Recent News
Cal Poly Students Honored by Lawmakers at State Capitol
Jan 30, 2023
Original story by Jay Thompson
On Monday, Jan. 30, nineteen Cal Poly students were recognized for their awards, hard work and other accomplishments by state lawmakers on the floors of the state Assembly and Senate in Sacramento. Three of the nineteen students represented the College of Liberal Arts.
“These young adults have distinguished themselves in so many ways during their time at Cal Poly,” said university President Jeffrey D. Armstrong, who accompanied the group to Sacramento. “They truly are representatives of our campus’s Learn by Doing ethos and individuals who are an inspiration to students in middle and high schools who seek to achieve a hands-on education.
“It’s a pleasure to share their accomplishments with California’s elected officials, who will get a chance to see for themselves the quality, enthusiasm and energy of what our faculty, staff and I know will be tomorrow’s industry innovators and community leaders.”
The group was introduced Monday afternoon to the Senate by Sen. John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, and to the Assembly by Assemblymember Dawn Addis of Morro Bay, who is the first female Democrat ever to hold this seat. Both officials represent San Luis Obispo County.
The students also met with Karl Larson, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis’s higher education advisor. Kounalakis plays an important role in Golden State higher education as a member of the boards that oversee the University of California and the California State University. Cal Poly is one of the 23 CSU campuses. Larson earned a doctorate in molecular, cellular and integrative physiology from UC Davis.
Meet the three CLA students who were honored:
Gracie Babatola
Santa Cruz, California
A political science major in the College of Liberal Arts, Babatola is Cal Poly’s 2022-23 student body president. “I’ve always just loved being in a room where decisions were being made,” she said. Active in student government while in high school, when she entered as a Cal Poly freshman in the fall of 2020, the pandemic was dramatically impacting campus life and classes. She sensed something else: a disconnect between the student body and the Associated Students Inc., student government. As a sophomore she decided to change that and ran last spring on a platform of “rebuilding connections.” Achieving that starts with “having students understand what ASI and what student government really is,” she said. “I often meet students who obviously understand the general idea of student government, but they don’t see the particular ways ASI has benefited them.” The 20-year-old also sits on several committees whose work touches many facets of student life for campus residents and those who commute. She also is a representative on the Academic Senate Executive Committee, composed of senior administration officials and key faculty members. At the state Capitol, Babatola, who has a focus on pre-law, plans to continue speaking for her youthful electorate by pressing lawmakers on one of her key issues: “Care about the politics of young people beyond election season when our votes are needed.” Cal Poly has provided many opportunities for the six-time Dean’s List scholar. When she was considering colleges to attend, three things convinced her to commit to become a Mustang: affordability; proximity to Santa Cruz; and a Learn by Doing learning style that extends from the technical and biological sciences to the liberal arts, she said. “Cal Poly is helping me by providing hands-on experiences working with local governmental leaders and helping me network with industry professionals as I think about law and graduate schools.” Babatola is minoring in ethics, public policy, science and technology and plans to graduate this spring and attend law school with the goal of becoming a public defender. “I’m hoping that my role in student government will improve my communication skills and my network,” she said. “In political science there’s often two main routes for graduates to go: law or elected office. This position (as ASI president) has helped me see other ways I can help people outside of politics.”
Jacob Schlottmann-McGonigle
Klamath Falls, Oregon
Schlottmann-McGonigle, a political science senior with a concentration in pre-law in the College of Liberal Arts, describes himself as a “future lawyer and public servant.” He has been active in Cal Poly student government for several years — as the student co-chair of the Associated Students Inc. or ASI, Alumni Council; the External Affairs Committee that represent student views of government laws and policies; and chairman of the University Union Advisory Board that makes policy recommendations for such ASI-managed facilities as the sports fields, the student union and even the 50-foot Cal Poly P that looks down from the slopes of the eastern edge of campus. Cal Poly students are stakeholders in ASI and have access to leadership positions through student government and on-campus employment at ASI facilities. The 22-year-old plans to graduate in June. “My experience in the workforce alongside my many years spent volunteering has shaped my view and understanding of the world,” he said. “Currently, I am interested in going into either immigration or constitutional law as a way of helping people who are less fortunate than myself. Past employers have described me as a dreamer and a doer.” Moreover, he ultimately aspires to “to start my own non-profit.” The former high school cross country runner has crested even greater challenges. He has climbed 14,505-foot Mt. Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the lower 48 states.
