Cultivate Spring 2024

SPROUTING SUCCESS

Thefutureoffood,environmentalsciences andagricultureiswellunderway.

Thisisalwaysaninvigoratingtimeon campus.Studentsareenergizedandfully immersedinclasses,researchandprograms andthereisasteadybuzzofactivitythat canbefeltthroughoutcampus

Thisisaparticularlypivotaltimeforthe College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences as we break ground on two new projects that will enhance the opportunities offered to students in plant, environmental and animal sciences and we fully embrace the ethos of One Health and the sustainable balance the health of people, animals and ecosystems.

You’ll see a lot of activity on campus in the coming year as the Plant Sciences Complex and the Animal Health Center, both projects graciously funded by donors who support our Learn by Doing philosophy, are built. You can read more about both projects in this issue.

I am humbled to serve as the interim dean of the college as a search for a permanent dean is underway. With more than 28 years of service to Cal Poly, my pledge to you is that we will keep moving forward to maintain our role in graduating students that are indeed the future of food, environmental sciences, agriculture and related disciplines in the college.

In this issue you’ll read about students who are creating plans to decrease food waste and about a collaboration between food science and agricultural business students to develop a new food product that will go to market in the near future. You’ll also read about the powerful partnership between our nutrition program and Cal Poly Athletics to ensure that the university’s student athletes are fully embracing their health and wellness. There is no shortage of great work being done by our faculty, staff and students and I am grateful to be a part of it. It is your continual support that makes it all possible.

To continued growth together,

Bill Hendricks | Interim Dean

ON THE COVER:

The College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences continues to invest in the future – building enhanced facilities that prepare students to be Ready Day One. Pictured clockwise from the top right: Oppenheimer Family Equine Center, Environmental Horticulture Unit, Animal Health Center, Boswell Ag Tech Center, Plant Sciences Complex, JUSTIN and J.LOHR Center for Wine and Viticulture, Cal Poly Dairy and Creamery and the J and G Lau Family Meat Processing Center.

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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

Anya Rehon arehon@calpoly.edu 805-756-6235

Publication Designer

Julia Jackson-Clark (Graphic Communication, '19) juliajacksonclark.com

Printer

Lithographix Los Angeles, California

Staff Photographers

Jessica Friley

Fourth-year agricultural science major

Morgan Elia Third-year agricultural communication major

cafes.calpoly.edu

Stay connected on:

TEAM FOOD FORWARD

A group of Cal Poly agricultural business students partnered with the nonprofit Food Forward to create a marketing strategy to combat food insecurity.

BY ANYA REHON

Cal Poly students are partnering with a nonprofit focused on distributing surplus fruits and vegetables to those experiencing food insecurity to create a marketing plan, which they will present later this month at the National Agri-Marketing Association’s (NAMA) competition.

On April 24-25, a group of seven agricultural business students on the Cal Poly NAMA team will travel to Kansas City, Missouri, to present their marketing campaign to a panel of industry judges and will compete against 30 university chapters from across the nation. Each team will present their detailed marketing strategy for a chosen product or service, and one team will be selected as the winner.

NAMA is a national organization for agricultural marketing professionals and includes more than 3,500 college student members. Cal Poly’s NAMA chapter has competed in the national competition every year since the 1980s and is the winningest school in the competition's history, having won 12 times. Last year, Cal Poly’s NAMA team placed in the top 10 for their marketing plan featuring a robotics company that manufactures a harvest aid for fresh table grape and blueberry growers.

This year’s team selected the nonprofit Food Forward as their client for the marketing competition. Based in Los Angeles, Food Forward is the largest independent urban-based produce logistics organization to specialize exclusively in fresh produce donations in the country. Last year, Food Forward recovered and distributed more than 87 million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables to people experiencing food insecurity across California and in neighboring states and tribal lands – enough food to feed hundreds of thousands of individuals five servings of fruit and vegetables each day.

Agribusiness lecturer Lisa Cork selected Food Forward as this year’s client after meeting a representative at the International Fresh Produce Association conference last fall, recognizing that working with their nonprofit

could help increase connections with grower-packershippers in California. Cork, who has worked in produce marketing for more than 35 years, emphasizes that the purpose of the project is to provide students with realworld marketing experience that connects them with the community.

“The students are so engaged in the goodness of this work. The opportunities we are seeing for Food Forward are so exciting,” Cork said. “One of the goals of this project is to increase Food Forward brand awareness among California’s grower-packer-shippers.” By increasing fresh produce grower awareness about Food Forward’s mission and how they redistribute donated fruits and vegetables to over 240 food insecurity agencies, the goal is to increase the volume of direct donations received and be able to get donations to recipient agencies faster.

Students on the team started working on the project at the end of fall quarter and traveled to Los Angeles in early January to tour the Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market, meet Food Forward’s team and tour their Produce Pit Stop, a large, refrigerated warehouse space that receives then supplies the fresh produce donations. For students to better understand produce grower donation opportunities, they held dozens of interviews and conducted a survey of more than 400 grower-packer-shippers across California. Information from these findings will be revealed in the marketing plan they will present later this month.

Megan Dixon, a third-year agricultural business major, said she is inspired by Food Forward’s mission and is looking forward to meeting with their board of directors and executives following the competition to share their completed marketing plan. “Food Forward is providing dignity to those experiencing food insecurity so they have access to fresh produce,” she said. “The insight we have gained from our primary research is going to change everything that they do. My goal with this project is to create a plan we are proud of and that we think will make a difference.”

