or learn more, contact: Russ Kabaker, Assistant Dean of

Lab; Plant Pathology Research Lab; Breeding/Molecular Research Labs; Food Safety Research and Teaching Labs.

Advancement and External Relations 805-756-6601 |

rkabaker@calpoly.edu C A F E S . C A L P O LY. E D U

7

HAND S - O N L E A R NI NG

Living History WINE AND VITICULTURE SENIOR COURTNEY GILLESPIE INTRODUCES VITICULTURE CURRICULUM TO GRADE SCHOOLERS.

The girls dressed in long, bonneted dresses and the boys in denim pants and plaid shirts, bring to life the Living History Day that the third-grade class from the nearby Santa Ynez Valley Charter School is about to experience.

The Pleasant Valley Schoolhouse, established in 1869, is a labor of love for Tina and Paul McEnroe, who rescued it from demolition and moved it to their home at Rancho La Purisima in the hills of the Santa Ynez Valley to be restored for community use.

Tina McEnroe’s roots run deep in both agriculture and education, and she has spent much of her life sharing those passions. In her most recent collaboration with Cal Poly, she partnered with wine and viticulture senior Courtney Gillespie to develop a viticulture curriculum, which is being taught in the vineyard adjacent to the historic Pleasant Valley Schoolhouse.

AS THE DEEP TOLL OF THE BRONZE BELL RINGING from

the belfry echoes through the valley, a group of schoolchildren make their way up a dirt road headed toward a pristine, white, one-room schoolhouse.

“In the Cal Poly mantra of Learn by Doing, we are discovering what a wonderful vineyard is all about,” said McEnroe, adding that she is in process of getting the curriculum published in the teacher resource guide of the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom program.

Tina McEnroe and Cal Poly wine and viticulture senior Courtney Gillespie with elementary students in the teaching vineyard.

8

AGRIVIEW •

SUMMER 2016

LEARN BY DO ING

Gillespie recently visited the schoolhouse to help teach the inaugural viticulture lesson. As 19 third-graders rambled throughout the lush green vines, she helped the students identify the intricacies of what they were looking at.

As the students crouched down to inspect the leaves, ladybugs landed on their clothing. Upon closer inspection, they found larvae on the vines — leading Gillespie to explain the beneficial nature of the red-winged insects.

Gillespie and McEnroe created four 20-minute lesson plans about the science of viticulture, including identifying characteristics of grape vines, and they even wrote a song about photosynthesis that will be used in the program.

“It is important to expose children to botany at a young age,” said Gillespie. “Introducing them to viticulture leads them to ask important questions about where their food comes from.”

McEnroe doesn’t miss a beat, sharing the schoolchildren’s wonder in the vineyard, giggling and exploring alongside them. Once the lesson is over, the students are ushered indoors to experience a school day reminiscent of what it was like in the late 1890s.

McEnroe commands their attention, sharing the historic treasures she has collected to make the schoolhouse strikingly authentic to how it once was. Sitting in antique desks, students read out of McGuffey Readers and use handheld slate boards to do math lessons. They divide into two teams to participate in an old-fashioned spelling bee, and later, they share a laugh as a dunce hat is introduced.

(Above) Tina McEnroe in the vineyard.

The Pleasant Valley Schoolhouse, dating back to 1869, was built

(Below) Courtney Gillespie teaches students about lady bugs.

in just three days by two neighbors using shiplap. It closed in 1936 and went through several reiterations before ultimately falling into disrepair. The McEnroes moved it to their sprawling 1,008-acre cattle

in a partnership with the Santa Barbara Land Trust for Santa

ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley in 2006 with the sole intent of restoring

Barbara County — protecting the agricultural nature of the lands

it as a gift to the community. Today, it is recognized as a Santa Barbara

and its wildlife habitat. Tina has also placed conservation easements

County Building of Historic Merit.

on her ranches in Monterey County, assuring the preservation of the

The couple has strong ties to the community, including Cal Poly.

agricultural lands into perpetuity.

In June, Cal Poly awarded honorary doctorate degrees to them in

Tina McEnroe plans to continue her relationship with Cal Poly

recognition of their accomplishments and community dedication.

and is working with officials to partner with the Cal Poly Strawberry

Paul McEnroe, who directed the IBM team that developed the

Center on her farmland in Salinas. She is also seeking to develop

barcode, has served as a member of the Cal Poly President’s

a reading lab at Cal Poly similar to one she launched at UC Santa

Advisory Council for 30 years.