Mads Wales
Indio, California
Wales, a graphic communication senior in the College of Liberal Arts, was part of the seven-member team that last March won the Phoenix Challenge Flexo Packaging Competition. The yearlong project, which is open to colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and Canada, had students helping a local small business rebrand and market itself with materials using the flexographic print process, a technique that uses a flexible plate to print on a variety of materials, for their design of new sustainable packaging and business labels. They worked with a small San Luis Obispo-based specialty baker to develop and design a cupcake carrying box, a three-pack extract box and different labels to allow the firm to market to specific groups and expand to new demographics. “The Phoenix Challenge was an amazing opportunity to put my packaging design skills to use and make an impact on an actual business,” Wales said. “By representing the College of Liberal Arts and Cal Poly, I hoped to show how our university’s Learn by Doing motto makes us stand out and prepares students for entering the workforce.” The 22-year-old plans to graduate this spring and begin a career as a consumer packaging designer. The competitive fencer looks forward to meeting state representatives. “As a college student and young adult, I hope to express to lawmakers how important it is for high school graduates to attend college, especially one like Cal Poly where they get hands-on experiences starting Day One,” Wales said.
Read the full story from Cal Poly News
Orchesis Dance Company’s Performance of “Falling Forward” Reaches New Heights
Jan 27, 2023
By Robyn Kontra Tanner; Photos by Joe Johnston
A blazer-clad soloist twirls with striking precision. Breathless performers climb over each other, satirizing the futility of competition. A mass of dancers hurtles across the stage in an expression of metamorphosis.
These scenes, from Orchesis Dance Company’s winter concert, “Falling Forward,” explored gravity, inertia and unbridled expression. The 53rd annual show was a mosaic of 12 diverse performances — mostly contemporary dance with highlights of delicate ballet, traditional Folklórico, jazz, and hip hop.
Underneath the spectacle, the show is a capstone experience for students in the Theatre and Dance Department, paralleling the artistic and technical rigor a professional dancer undergoes in preparation for a concert.
Scenes from “Falling Forward,” explored gravity,
inertia and unbridled expression.
This year’s show came together over months of preparation anchored by DANC 345: Choreography/Workshop in Dance Concert Preparation, a fall course taught by Professor Diana Stanton, with assistance from faculty member Michelle Walter. Students auditioned to be part of the company — now 31 dancers strong — and spent 15 to 20 hours per week in studio rehearsals refining their pieces. Dancers say Orchesis’ tight-knit community fosters trust, friendship and creative expression.
“Even if I'm not turning in assignments or putting numbers on my calculator, this is just a different kind of academic rigor,” said McKenna Tracy, a business administration major and dance minor who performed in seven of the show’s pieces. “I'm still pushing and challenging myself but in a different way.”
The company revived its Artists in Residence program for the first time since the pandemic, bringing professionals like Lisa Deyo and Tamica Washington-Miller to campus to teach master classes on different styles of dance and to set four unique pieces with the company. Four more dances were choreographed by faculty, and four were helmed by students.
Nutrition major Chloe Rosero had academics on her mind when she choreographed “Ball and Chain.” She said her lab and STEM-based courses in biology, chemistry and genetics can be intense, and this piece symbolized how she uses dance to break free and express herself.
The performance began with dancers hobbling onto stage, expressing a struggle against an unseen heaviness on individual and collective scales. Dancers eventually released that tension and took joy in their own levity while the song “Tears in the Club” by FKA Twigs played.
A dancer jumps during a performance of
"Ball and Chain," choreographed by
student Chloe Rosero.
“I was nervous they wouldn’t accept my piece. It’s a very swaggy, contemporary fusion, hip-hop-esque style, which I didn’t see last year in Orchesis,” Rosero said. “What I learned is, if you have a vision and it’s something that speaks to you, go for it!”
Each student choreographer was responsible for bringing their full concept to life, leading months of rehearsals, refining music transitions, selecting wardrobe, and setting a lighting concept with Clint Bryson, the show’s technical director.
