Faculty and Staff Awardees - 2024
Learn about a handful of the many faculty and staff members in the Bailey College being recognized and awarded in 2024 for outstanding or important achievements and contributions.
Robert Brewster
Design and Fabrication Facility, Electromechanical Equipment Technician
2023-2024 Cal Poly Outstanding Staff Award
Brewster designs, builds and repairs equipment considered essential to teaching and research in the Bailey College. The award honors staff members for their dedication and loyalty; expertise in job performance; willingness to assist others; initiative in making their department more efficient and productive; excellent relationships with coworkers, faculty and students; and their contributions to the university.
Raul Cano
Biological Sciences Emeritus Faculty
2024 Cuban Academy of Sciences Induction
Raul Cano has partnered with Cuban scientists on advancements in the probiotic industry and he is the first Cuban-American inducted into the Havana-based institution. The Academy’s mission is to promote Cuban science, the dissemination of national and universal scientific progress and the recognition of the prestige of scientific research of excellence, as well as strengthening the links between scientists and the rest of the world.
Tina Cheuk
School of Education Faculty
2023-24 Cal Poly Distinguished Scholarship Award
Cheuk is a national authority on science educational policies, developing teachers from diverse cultural backgrounds, and pregnant and parenting students. The award recognized her exemplary accomplishments and outstanding bodies of achievement, including extensive peer recognition of her work, influence of scholarly and creative study on student learning, and enhancement of the reputation of Cal Poly.
Phil Costanzo
Chemistry Faculty
2024 Innovation Award
This award is presented by the Adhesives and Sealants Council (ASC) in Louisville, Kentucky, for those who significantly impact chemistries that contribute to unmet needs and advancements in technology. Costanzo has partnered with the Massachusetts-based company Geisys Ventures to launch an innovative eco-friendly glue product, involving Cal Poly students in the research.
Jean Davidson
Biological Sciences Faculty
Fulbright Scholar Grant
The grant is part of an intercultural fellowship program awarded to faculty to teach, conduct research and carry out professional projects worldwide. Davidson is serving at the University of Akureyri through the Fulbright Commission Iceland, using machine learning tools to teach and conduct research with students in Iceland, with the vision of involving Cal Poly students in the work.
Katharina Gillen
Physics Faculty
2023-2024 Cal Poly Outstanding Teaching Award
Gillen was nominated by students for teaching physics while simultaneously building up students' presentation, communication and teamwork skills; engaging with her students on multiple levels and challenging them to be the best they can be. The award recognizes faculty who demonstrate excellence in teaching, including content and quality of material presented; teaching procedures that contribute to student interest, enthusiasm and achievement.
Leslie Hamachi
Chemistry Faculty
2024 Cottrell Scholar Award
Hamachi has excelled in her guidance of student learning and research and work in developing polymer-based educational activities in STEM, including Learn by Doing Lab programming for K-12 students who visit Cal Poly. The award honors and helps develop outstanding teacher-scholars in the U.S and Canada who are recognized by their scientific communities for the quality and innovation of their research programs and their potential for academic leadership.
Nishi Rajakaruna
Biological Sciences Faculty
Fulbright U.S. Scholar Alumni Ambassador
Appointed by the Fulbright Program, Rajakaruna will serve as an Alumni Ambassador from 2024-26, working to inspire participation in intercultural fellowship. Rajakaruna visited South Africa in summer 2024 as part of the Fulbright Specialist Program. Rajakaruna has served in Fulbright research and teaching roles in Sri Lanka and South Africa connected to his expertise in the study of plants and lichens found on serpentine and other harsh soils.
Joni Roberts
Kinesiology and Public Health Faculty
2024 Boston Congress of Public Health’s (BCPH) 40 Under 40 Public Health Catalyst
As publisher of the Boston Congress of Public Health Review (formerly the Harvard Public Health Review), BCPH spotlights the next generation of leaders, researchers, scientists, activists, intellectual provocateurs, authors and directors who inspire and catalyze toward a more just and equitable world. Roberts was recognized for her work in addressing health and education disparities, especially involving people of color. She studies how social factors influence health and identifies practical solutions to address these inequalities.
