Senior Awardees Excel in Academics, Community Service

The college honored six seniors and one club for academic excellence and service to the college, university and community. The students boasted a wide range of achievements and contributions from helping victims of the massive and deadly Tubbs Fire in Santa Rosa last fall to counseling fellow students about mental health concerns.

Academic Excellence

Math majors Danielle Reagan and Cruz Godar were honored as the college’s top academic achievers. Reagan earned her bachelor’s degree in three years while also minoring in computer science and serving as a community group leader for CRU, a campus faith-based organization. One of her professors described her as “humble, funny, kind, tireless and absolutely superb. I believe she did not miss a single point in Math 409.”

Godar, a transfer student, participated in undergraduate research and was a member of the Mathematics Department’s Simple Group, which explores and discusses complex mathematical topics. Godar is known for helping and mentoring his fellow students. He also advised the winning Math Counts Competition team at Judkins Middle School.

Contributions to the Objectives and Public Image of the University

Raadhika Shah, a biology major, assisted a wide variety of students in need across the university. She assisted students experiencing food insecurity through the Cal Poly Hunger Program. As a mental health peer educator, she conducted confidential consultations with students on mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders and suicide prevention. She also helped start an online depression screening service on campus as an ambassador for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Shah’s additional campus involvement came in the area of diversity and inclusion. She was an officer of the Indian Students Association for four years and served as captain of Cal Poly’s Bollywood dance team. Through these activities, she educated the campus community about Indian and South Asian culture.

Contributions to the Objectives and Public Image of the College

Math major Julia Gladding and biology major Alex Campbell made significant contributions to the College of Science and Mathematics this year. As president of the COSAM Ambassadors, Gladding led the group that represents the college to prospective students and the general public by giving tours and hosting and participating in events. She organized many of the ambassadors’ activities, including the group’s booth at Cal Poly’s Open House for accepted students. She also tutored local high school students and participated in math teacher development trainings in schools around California.

Campbell served as the president of the Student Advisory Council her senior year and the president of the Biotechnology Club her sophomore and junior years. She led the effort to make the Biotechnology Club active again and planned the first two student-run Biotechnology and Biomedical Career Fairs in collaboration with the Biomedical Engineering Society and the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. As president of the Student Advisory Council, she oversaw the organization’s transition from a club council to an advisory body to the dean. She also served as a learning assistant for the University Honors Program.

Service to the Community

Shelby Green, a graduate student in the School of Education, generously gave her time to help local school children with special needs and their families in Arroyo Grande. Her work included increasing on-task behavior for a student with ADHD, running a social group for students who need help in that area, and providing academic instruction to small groups. She also organized a play day for families of children with special needs, giving parents a chance to connect and providing a space for children to play without feeling different.

In addition, Green organized a clothing and supplies drive for those affected by the fires in Santa Rosa, Calif., in 2017. She took two trips to Santa Rosa to deliver the supplies and while there visited with residents in the evacuation shelter.

Top Club

Cal Poly Women in Physics club seeks to create a more female-friendly peer environment in the Physics Department to help recruit and retain female students and facilitate their success.

This year the club hosted and participated in a number of events, including a machine innovation challenge, an elementary school STEM night, a LinkedIn workshop and a tour of Lawrence Livermore National Lab. These and other events created a positive environment in the department and helped women physics majors understand the breadth of their career options.

The club also established a mentorship program in which incoming and upperclass women students are paired to support the incoming students and improve the retention of women students.