“Concert dance isn’t just about the choreography. It’s how it fits in the show,” said Rosero. “It got me thinking about the big picture. We have to consider all things from the audience perspective and how we want it to feel.”
Student Joyce Lam choreographed a piece, titled “Persistence of Memory,” to physically express a Salvador Dalí painting of the same name, where melting clocks droop from withered trees. The fourth-year accounting and information systems student said the pace of her last year of college got her thinking about falling forward through time. On stage, which was lit with blues and oranges that echo the surrealist painting, 12 dancers struck graceful poses with arms outstretched like clock hands before they melted into new shapes.
“I hate public speaking, but that's what I like about dance: I don't have to talk to say what I want to say,” said Lam. “I also feel really powerful. Usually, I walk around campus feeling really timid. But when I'm dancing in the studio, I feel so strong. It's very empowering.”
Dancers embody the concept of melting clocks
during a performance of "Persistence of Memory,"
choreographed by student Joyce Lam.
The concert ended with a show-stopping finale, called “Before You Fall,” a 10-minute opus choreographed by guest artist Mike Esparza in collaboration with Orchesis dancers. The performance featured dancers exploring every conceivable way to trip, tumble and succumb to gravity. It concluded on a triumphant note with all 31 performers moving in unison and catching one another before the crash.
Orchesis is one of Cal Poly’s longest-running student experiences in the performing arts. Professor Emerita Moon Ja Minn Suhr founded the Orchesis Dance Company in 1969 while establishing the Dance Program and dance minor at Cal Poly. Students involved in Orchesis today major in a variety of disciplines like construction management, mechanical engineering, and business administration, bringing art to life from different perspectives.
“We like to think that we are exemplary of Learn by Doing because we physically do it. We take group projects to its zenith because in any dance rehearsal, you can't just kind of sit back and be passive — you have to actively participate,” said Stanton. “We're not just learning steps that somebody else made up. Most of these pieces are done collaboratively.”
Stanton believes everyone can feel inspired by the show, whether they are a dance enthusiast or not.
“Movement is everyone's first language,” she said. “Everybody knows what a body is, and everybody feels a body. Sometimes people struggle a little bit, and ask, ‘What does it mean?’ And we don't have words for it. That's why we dance.”
Read more from Cal Poly News
A Letter from Dean Williams on MLK Jr. Day
Jan 13, 2023
Cal Poly Philosopher Patrick Lin Appointed to U.S. National Space Council’s Users Advisory Group
Dec 19, 2022
Patrick Lin is the director of the
Ethics + Emerging Sciences Group
at Cal Poly.
In a White House announcement Dec. 16, Vice President Kamala Harris, chair of the National Space Council (NSpC), appointed Cal Poly Professor Patrick Lin, Ph.D., to the council’s Users Advisory Group (UAG).
Lin, a full professor in the Philosophy Department and director of the Ethics + Emerging Sciences Group, made the following statement about the news:
“I’m honored to be the first ethicist on the U.S. National Space Council’s Users Advisory Group. This appointment is true to Vice President Kamala Harris’ commitment to bring in diverse perspectives to the UAG and to the wider space community and workforce.
“What I hope to bring to this important group is a new perspective, guided by my ethics experience in outer space affairs, artificial intelligence, robotics, cybersecurity, bioengineering, security and defense systems, and other relevant technology domains.
“It’s very encouraging to see this administration seek out practical expertise in ethics in this crucial work. I’m excited to serve on the NSpC UAG to help guide the responsible and sustainable development of outer space.”
Lin’s appointment speaks to Cal Poly’s leadership in applied ethics, which includes emerging technologies in frontiers such as the Arctic and outer space. He was recently awarded a grant by the U.S. National Science Foundation to study technical and policy issues in outer space cybersecurity.
The appointment also bolsters Cal Poly’s legacy in aerospace, which includes co-inventing CubeSats as well as producing notable astronauts and aerospace pioneers, such as Victor Glover and Burt Rutan. Another Cal Poly aerospace alum, Tory Bruno, continues to serve on the NSpC UAG; he is also the president and CEO of United Launch Alliance, a launch service provider that is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin Space and Boeing Defense, Space & Security.