Barbara called the McEnroe Reading & Language Arts Clinic to serve

Tina McEnroe is a state and national award-winning education

the community’s challenged learners.

specialist, holding a reading specialist teaching credential from

“I’ve known Tina for many years, and her energy and enthusiasm

UC Santa Barbara and a special education teaching credential

are contagious” said College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental

from Cal Poly. In 2008 she was the honored alumna of the Cal Poly

Sciences Dean Andy Thulin. “She has a true passion for both

School of Education.

agriculture and education, and we are so fortunate to partner

The McEnroe’s dedication to preservation also pertains to their

with her and Paul on these wonderful projects.”

Rancho La Purisima, which is protected by a conservation easement C A F E S . C A L P O LY. E D U

9

ST UDE N T S U C C E S S

Cal Poly Students Take Fourth Place at National Marketing Competition

Cal Poly’s National Agricultural Marketing

find a market for the avocado seeds left

(Left to right) Professor Lindsey Higgins, Shane Gillard,

Association (NAMA) Team earned fourth

over from the oil production process. The

Blair Brookes, Haley Seeger, Morgan Levy, Seth Borges,

place at the annual National Agri-Marketing

students formulated an avocado seed tea

Association student marketing competition

and branded it as “Love, Avocado.”

in Kansas City, Mo., April 13-14. Cal Poly

“The competition is an incredible

was one of 30 university teams from the

opportunity for students to develop their

Cal Poly has won the competition

U.S. and Canada to compete in the two-day

critical-thinking skills and invest themselves

11 times in the past 38 years, including

competition. The Cal Poly team worked

in a rewarding team project with real-world

in 2014 and 2015.

with Cal Poly alumni-owned CalPure, an

implications,” said Professor Lindsey

avocado oil company based in Oxnard, to

Higgins, the team’s coach.

Corinne Madison, Tyler Harris, Bethany Couchman, Jynel Gularte and Emily Sipes

(left to right) Cal Poly dairy science Professor Stan Henderson, coach;

Pitch Perfect CAL POLY JUNIOR WINS SECOND PLACE IN BUSINESS PITCH CONTEST AT CONFERENCE FOR MINORITIES

John Schoneveld; Christine Sousa; Toni Silva; Justine DeVries; and Professor Julie Huzzey

Interim Department Head Bob Flores with ag businesses junior Jose Alvarez

CAL POLY TEAM EXCELS AT NORTH AMERICAN INTERCOLLEGIATE DAIRY CHALLENGE The Cal Poly Dairy Challenge Team earned first place at the

Cal Poly agricultural business junior Jose Alvarez won second place

15th annual North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge,

in the business pitch contest at the national Minorities in Agriculture,

held April 7-9 in Liverpool, N.Y. This marks the team’s fourth

Natural Resources and Related Sciences annual conference in Jackson-

consecutive win. The students assessed all aspects of a

ville, Fla. Alvarez, from Santa Maria, Calif., was selected from more than

working New York dairy farm and developed a farm analysis

50 applicants nationally to give his business pitch — patterned after the

that included a list of recommendations related to facilities,

television show “Shark Tank” — to three industry judges. He proposed

nutrition, financials, reproduction and animal health. They

developing a nonprofit or cooperative organization to support the H2A

ranked first among eight competing teams that evaluated the

visa program for farmworkers in California while also ensuring a labor

same dairy. “Cal Poly is the only university to take first-place

force for small farmers.

honors for four consecutive years at the national level,” said Professor Stan Henderson, who coached the team.

10

AGRIVIEW •

SUMMER 2016

STUDEN T SU CCESS

Agribusiness seniors Jordan Goldie (Riverside, Calif.), Brian Pocock (Roseville, Calif.) and Paul Boortz (Coarsegold, Calif.) collaborated with finance seniors Robert Surane (Newbury Park, Calif.) and Miles Cal Poly students Jake Miller and Leah Campbell at

Wix (Simi Valley, Calif.) at the Los Angeles event.

the Association of Western Forestry Clubs Logging

legiate team of male and female

Cal Poly Students Win Local CFA Institute Research Challenge for Third Consecutive Year

students involved in traditional forestry

An interdisciplinary team of Cal Poly students won the local CFA (Chartered Financial

Conclave at the University of Montana.