ASPIRE TO GROW

The college hosted the sixth annual Aspire to Grow Conference in February with featured speakers Monica Chacòn-Baucke, senior strategic inclusion manager at Nutrien; Gina Bella Colfer, sustainable solutions manager at WilburEllis; Jonnalee Dunn, growth and development manager at Henderson Farms, Inc.; Rob Goff, vice president, West Valley Farming and research and development at Wonderful Orchards; Joelle Mosso, vice president, science programs at Western Growers Association; Katie Tougeron, Asia regional business manager, global launch manager at Valent BioSciences; and Blong Xiong, state executive director at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency. The Aspire to Grow Conference, planned by students, aims to inform and empower students from across campus about the many and varied career opportunities in these industries.

Social Media

The college has a new and improved Facebook page that is on the Roadway to 1k! Follow @calpolyslocafes on Facebook to see all the latest examples of Learn by Doing. #calpolygrown

ALUMNI AND FRIENDS RECEPTIONS

The college hosted an Alumni and Friends Reception and a tradeshow booth at the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium in January in Sacramento. The two-day trade show is the largest wine and grape conference in the nation.

More than 200 alumni and supporters joined the college for a reception at the World Ag Expo in Tulare in February. A team of CAFES Ambassadors also hosted an informational booth during the weeklong event which is the largest annual outdoor agricultural exposition with over 1,200 exhibitors and an attendance of more than 100,000 each year.

HONORED ALUMNI

Ron Caird (Ornamental Horticulture, ’65), owner and CEO of Por La Mar Nursery in Santa Barbara, was celebrated as the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences’ 2023 Honored Alumni nominee in October. Caird has invested time, experience and financial support in the college’s Plant Sciences Department, as well as other departments given his multigenerational Cal Poly legacy. He has been engaged with advisory councils, currently serving on the Plant Sciences Department advisory council and formerly chairing the council. Por La Mar has now welcomed the third generation of the Caird family with the addition of three grandchildren to its operational leadership ranks, all of whom attended Cal Poly in various CAFES majors (as did several of the second generation).

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS

APRIL 11-13 Cal Poly Open House

APRIL 12-13 Poly Royal Rodeo

APRIL 27 EIM Auction and Dinner Fundraiser

JUNE 1 Performance Horse Sale

JUNE 15 Commencement

MOHAMMAD AGHAEE, Research Entomologist

DEPARTMENT: Strawberry Center

AREA OF SPECIALTY: Agricultural entomology, integrated pest management

EDUCATION: Ph.D. in entomology from UC Davis

HOMETOWN: Oakland, California

FUN FACT: I function optimally when I consume between 150-200 mg of caffeine between 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. And making jalapeño cheddar is way more difficult than advertised. Don't do it.

ASHLEY GRUPENHOFF, Assistant Professor

DEPARTMENT: Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

AREA OF SPECIALTY: Wildland fire management, prescribed fire, post-fire recovery

EDUCATION: Ph.D. in ecology from UC Davis

HOMETOWN: Herndon, Virginia

FUN FACT: I grew up with a cotton-top tamarin.

SUSAN HAWK, Professor

DEPARTMENT: Food Science and Nutrition

AREA OF SPECIALTY: Clinical nutrition

EDUCATION: Ph.D. in nutritional biology from UC Davis, R.D., B.A. in biology from Reed College

HOMETOWN: Portland, Oregon

FUN FACT: I worked with NASA on a spaceflight project to send frogs into space that launched in the Endeavour when I was only 21.

MILENA RAMIREZ, Associate Professor

DEPARTMENT: Food Science and Nutrition

AREA OF SPECIALTY: Beverage processing, phytochemical and aroma profiles in food

EDUCATION: Ph.D. in food science from University of Florida

HOMETOWN: Puebla, Mexico

FUN FACT: I love abstract acrylics painting.

NICOLE RAY, Assistant Professor

DEPARTMENT: Agricultural Education and Communication

AREA OF SPECIALTY: Agricultural education, teacher education

EDUCATION: Ed.D. in agricultural education from a joint program between Texas Tech and Texas A&M

HOMETOWN: Porterville, California

FUN FACT: Cookies and cream is my favorite ice cream flavor.

STUDENTS TAKE A WALK ON THE

Wild Side

BY LAUREN MCEWEN, third-year agricultural communication major

Every day, three times a day, students travel to a facility tucked away on Mount Bishop Road at the northern edge of campus to care for 17 sisters. They are 17 leopard tortoises, all from the same clutch of eggs.

Entering a small barn with windows open to shed natural light, students step into antiseptic foot baths and diligently wash their hands before greeting the tortoises. The leopard tortoise colony expands the Learn by Doing species experience to meet the diverse and evolving interests of Cal Poly students. More than 40 animal science undergraduates participate in the program annually, many of whom go on to provide care to the more than 750,000 animals in facilities accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Cal Poly’s program stands unrivaled by any other university in the United States for its student-led animal care and research elements. Through the course, students learn to manage long-term animal care including practicing observational skills, using the metric system, developing a detail-oriented work ethic and working as a team to provide consistent, quality care for the tortoises.

RESEARCH AND STUDENT INVOLVEMENT

In 2008, the leopard tortoise colony made the cross-country journey to Cal Poly from the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C. The tortoises trailed Professor

Mark Edwards who joined Cal Poly after many years of working as an animal nutritionist developing and coordinating the clinical zoo nutrition program there. Edwards has been a champion of the program since, introducing Cal Poly students to a unique educational experience that offers them a chance “to learn about the standards of exotic animal husbandry, while simultaneously developing skills to be broadly used in animal science to improve the quality of life for the animals under their care,” he said.

