Achievements

Cal Poly Pomona's Model United Nations recently received the Outstanding Delegation Award at the annual conference in New York.

Model United Nations Team Becomes Most Decorated in Cal Poly Pomona History

Zoe Lance / April 24, 2015

For the second year in a row, Cal Poly Pomona’s National Model United Nations team received the Outstanding Delegation Award at the annual conference in New York.

In addition, several students were honored for position papers and committee work, making the team the most decorated in its history.

The 20-student team played the role of Spain at the conference, which simulates committee sessions, debate issues and diplomatic negotiations at the U.N. Through working in committees, students learn about the dynamics of international relations and diplomacy. About 200 universities and colleges participated, each representing a U.N.-member nation.

Several students received awards for outstanding position papers: Lauren Bissada and Tara Kwan in …

Cal Poly Pomona's Baja SAE team finishes fourth in a national competition in Auburn, Alabama. Photo courtesy of Baja SAE.

Rookie Baja SAE Team Finishes Fourth in International Competition

Emily Velasco / April 20, 2015

Cal Poly Pomona’s Baja SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) team roared to a strong showing at an international racing and design competition, coming in first among California teams and fourth nationally.

The event, Auburn Baja SAE, was held over four days in Auburn, Alabama, and attracted 100 teams from across the world. Competitors included engineering powerhouses such as Cornell, UCLA, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Virginia Tech.

The team finished first in the endurance race, a four-hour competition through a course muddied by rain. Photo courtesy of Baja SAE.

The performance of Cal Poly Pomona’s team was made more impressive by the fact that it didn’t compete last year, …

Dan Hostetler, professor emeritus and former chair of the plant sciences department, will receive an Honorary State Degree Sunday, April 19, from the California Future Farmers Association.

Hostetler to Receive Highest FFA Honor for Service to Agriculture Education

Dan Lee / April 15, 2015

The California Future Farmers Association will present its highest award to Dan Hostetler for his three decades of service to agricultural education.

Hostetler, a professor emeritus and former chair of the plant sciences department, will receive the Honorary State Degree on Sunday, April 19, at the annual State FFA Leadership Conference in Fresno. He is the fifth person from Cal Poly Pomona to receive the honor.

The award honors those who have provided exceptional service to agriculture, agricultural education and the California FFA.

Hostetler has worked for the College of Agriculture for more than 35 years as farm manager, an administrator, chief of the plant sciences department and leader of …

A Cal Poly Pomona team finished third in the PLANET Student Career Days National Collegiate Landscape Competition.

Cal Poly Pomona Finishes Third in National Landscape Competition

Dan Lee / April 7, 2015

A Cal Poly Pomona team took third place in the PLANET Student Career Days National Collegiate Landscape Competition.

More than 850 students from 65 colleges and universities competed March 12-15 in Raleigh, North Carolina, at the event, which is often characterized as the “Olympics” of landscaping.

This was Professor Ryan Nichols’s second time advising the team, and he says that although Cal Poly Pomona has been competing since the early ’90s, this was the first top-three finish in at least 15 years.

“I think preparation was one of the key factors of why we did so well this year,” he says. “We took more students this year than we have …

Graduate English students recently visited the Huntington Library to see rare texts, including this folio of Alfred Lord Tennyson's "In Memoriam" in his own handwriting.

Chance to See Rare Books Sparks Literary Fire for Grad Students

Zoe Lance / April 3, 2015

For 19 of English Professor Dewey Hall’s graduate students, the chance to see rare antique copies of the texts they had studied in class breathed new life into their lessons.

Hall and his students attended a curator-led talk at the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens about the research institution’s collection of rare books on Feb. 19.

In Hall’s Green Romanticism and Victorian Minds (ENG 551 & 552) graduate classes, the students had spent the fall and winter quarters discussing, writing papers and presenting work on various texts from 19th century British authors.

Graduate English students recently visited The Huntington Library to see rare texts up close. Photo courtesy…

Physics and astronomy Professor Matthew Povich has received a $650,000 federal grant to fund research and outreach programs.

Star-Gazing Professor Gets $650,000 Research Grant

Emily Velasco / March 17, 2015

A faculty member in the physics and astronomy department has been awarded a $650,000 federal grant that will be used to fund research into star formation, as well as two outreach efforts: the Milky Way Project, a crowd-sourced search for nebulae, and BUILD, an outreach program that will bring astronomy lectures and “star parties” to communities beyond the Cal Poly Pomona campus.

Physics and astronomy Professor Matthew Povich received the grant through the National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program, which aims to provide additional resources and opportunities to young faculty members who are engaged in innovative research. Povich is the first Cal Poly Pomona faculty member to …

Cal Poly Pomona business students will head to a national competition after winning the grand prize in a regional contest.

Squad of Business Students Qualifies for National Competition

Melanie Johnson / March 13, 2015

A team of Cal Poly Pomona business students will head to a national competition after recently finishing first in a division contest.

Two teams from the university finished in the top four on Feb. 20-21 at the APICS West Coast Region Ninth Annual Student Case Competition hosted by the Inland Empire Chapter in Claremont.

The teams competed against undergraduate and graduate students from 14 colleges and universities, including USC, UC Berkeley and Cal State Fullerton, with one of Cal Poly Pomona’s squads finishing first to earn the top prize.

The winning team included technology and operations management students Kirk Baghdassarian, James Saga, Erik Jorgensen and Tiffany Kao. They will head …

Ryan Colwick, a graphics design major, did an internship in China this past summer that included working on a major project for Beijing's largest mall.

Graphic Design Internship in China Lights a Path to Opportunity

Carly Owens / March 4, 2015

When he was looking for a summer internship, Ryan Colwick wanted one where he could put his creative skills to use in a professional atmosphere.

Instead of searching near his hometown, where friends spent their summers completing routine tasks, he set his sights overseas and landed an internship in Beijing.

Through the company CRCC Asia, which matches students with companies that offer internships in China, Colwick interned at Brand Head, a creative design firm in Beijing’s Chaoyang district.

Over the summer, he worked on multiple projects and utilized skills learned in and out of the classroom.

“They liked me because of my hobbies. I enjoy crafting, building and electrical work …

President Soraya M. Coley and five other female leaders at CSU campuses receive the Trailblazer Award from Leadership California.

Coley Among Group of Female Leaders to Receive Trailblazer Award

Gary Fong / February 27, 2015

Cal Poly Pomona President Soraya M. Coley and the five other female leaders of Cal State University campuses will receive the Trailblazer Award from Leadership California, marking the first time a group has been selected to receive the honor.

Since 2010, the Trailblazer Award has been given annually to women who are pioneers in their fields. The six honorees will be recognized at the Legacy of Leadership awards ceremony on April 27 in Los Angeles.

The award honors influential women who serve as pioneers, exemplify a spirit of exploration, show passion in their field and make groundbreaking achievements that lead the way for others to innovate and succeed.

“The recognition …

Scholarship winners at the Partners in Education Sponsor a Future Teacher Award Ceremony at Cal Poly Pomona.

PIE Awards Fellowships to 15 Future Teachers

Zoe Lance / February 26, 2015

For as long as she can remember, multiple-subject credential student Samantha Valadez has wanted to be a teacher. She’s worked hard to make that dream become a reality, earning a liberal studies degree from Cal Poly Pomona and working in the university’s Center for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. But having to juggle living expenses while focusing on her unpaid student-teaching experience was going to be a challenge.

Valadez applied for and received the Partners in Education (PIE) fellowship, which will help her fully enjoy her time working in the classroom.

“It allows me to throw myself into it 110 percent,” she said. “I want to be able to …