LOG HEAVEN The Cal Poly Loggers, an intercol-

field skills, won second place in April at the Association of Western Forestry Clubs Logging Conclave at the University of Montana in Missoula.

The event is the largest collegiate logging event in the country. Biology senior Corey Caudill was ranked as the top male competitor and named “Bull of the Woods.” The Cal Poly Loggers include 48 members of various disciplines from across the campus.

Analyst) Institute Research Challenge for the third year in a row. For the first time, students from the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences competed with students from the Orfalea College of Business. Cal Poly competed against teams from USC, Loyola Marymount University, UC Santa Barbara, and Claremont Graduate University. The teams were charged with analyzing and making buy/sell/hold recommendations for video game publisher Activision. After visiting Activision in the fall, the team prepared an extensive written report and presentation. A panel of eight industry professionals and CFA charter holders judged the presentations. “With our third win, Cal Poly has built a tradition of excellence, which is a tribute to our faculty who believe in preparing career-ready graduates,” said Agribusiness Department Chair Cyrus Ramezani, who advised the team. “We’re proud to represent Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing philosophy on the global stage.”

CAL POLY POLO WINS TITLE IN 2016 WESTERN REGIONALS The women’s section of Cal Poly’s Polo Team won the regional title at the 2016 Western Regionals. Fiona McBride (animal science) and Jillian Tietje (dairy science) were selected to compete on the all-star women’s team. The men’s team competed as well but was eliminated in the preliminary round.

Theo Anastos (biomedical engineering) was selected to participate on the all-star men’s team. In addition, the team’s horses won Best Playing String, and Trompo, a chestnut gelding, was selected as the Best Playing Pony.

The team advanced to the national competition at the University of Connecticut in April, losing to Cornell University. The Cal Poly team includes five men and 10 women from throughout the university. The Cal Poly Polo Team has been active on campus for nearly 40 years, ranking as regional champions 10 of those years.

C A F E S . C A L P O LY. E D U

11

LEARN B Y D O I N G

Students get an update on their duties for the day.

(Above) Alicia Streetman and Mike Eager wait to use the drip torch.

(Left) Pat Sullivan, Shane Scanlan, Brendan Perez using a drip torch to light a broadcast burn.

Fighting fire with fire NRES STUDENTS TRAVELED TO SIERRA NEVADA TO ASSIST IN A PRESCRIBED BURN ON SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON PROPERTY IN SHAVER LAKE, CALIF.

and Colin Wong collecting stand data for their silvicultural prescription assignment.

FIFTEEN STUDENTS ENROLLED IN A CORE FORESTRY AND NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT CLASS assisted with a

prescribed burn on Southern California Edison property in Shaver Lake, Calif., in the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains in April. The hands-on field trip was ideal for the silviculture course, which focuses on forest management. Students spent the weekend building a fire line, burning and collecting data for their course project. “There’s a time and place to learn in the classroom but there are advantages to getting hands-on experience in the field,” said Patrick Levesque, a fourth-year forestry and natural resources major. “You come back to the classroom feeling more confident in your knowledge and capable of doing more.” Levesque said he plans to pursue a master’s degree in fire protection engineering at Cal Poly before seeking a job as a consultant on building defensible spaces in wildland areas.

12

AGRIVIEW •

SUMMER 2016

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

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 LABS

SENSORY CULINARY ANALYTICS LABS

PHYSIOLOGY LABS

DIGITAL PRODUCTION LABS

BREEDING AND GENOMICS LABS

WATER, SOIL AND AIR ANALYTICS LAB

ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY LABS

DATA ANALYTICS LAB

FOOD SAFETY AND MICRO LABS

CLASSROOMS AND MEETING SPACES

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

California Polytechnic State University 1 Grand Avenue San Luis Obispo, California 93407-0250

OPEN HOUSE 2016 We enjoyed seeing everyone during Open House and look forward to seeing you in 2017! Until then, be sure to stay up to date with CAFES on social media.

 /calpoly.cafes  /calpoly_cafes

 /calpoly_cafes cafes.calpoly.edu