Leopard tortoises, whose natural habitat is on the savanna in southern Africa, are not well documented. Research done on the colony at Cal Poly has paved the way for improved nutrition, as students have conducted studies on the composition, as well as flavor, color and aroma of feed with these animals. These findings were shared with Purina, which then developed an exotic animal feed through its Mazuri line. Products produced through these collaborations have now been on the market for more than 10 years and are used by professional animal care specialists in zoos and aquariums globally.

The tortoises have also served a critical purpose since relocating to Cal Poly – providing a pathway into animal agriculture for students eager to learn but without past experience. The program promotes interdisciplinary collaboration, with students partnering with computer science students to improve data collection and engineering students on facility enhancements.

Edwards noted that there is a demographic shift in the types of students coming to Cal Poly, reflective of the adaptations

I learned about following standard operating procedure protocols, providing enrichment and the general husbandry of an exotic species—things I do every day at work now. I also got a chance to see how research projects run alongside the husbandry of the species which I’ve experienced in my career.”

-Zoe Strachan-Payne (Animal Science, ’18), wildlife care specialist at the San Diego Zoo

happening across the agriculture industry. “We aren’t getting as many students coming from family farms anymore, but rather, students who come from big cities without much experience in animal care,” he said. “The tortoises are a gateway into animal care because they are very forgiving and easily approachable and are helping newer students from diverse backgrounds comfortably gain experience and confidence.”

Maya Tjan, a second-year animal science major, serves as the tortoise colony student manager coordinating student schedules, animal care, as well as topics related to facilities, equipment and supplies. She said that the skills she has gained are applicable to other jobs on and off campus. Because management of the colony is done within a small group, she has learned how to “efficiently communicate with others the standard procedures of animal care.”

Every Thursday, the students meet at the unit to meticulously weigh and measure each tortoise. The students work in assembly line fashion, taking great care in handling the tortoises. They record each measurement, from the animal’s length to the width of individual scales on the carapace (shell) called scutes, as a part of the research and data collection on the colony.

Edwards noted that when the tortoises arrived at Cal Poly, they were the size of a fist. Now, the sisters weigh more than 20 pounds each and will continue to grow throughout their lifetime. At almost 20 years old, each tortoise has the potential to live for a century. Because of that long lifespan, Edwards thinks that these animals can potentially have a more profound impact on students than any other species because of their longevity and the opportunity to do long-term research.

Austin Tinsley, a first-year animal science major, said that despite only having experience with domestic dogs and cats, he specifically expressed interest in exotic animals when coming to Cal Poly. One of the most valuable aspects of the enterprise

for him included developing a schedule and consistency in management, measurements and atmosphere. “For me, it is very relaxing to spend time with the animals and I find it very enjoyable to work with them," he said. "It’s a really nice introduction to the enterprise system at Cal Poly.”

ALUMNI ATTEST TO VALUE OF LEARNING ABOUT EXOTIC ANIMALS

Zoos and aquariums where Cal Poly graduates now work are reaping the benefits of the Learn by Doing facet of the leopard tortoise enterprise.

At the San Diego Zoo, Zoe Strachan-Payne (Animal Science, ’18) works as a wildlife care specialist in the Safari Park. There, “the wildlife in my care travel all over the park participating in a variety of programs and events and serve as ambassadors for their species,” she said. Since starting her position at the zoo, “everything I’ve done in the past assists me every day.”

Strachan-Payne said that her time at Cal Poly, especially with the tortoise colony, opened her heart to working with exotic animals as a profession. While the leopard tortoises were her first encounter with exotic animals, she says she appreciated how Edwards runs the program as a zoo husbandry team would. “I learned about following standard operating procedure protocols, providing enrichment and the general husbandry of an exotic species, things I do every day at work now,” Strachan-Payne said. “I also got a chance to see how research projects run alongside the husbandry of the species which I’ve experienced in my career.”

She credits her Cal Poly degree with supporting her through challenges and team decisions at the Safari Park, all which began in a similar environment under Edwards' direction. “My education from Cal Poly allows me to work

more effectively with these teams and understand the decisions they help us make for the care of our wildlife,” she said.

Alumna Xana Luehs (Animal Science, ‘18), works as an animal care specialist at the Oakland Zoo. Participating in the reptile husbandry enterprise was a highlight of her time at Cal Poly. “I enjoyed it so much that I even came back and helped out during breaks when other students were out of town. It was the epitome of Learn by Doing in all aspects,” she said.

The skills she learned during her time at Cal Poly directly transferred to many of her duties as an animal keeper, Luehs said. “A lot of what I do every day at work, I had already began building a foundation for during my time with the tortoises at Cal Poly, and for that, I am forever grateful.”

Edwards recently launched a $500,000 fundraising campaign to build a new on-campus facility for the tortoises as part of the new Animal Health Center, which is slated to open in fall 2025.

Enhancing their living conditions, such as imitating their natural savanna with native plants and adding heated surfaces to suit their ectothermic bodies, will increase their quality of life and longevity, and therefore the efficacy the students experience alongside them, he said.

Edwards hopes the new location will one day benefit the local community as a learning opportunity which extends beyond the classroom and campus. “Even the most timid student warms up to an unassuming animal,” he said.

To learn more about donating to the project, contact Tim Northrop, senior director of development, at tnorthro@calpoly.edu or by calling 805-801-6662.

