A fireworks finale for the 75th anniversary celebrations, as well as commencement and examples of hands-on learning are topics President Ortiz covers during his final weekly video update of the academic year.
The university will hold a fireworks finale for the 75th anniversary on Friday, June 6. The celebration, from 4 p.m. to midnight on Bronco Commons, also will include live music, cake, displays, games and a pool party.
Commencement is the following week, and 5,400 students will graduate. Each college will have its own ceremony, valedictorian and recipient of the McPhee Award for Student Excellence.
The McNair Scholars Program, which helps underrepresented students prepare for advanced studies, is graduating 14 students. Among the universities this year’s graduates are heading to are MIT for its applied math Ph.D. program, Harvard for its bioengineering Ph.D. program, and Boston University Medical School.
The Kellogg Honors College is graduating 42 students, including three valedictorians. Five of the students are also President’s Council Scholars.
Cal Poly Pomona is known for giving students hands-on learning experiences, and 70 engineering, science and business students got a valuable one with Northrop Grumman, by helping to build and program unmanned vehicles for a search-and-rescue mission.
The College of Engineering will display more examples of hands-on learning at its Project Symposium and Showcase this Friday.
In other news:
- The Greek community raised more than $16,000 for the American Cancer Society by walking in teams around the quad in the Relay for Life from Saturday through Sunday.
- The theatre department is putting on “What the Butler Saw,” a subversive comedy that follows a psychiatrist as he tries to seduce a young woman who is applying for a job as his secretary. The play will run through June 1 at the University Theatre.
- President Ortiz concluded his video by sharing a slideshow from university photographer Tom Zasadzinski looking back at last year’s commencement.
To read the full video message, download a PDF of the transcript.