Letter from Dean Wendt - Fall 2018
This summer we had around 400 students working on real-world research projects with faculty mentors. Chemistry students investigated the effects of wildfires on air quality, liberal studies students built a radio antenna, and biology students tracked the movements of kangaroo rats in the Nipomo Dunes, to name just a few.
In these powerful Learn by Doing experiences, we’re seeing the historic gift from William and Linda Frost beginning to transform student learning. Cal Poly’s College of Science and Mathematics is giving our undergraduate students the opportunity to engage in true scientific discovery on a scale that few institutions can offer.
Many students will go on to become co-authors on peer-reviewed publications. In 2017, 30 percent of faculty publications had undergraduate co-authors for a total of 70 students who saw their name on an academic paper last year.
Students also attend national and international conferences where they network with professional scientists and learn crucial communication skills. Statistics students Stephanie Mendoza and Noelle Pablo enjoyed those opportunities when they traveled to Kyoto, Japan, to present posters this summer.
Six research groups from the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department traveled to the University of California, Irvine, for the Southern California Undergraduate Research Symposium. Jaron Deacon and Bogdan Popa, working with Professor Eric Jones, received an Outstanding Poster Award at the event.
Supporting the success of all students is at the heart of all we do in the College of Science and Mathematics. Six of our faculty members are offering research opportunities through the BEACoN Mentoring Program, which aims to educate and empower underrepresented students to help them succeed at Cal Poly.
Our outstanding faculty and staff make all of this possible, and a number of them were honored by Cal Poly this year. Please take a moment to read about their achievements.
Our exceptional students go on to become exceptional leaders in their communities and professions. Our alumni and friends are Cal Poly’s strongest ambassadors, bringing a collaborative, Learn by Doing approach to problem solving and a spirit of respect wherever you go. Thank you.
Dean Wendt, Dean
College of Science & Mathematics
dwendt@calpoly.edu