SPROUTING SUCCESS

The College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences continues to invest in the future of food and agriculture to ensure its graduates are ready to make an immediate impact in industry. The next phase of development includes two projects, totaling more than $60 million, that will expand offerings in both the plant and animal sciences areas in the college.

The Plant Sciences Complex and the Animal Health Center, both breaking ground in the spring, will expand on the college’s transformation over the past 10-plus years, and be the latest additions to the new facilities including the Boswell Agricultural Tech Center, the JUSTIN and J. LOHR Center for Wine and Viticulture and the Oppenheimer Family

Equine Center constructed during that time (see cover image and legend inside the front cover). These new facilities, slated to open in fall 2025, will provide additional learning laboratories and classrooms, collaborative spaces for interdisciplinary research and a state-of-the-art veterinary clinic.

“We continue to build for the future to ensure that Cal Poly students are immersed in the latest technologies in both our indoor and outdoor learning spaces,” Bill Hendricks, interim dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences said. “These new buildings have been critical pieces of the college’s vision for more than a decade and now, with increasing student demand and critical donor support, we are launching forward.”

Rendering of the Plant Sciences Complex.

Rendering of the Animal Health Center.

Renderings provided by Gensler.

PLANT SCIENCES COMPLEX

Phase 1

2

The 6-acre Plant Sciences Complex, located on the corner of Highland Drive and Mt. Bishop Road, will feature a new teaching and laboratory building, state-of-the-art research and production greenhouses, an ancillary produce packing and cooling facility and a farm store for food retail operations. The complex will include support for applied innovation and teaching in soil health, water and air quality, plant cultivation, entomology, forestry and reforestation, harvesting and processing, and food safety, as well as a site for automation and systems testing.

The complex will be built in four phases, with construction for phase one beginning this spring. The George Wurzel Plant Sciences Building, with seed funding provided by the JG Boswell Company in recognition of longtime employee and Cal Poly alumnus George Wurzel (Crop Science, ’87) , will be the teaching and research hub of the complex, bringing together multiple complementary disciplines under one roof to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges.

Research labs will be modular, flexible and adaptable spaces – facilitating interdisciplinary discussions and applied learning among faculty, students and industry partners. The building will offer the college’s food, agriculture

with hands-on learning and research experience in climate-resilient practices as well as controlledenvironment and vertical growing space. Key features include small, medium and large production spaces that can facilitate a multitude of crops, a soil mixing room, germination chamber, headhouse and multiple research labs.

The third phase is a produce packing and cooling facility that will enable students to cool, wash, sort and store fresh produce, making high-quality, nutrient-dense fresh food available to the campus community as well as local schools and food banks.

The fourth and final phase is a farm store that will bring together all of Cal Poly’s food and agriculture products to a single, central campus location serving the campus and community to make available for sale fresh, locally grown and produced food to improve healthy food choices. Students will gain experience in retail supply chain, merchandising, marketing and more – all while showcasing student-made and produced food and beverage products.

The complex, which has thus far received major funding from industry partners including JG Boswell, Taylor Farms, Bee Sweet Citrus and others, will bring together multiple complementary disciplines in one hub to tackle California’s most pressing food and agricultural challenges, including

Naming opportunities in the Plant Sciences Complex for teaching and laboratory spaces in the new George Wurzel Plant Sciences building are available. To learn more, contact Russ Kabaker, assistant dean for advancement and external relations, at 805- 458-0847 or email rkabaker@calpoly.edu.

Construction of the George Wurzel Plant Sciences Laboratories

Phase

Construction of the High-Tech Greenhouse Complex

Phase 3

Construction of the Produce Packing and Cooling Facility

Phase 4

Construction of the Farm Store for Cal Poly grown products

the Plant Sciences, Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences and BioResource and Agricultural Engineering departments, the complex will be a training ground for the next generation of CAFES students.

ANIMAL HEALTH CENTER

The Charles and Claire Jacobsen Animal Health Center is set to become an interactive, experiential animal facility that embraces hands-on learning, supporting the next generation of leaders in veterinary medicine, animal healthcare and animal agriculture. The College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences offers one of the largest animal sciences programs in the country, with 75% of students entering with a desire to become a veterinarian – and is poised to serve as a muchneeded pipeline for students who seek to enter a career in large animal veterinary care.

The center, located off of Via Carta Road, will be walking distance to the Oppenheimer Family Equine Center and horse paddocks. New student housing designated for students who work in one of the college’s 15 student-run production facilities is also being constructed nearby.

The complex features 17,500 square feet of multiuse space flexible for teaching, research and clinical training — including wet labs, a surgery suite and a necropsy area. It will include a covered outdoor area for animal examinations and a mobile ambulatory component that will expose students to livestock practices and encourage them to consider a career in animal care. The building will reinforce teaching, research and clinical training for animal science students in a modern, state-of-the-art facility that will meet the growing demand for animal health and science professionals.

Naming opportunities in the Animal Health Center in areas of teaching, research and clinical training are available. To learn more, contact Abigail McCullough, director of development, at 805-858-0393 or email ammccull@calpoly.edu.

