Class Acts
Get to know these faculty members outside of the classroom. Each outstanding educator represents one of the four sectors of the college — communications, humanities, performing arts and social sciences.
Lorraine Donegan / Graphic Communication
Specialty Area: Design Reproduction Technology / Years at Cal Poly: 14 / Top Honor: Electronic Document Systems Foundation Educator of the Year (2006)
What do you value most at Cal Poly? I value Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing philosophy. I enjoy the combination of lectures and labs where we can interact with students and get to know them throughout their time at Cal Poly.
What do you do outside of Cal Poly? I love to cook, entertain and drink good wine. I also love going to the movies, one of my escapes from work and life in general.
Denise Isom / Ethnic Studies
Specialty Area: Racialized Gender Identity and Socio-cultural Anthropology of Education / Years at Cal Poly: 6 / Top Honor: CLA Faculty/Staff Scholar of the Year Nominee (2010)
What is one thing you wish your students know about you? I truly think they can change the world, and I feel honored to be part of the process, to be alongside them as they set out on their paths.
What is your favorite class to teach? Race, Culture and Politics in the U.S. I get a number of first-year students, so I meet them at a time in their lives when they are journeying to find who they are and who they wish to be in the world.
Matthew Moore / Political Science
Specialty Area: Political Theory / Years at Cal Poly: 9 / Top Honor: Cal Poly Distinguished Teaching Award (2013-14)
What is your favorite thing about Cal Poly? The way the university (and CLA in particular) values both teaching and research. I don’t think that I would fit in well at a school that was all about research, but I also wouldn’t fit in well at a school that was only interested in teaching and didn’t celebrate and value research.
What are your hobbies? Meditation. Exercise. Learning to build and program robots.
Diana Stanton / Theatre & Dance
Specialty Area: Dance, Modern Dance, Choreography / Years at Cal Poly: 15 / Top Honor: Foundation for the Performing Arts’ Bravo Award (2009)
What are you working on? Currently, I am working on a dance for a film called “State of Grace,” which explores intergenerational dance and site-specific work.
Are there any scholars or individuals who have inspired you? Professionally, choreographer Doug Nielsen inspires me by bringing a simple authenticity and profound depth to the art of choreography. Last year, we were lucky enough to bring him to campus for an artistic residency, and he created an original dance for our students.
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