Cal Poly is a leader in veterinary medicine and animal agriculture, and one of only two undergraduate teaching veterinary clinics in the United States. The new center will provide an enhanced teaching space for veterinary care and expand on opportunities for students to get handson experience treating the college’s livestock including horses, cattle and swine. New treatment stalls and loading areas will create ease in moving animals from pasture to the facility — eliminating the need to treat animals in the field and giving students access to state-of-the-art equipment. In addition, the lab area will be configured with technology to allow larger groups of students to view procedures as they are done. “This new facility will allow us to teach at a level that better prepares students planning to attend veterinary school to transition with ease,” said Kim Sprayberry, associate head of the Animal Science Department. It will also have modern, state-of-the-art instrumentation and equipment that will enable students who work in small-animal practices to learn in an environment that is on par with their current workplaces, as well as the practices they will join after veterinary school. The Charles and Claire Jacobsen Animal Health Center will ultimately foster a more collaborative and interdisciplinary approach between people, animals and their shared environment while training students in sustainable animal food production and animal agriculture. “We have spent many years improvising and adapting with our existing facilitates to offer students the best hands-on learning experience possible,” said George Gallagher, head of the Animal Science Department. “We are now evolving.” The complex will position Cal Poly as the top undergraduate animal science program for student, faculty and industry partners in the country.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Jessica Meurer

(Animal Science, '12)

A senior wildlife care specialist, Meurer has worked at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance for 12 years. She works in the wildlife ambassador department, caring for 34 animals including parrots, large and small mammals, birds of prey and a snake. In addition to caring for the animals, Meurer does public and private educational wildlife presentations.

My day to day consists of doing regular husbandry/ cleaning of our wildlife’s habitats, feeding, medicating, and creating enriched experiences for our wildlife, as well as hosting public and private wildlife presentations for our guests. We also do daily training of husbandry and medical behaviors that allow us to better care for our wildlife.

What impact does your role as a senior wildlife care specialist have?

I feel like the biggest impact my role has is in the connections we help form between our guests and our wildlife through our daily wildlife presentations and tours. We hope that the connection will lead to people having a bigger passion for wildlife.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

The most rewarding part of my job is forming a special relationship with each one of our wildlife. Since we do interact with them in a closer capacity, we get the amazing opportunity to form lifelong relationships with each one.

Some people struggle with the idea of keeping animals in captivity. How do you address that?

When questioned about having wildlife in facilities like the San Diego Zoo, I immediately jump to what the core mission of my position is at the San Diego Zoo, which is creating a passion for wildlife. In order to create that passion, there has to be a connection. Interacting and working with these amazing wildlife ambassadors everyday allows me and my fellow teammates to make that connection to our guests and hopefully create that connection for people to want to conserve wildlife for future generations. That's the reason why I became a wildlife care specialist. The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance also focuses on eight conservation hubs around the world, partnering with

organizations that have active programs to help conserve wildlife and native plant species.

How did your time at Cal Poly influence the role you have today?

This job requires so many different skills that Cal Poly prepared me with its Learn by Doing philosophy, such as thinking on your feet, problem-solving, hands-on skills and just overall work ethic. The professors provided me so many real-life job experiences during courses that the transition to the actual real world was much more fluid. While working in the leopard tortoise enterprise for many quarters, I not only learned how to care for these types of animals, but they also really started my fascination with the nutritional side of animal care.

Can you share one special or insightful moment you’ve had during your time in this role?

The beauty of this job is that if I am ever having a rough day, it really brings me down to earth in that I get to interact with these amazing animals every day. I will say one of the top moments was helping to raise a six-weekold, orphaned cheetah cub. She is now 7 years old and I honestly cannot imagine my career without having that relationship.

Any advice for current Cal Poly students?

The biggest advice that I always tell anyone who wants to get into my type of career is to get any experience as early as you can, whether it’s through volunteering with local animal shelters, rehab centers or applying for internships. There are so many places that need and want the help and are willing to teach anyone that is passionate in their mission. I did four internships plus volunteering and enterprises while attending Cal Poly and it really set me ahead of the game once I graduated. Utilize your professors and advisors to help guide you get the experience that you might not know you need.

WINE RESEARCH

A collaboration between Cal Poly's Wine and Viticulture Department and the Central Coast wine industry

On any given day at Cal Poly’s JUSTIN and J. LOHR Center for Wine and Viticulture, students can be found in its labs working alongside professors, researching the chemical and sensory properties of the wines being made there.

Students are exposed to the entire winemaking process from growing grapes to producing and marketing wines. In that process, they receive an unrivaled education in the analytics of winemaking – from characterizing the chemistry of wine varietals and styles to the sensory features of wines and the effect that winemaking interventions have on the taste and aroma of the final product. State-of-the-art equipment at the center, provided by donors from the industry with the intent of preparing graduates to excel upon graduation, gives Cal Poly students insight into the winemaking process not found elsewhere.

In March, the Cal Poly Wine Research Initiative was launched to strengthen the collaboration between Cal Poly’s Wine and Viticulture Department and the wine industry on California’s Central Coast and beyond. It represents the next step in training the future generations of wine industry leaders and innovators. “This initiative allows us to expand the program’s research capacity to better serve our students and the wine community,” said Cal Poly Enology Professor Federico Casassa. “It leverages Cal Poly’s unique location, its high-tech equipment and research capabilities to meet the needs of industry.”

John Couch, of Couch Family Wines, serves as an advisor to the initiative. After moving to the Central Coast a few years ago after retiring from Apple, he quickly got involved with Cal Poly’s wine and viticulture program and saw its potential to be the best in the country. By funding essential equipment in Cal Poly’s JUSTIN and J. LOHR Center for Wine and Viticulture such as 30-gallon custom tanks used for fermenting research wines and a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry machine to allow faculty and stu dents insight into the volatile components of wine aromas, Couch has helped spur innova tion and excellence in the program.

Agricultural business students pitched in to create a business plan for the Cal Poly Wine Research Initiative with a vision to go “beyond the glass” in order to lever age Cal Poly’s multidisciplinary expertise,

To support the initiative, contact Tim Northrop at tnorthro@calpoly.edu.

technology and new varietals to meet the needs of the Central Coast wine industry and beyond. “Cal Poly students are studying the entire process from soil composition in vineyards, to chemical and sensory evaluation in wine making to Artificial Intelligence tools and data science to match the taste preferences of consumers,” John Couch said. “This initiative is a way to take the world class program currently offered at Cal Poly and make it available as a value-added service to the wine industry and community.”

The initial goal is to raise $3.5 million to hire needed laboratory technicians to expand the research capabilities of the program and offer more learning opportunities to students. The funding will also be used to hire additional student research assistants. The immediate priority is to hire a dedicated sensory lab technician, who will utilize the new J. Lohr Sensory Lab in the to analyze the unique sensory features of wines and the effect of winemaking interventions. That effort has long been supported by Jerry Lohr, owner of J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines, who owns vineyards in Monterey, Napa Valley and Paso Robles and frequently employs Cal Poly students and alumni.

Casassa, an enologist who specializes in wine sensory analysis, and Associate Professor Miguel Pedroza, who specializes in the sensory perception of wine aromas, will lead the initiative with the goal of leveraging Cal Poly’s unique expertise, geography, climate, soils and research to make exceptional wines.

“The initial focus will be on the Central Coast because of our connections here but we plan to serve other winemaking regions as well,” said Benoît Lecat, head of the Wine and Viticulture Department. “Our students will benefit from this initiative by becoming better winemakers as they are more exposed to the profound level that the analytical and sensory contributions aid in winemaking on a technical level and connecting those to consumer preferences. We want to do things that are novel and beyond what wineries are able to do on their own.”

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

A collaboration between a food science product development and an agricultural business strategy class forged a promising partnership in the fall – creating a new pistachio product that shoppers may one day soon may find on the shelves of local grocery stores.

Jim Zion (Agricultural Business, ’86), owner of Meridian Growers, a company based in Firebaugh, California, which farms, processes and ships almonds, pistachios, pecans and walnuts, knows first-hand of the power behind collaboration. He presented a hands-on challenge to Cal Poly students: create a new pistachio-based product that can be taken to market.

“The goal of this project was to provide Cal Poly students with a learning experience by bringing an actual problem to them to be resolved that would necessitate a cross-disciplinary approach,” said Zion, who serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council and is a past chairman of the Food Science and Nutrition Department’s advisory council. “We are a smaller company and can’t afford to have talent silos. Unlike some larger companies, we don’t have a dedicated research and development department. Our success hinges on working together and that is real life. It was really important to me to emphasize to students how you can do that.”

Pistachios, known for their green color and sweet, nutty flavor, are one of the top 10 agricultural commodities in California, valued at $1.86 billion by the California Department of Food and Agriculture. The industry continues to grow, with nearly 99 percent of the nation’s pistachios grown in the Golden State.

“Pistachio crops are getting bigger and it is time to find new uses for the nut,” Zion said. “I am looking at how to get pistachios incorporated into new, marketable items. It is one thing to create a new recipe, it is another to develop something that there is a market for.” Zion’s only request was that it be pistachio focused. The rest, he left up to the students.

TEAMWORK

Ellie Conlin-Day, a fourth-year food science major, worked with a team of students to develop two new products: a samosa with a sweet pistachio filling and a cheese crisp sprinkled with pistachio pieces.

“It was really nice to work with an industry partner who is known for product development,” Conlin-Day said. “As a capstone course for food science majors, we were expected to use everything we have learned up to this point – having a real-world application that will have an impact on someone else’s business instead of a really big thought exercise was a big motivator as a student.”

As the food science students developed their pistachio recipes, agricultural business students researched the client and began to investigate the market for such products.

During the third week of the 10-week course, students from each class met to brief each other on the progress that had been made and the two classes began to work in unison toward preparing 10 products that would be pitched to Zion and his wife, Gloria, as well as team members from Meridian Growers at the quarter’s halfway mark.

At the pitch presentation, five teams of food science and agricultural business students showcased their products and business strategies. Baklava, pesto dip, energy

poppers, date clusters, chocolate bark, a vinaigrette and even a mole sauce were some of the foods presented to Meridian Growers for their consideration.

Sophia Harvey, a fourth-year agricultural business major, had some experience from past undergraduate classes creating business plans and jumped at the opportunity to join the course. “It was testing out something new that had not been done before which was exciting,” Harvey said. “The learning curve throughout the quarter was that we had to adapt while trying to make sure we were providing a successful plan for a real company. In that sense, the course definitely mimicked real life and the reality that you have to adapt to certain situations and be ready to pivot.”

At the pitch presentations, both Jim and Gloria Zion celebrated the students’ achievements but also prompted them to think about different challenges in the industry when producing new products and offered various insights. “Ultimately, the concepts the students brought forward were more than we had even hoped for,” Zion said. “They really did a great job.”

Using this initial feedback the concepts were narrowed down to five, with teams given another few weeks to continue developing their work before presenting the final presentations to the Meridian team once again. Fourth-year food science major Karissa Chu worked with teammate Conlin-Day to revise the formula for the cheese crisp, incorporating the feedback they had received. They used data from a conjoint analysis that uncovered consumer preferences, multiple sensory tests and statistical design of experiments in making the crisp in the college’s new Culinary Teaching Lab kitchen and Sensory Analysis Teaching and Research Lab within the Boswell Ag Tech Center to gain the best moisture content and physical and sensory attributes.

“Product development is something a lot of food science students are attracted to right away because of the creative aspect,” Chu said. “Being able to work with the agricultural business class was exciting because

Having a real-world application that will have an impact on someone else’s business instead of a really big thought exercise was a big motivator as a student."

- Ellie Conlin-Day, fourth-year food science major

they are thinking about it from a different perspective than scientists often do. It helped us to see and follow through with the entire product development process.”

While the food science students refined their recipes, the agricultural business students were identifying target markets by analyzing market trends and interviewing retailers and food service providers to trace the path from development to final user to determine the best path forward for each product. “You can’t solve problems of tomorrow by thinking of things the way they are done today,” said Food Science Professor Amy Lammert, who instructed the food science course. Students presented their final products to the Meridian Growers team demonstrating their learning growth and sharing all that they had learned about the pistachio market along the way. In the end, Zion plans to pursue two products: a pistachio paste and butter, both of which can be used by cooks in both commercial and domestic settings for a multitude of recipes. In addition, Meridian is using the refined cheese crisp with pistachios and cherries baked within it to promote the Cal Poly partnership at industry events. Agribusiness Assistant Professor Lucy McGowan, who taught the business strategy course, said that the collaboration between the two groups of students led to the success. A group of students are now working throughout the winter quarter to develop a marketing plan for both of the products.

“I fully intend to move forward with this,” Zion said. “This wasn’t just an exercise – it is something I wanted to do and hoped to get something marketable to move forward with. The students didn’t disappoint. In industry, we are seeking to hire well-rounded graduates and this class demonstrated that Cal Poly students are exactly that.”

Nutrition FUELED Athletics

A symbiotic partnership between Cal Poly’s nutrition and athletics programs is fueling players’ performance while providing hands-on experiences for students who are considering careers in sports nutrition.

Professor Scott Reaves (Nutrition, ’91) started working with individual sports teams about a decade ago, providing sports nutrition talks and occasional cooking demonstrations. At the time, he had two undergraduate students working with him. Each year additional sports teams asked for his guidance, quickly expanding the breadth of the program. Today, Reaves and a team of 15 undergraduate and graduate students provide nutritional planning to the entire Cal Poly Athletics roster – more than 550 student-athletes.

“What started with a talk to our baseball team about the importance of nutrition and a cooking class at the beginning of the year has evolved into a full vision of supplying nutrition at a higher level, not only for the baseball program but for the entire athletics program,” said Cal Poly Baseball Head Coach Larry Lee, who was named the manager

for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team in 2023. “Athletes train a lot and to maintain their strength and continue to grow and put on muscle, nutritional planning needs to be a priority. This is a step in the right direction.”

Each week nutrition students make as many as 1,ooo smoothies that are provided to athletes after their toughest workouts, with the first batch made and delivered often before the sun even rises. Personalized nutrition plans, eating itineraries for away games, campus food guides, body composition analysis that looks at bone density, muscle and fat, heart rate monitoring and overall nutritional guidance is offered by the sports nutrition team. In recent years Reaves developed a formulated exercise recovery powder, which is now being made using new high-volume production equipment by students trained by college tech experts in equipment and production.

“We continue to grow and with the support of university leadership including President Armstrong and are able to take the program to a level that we think will be the most effective,”

What started with a talk to our baseball team about the importance of nutrition and a cooking class at the beginning of the year has evolved into a full vision of supplying nutrition at a higher level, not only for the baseball program but for the entire athletics program,”

Larry Lee, Cal Poly Baseball Head Coach

Reaves said, adding that the team’s experiences with all of the Cal Poly Athletics Department have been nothing short of remarkably positive. In addition to the hands-on experiences offered to students there are a multitude of ongoing research efforts underway. “Students are of course the most important part of this and we have/had outstanding students involved,” he said. “A key part of our program is the opportunity for nutrition students to conduct research and publish scientific papers,” said Alexandra McGrath, who is pursuing a master’s degree in nutrition. “Professor Reaves has done a phenomenal job prioritizing athlete support and creating various opportunities for nutrition students at Cal Poly. The sports nutrition team is incredibly valuable for both the students in the program and the athletes. When we work together with the athletes, we really are able to move the needle. This is the first time many athletes are away from home and need to meet their nutritional needs as not only athletes, but as individuals.”

Morgan Nishishaka, who participated on the sports nutrition team as a student, subsequently earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in nutrition at Cal Poly prior to becoming a licensed dietitian. Reaves recruited Nishishaka to return to Cal Poly in July 2023. “She has been a cornerstone of the program and is a tremendous example of a talented student becoming a highly productive professional making major contributions in a dynamic environment,” Reaves said. Nishishaka is the program’s dietitian and manages various components of the program. She is now working toward acquiring the required training hours to become a sports dietitian with the end goal of directing a sports nutrition program. “It is amazing to spend a lot of time with athletes and to see them progress,” she said. “The collaboration here with athletics and nutrition set the path of my career.”

The camaraderie of the student groups working together and the peer-to-peer multidisciplinary experience has proven to be a pivotal opportunity for many students. Jordan Kerns, a fourth-year nutrition major, has been a part of the program for the past year. “I think the most noteworthy skill I have learned through this experience is how to say yes to new opportunities,” she said. “I struggled a lot with imposter syndrome during my first few years at Cal Poly, which made me feel like I was not worthy of working with a team like this. However, this program has given me a lot of confidence in my nutrition career.”

Jackson Stava, senior associate athletics director, said the future is bright for the program. “Reaves and his student team have made an immediate and substantial impact across all of Cal Poly Athletics this year,” he said. “The sports nutrition program has not only addressed critical nutritional needs for our Mustang student-athletes, but has also allowed coaches, staff and students to use the data to plan for success in the months and years ahead.”

Stava said that the integration of the program has better prepared athletes for the rigor of college athletics and that the nutrition team is considered an invaluable member of the Athletics Department. “In the future I think the sky truly is the limit for this program. With a new location being built to serve as the ‘hub’ for this operation, increased opportunities to share research in the college’s nutrition academic space and the excitement of our community, I think that the frequency and intensity of interactions with our Mustang student-athletes will only continue to increase,” Stava said. “Our hope is to see the excitement of our students working with Reaves also increase as this is a truly unique Learn by Doing opportunity that does, and will continue to, set our athletic and academic programs apart from our peers.”

Scott Reaves works with students to make an exercise recovery powder.

Students fill containers in the college's pilot plant. Nutrition students make more than 1,000 smoothies a week for Cal Poly student-athletes.

STUDENT SUCCESS

Cal Poly Logging Team Takes Second Place

In mid-November the Cal Poly Logging Team hosted an all-day Cal Conclave event at the Cal Poly campus, with eight teams from three universities competing. Student teams from Cal Poly, UC Berkeley and Cal Poly Humboldt competed in events, including chopping, chain sawing, dendrology, axe throwing, pole climbing and more. More than 20 alumni volunteered to make the event a success. The Cal Poly “A” team took second place, the “B” team took third place, and the “C” team fourth place. For the women’s team, fourth-year forest and fire sciences major Kelly Schwenger was named the Belle of the Woods (top female competitor), second-year forest and fire sciences major Cadence Eastermann won fifth place and fourth-year forest and fire sciences major Eden Eliahou won sixth place. On the men’s team, third-year forest and fire sciences major Nolan Hayes won second place, second-year agricultural systems management major Ben Holtzen won fourth place and fourth-year forest and fire sciences major Joey Klugg won sixth place.

Gold Medal in Homebrewing Competition

Food science graduate student Alex Kivela and fourth-year food science major Lauren Thoen won a gold medal for a homebrewed blood orange sour beer they developed for the 2023 Southern California Regional Homebrewing Championship in the mixed style, experimental and alternative sugar category. The students are members of Mustang Zymurgists, mentored by Associate Professor Luis Castro, a brewing club where students learn the basics of brewing science, develop recipes to submit to national homebrew competitions and develop research project ideas.

Cal Poly Dressage Team Advances to Nationals

The Cal Poly Dressage Team is advancing to the national competition in Tryon, North Carolina. The team will represent Region U April 21-23 with the following riders: second-year biomedical engineering major Lily-Rose Bacon, first level; third-year agricultural communication major Lauren McEwen, upper training level; second-year animal science major Kaileen Grace, lower training level; and first-year animal science major Caroline Kargenian, introductory level. In addition to the team, McEwen, Kargenian and Grace will compete as individuals in their respective divisions.

Second Place in Collegiate Discussion Meet

Reagan Dahle, a second-year agricultural communication major placed second in the California Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Collegiate Discussion Meet in Reno, Nevada. First-year agricultural communication major Emiliano Ruiz also placed in the top four. The competition is evaluated on an exchange of ideas and information on a pre-determined topic, with participants building basic discussion skills, developing a keen understanding of important agricultural issues and exploring how groups can pool knowledge to reach a consensus and solve problems.

Soil Science Students Advance to National Competition

A team of soil science students from the Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences Department placed first at the Soil Science Society of America’s Region 6 National Collegiate Soil Competition, advancing them to the national competition this spring in Iowa. The contest was divided into five sections, and included soil morphology, profile characteristics, site characteristics, USDA soil taxonomy/classification and interpretations. Students from universities throughout the west participated in the judging competition hosted by Cal Poly Humboldt, including teams from UC Davis, New Mexico State and Fresno State. In addition, six of the 10 students also placed in the top 10 as individuals, including fourth-year environmental earth and soil sciences majors Kylee Nielsen in first place, Nabila Wildman in second place and Cody Cameron in fourth place.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held Nov. 3, 2023, to celebrate the planned construction of the George Wurzel Plant Sciences Building, which is the first phase of a new state-of-the-art Plant Sciences Complex that will help find solutions to feeding the world in sustainable ways, while enhancing the university’s interdisciplinary approach to conducting world-class teaching, research and production. The facility is named after Cal Poly alumnus George Wurzel (Crop Science, ’87), pictured on the left.

California Polytechnic State University

1 Grand Avenue

San Luis Obispo, CA 93407-0250

FRIDAY, APRIL 12

Schedule of Events

Poly Royal Rodeo Performance

6:30 P.M.

Cotton Rosser Rodeo Complex OPEN

SATURDAY, APRIL 13

Schedule of Events

Ag Pavillion

10 A.M. - 2 P.M.

Bldg. 9 - Farm Shop

Tractor Pull

1-3 P.M.

Field across from the Crops Unit off of Mount Bishop Road

Alumni Beer & Wine Garden

1:30-4 P.M.

Engineering Plaza

Alumni from all colleges invited to attend

Cal Poly Rodeo Finals

6:30 P.M.

Cotton Rosser Rodeo Complex