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All Rise — the Class is in Session
Dec 19, 2022
By Nicole Troy
Journalism student Nico Viñuela,
supported by a group of staff and
students, covered the Kristin Smart
murder trial alongside professional
local and national reporters
for three months.
From July to October 2022, journalism student Nico Viñuela reported on the Kristin Smart murder trial for Cal Poly’s student-run news organization, Mustang News, representing the only college media publication attending and covering the trial. Viñuela was one of only a few student reporters who sat in the Salinas courtroom alongside local and national reporters, often working 12- to 15-hour days.
His days often followed the same pattern: waking up at his parents' house in Monterey County, thinking about the case he was covering, driving to court to take two dozen pages of notes by hand and then returning home to write and record daily drafts of his stories.
“It’s a hard thing to do, but I like telling important stories,” Viñuela said. “And when you're dealing with something as sensitive as a grieving family, I think that takes a lot of diligence and hard work.”
Initially, Viñuela planned to cover the trial over the summer. But as it became clear the trial would last several months, he and Mustang News Editor-in-Chief Catherine Allen adjusted their plans.
“We felt that we were doing good work and it was something that Mustang News could feel proud of,” Viñuela said. “We figured, if it was at all possible, that it would be worth it for me to stick it out until the very end of the trial.”
Toward the beginning of the trial, Viñuela worked with Allen and fellow students Liz Wilson and Amelia Wu, who used his notes to write and edit daily stories for Mustang News. As the trial continued and involved more details, however, Viñuela began writing all the stories himself. The process was grueling but resulted in 36 stories for Mustang News and 43 audio updates for KCPR as well as five stories for KCBX, the local NPR affiliate where he was an intern.
To balance his reporting with his studies, Viñuela wrote a plan for how he could use his hands-on experience to meet the course requirements for his last three Cal Poly classes: a course participating in KCPR, Cal Poly’s student-run radio station; a required media internship; and his senior project. He then emailed Journalism Department Chair Brady Teufel and made his case.
For credit in the one-unit KCPR radio course, Viñuela provided audio summaries of the trial that played at the top of every hour, 24 hours a day. For his internship at KCBX, Viñuela provided weekly audio summaries.
Finally, for his senior project, Teufel and Lecturer Kim Bisheff allowed Viñuela and his senior project partner, Sam Riordan, to adjust their project requirements, accommodating Viñuela's absence for the first five weeks of fall quarter. Riordan took on the bulk of their project’s first half, covering a local investigation, and Viñuela was able to contribute more when he returned to Cal Poly after the Kristin Smart trial’s October verdict.
Though Viñuela was passionate about continuing his work on the trial, the nature of the case took a significant toll on him.
“I believe in the power of hard work and the impacts of a story like this. I know that this story is bigger than me, and I knew that throughout the whole trial. I think at some point that sort of overruled any precaution that I should have taken for my own mental health,” Viñuela said.
Upon returning to San Luis Obispo to finish his last quarter, Viñuela connected with his journalism professors for advice.
“I had a conversation with Brady Teufel, and he shared something similar that he went through when he was a young journalist and it put a lot of it into perspective for me. It was so refreshing, and I felt so supported by it. It put me on the right path,” Viñuela said.
Teufel describes the journalism department’s faculty as the “first line of defense” for supporting student journalists.
“We are a very close-knit department and supporting student success is the main priority. That is why we are here,” Teufel said. “Having that harmony and unity and talking about [struggles] really goes a long way with students — they can feel that. You can bounce from my office and down the hall [to another faculty office] and get that same structure and support and willingness to help students beyond academics.”
Even more than the faculty, Teufel said that the Mustang News students support one another to a considerable degree, “and they really came through for Nico.”
“Every single step of the way,” said Allen, “I was trying to be proactive and look at ‘how can we take just a little bit of time and work off his plate to make it easier and more sustainable for him? I also felt like I had to advocate for him, not only in making sure he didn't burn out but also making sure that he could get paid for his work.”
To manage the intense workload the trial demanded, Viñuela was supported by a team of Mustang News reporters.
“It was so great to have a team working remotely to cover this, even those who weren’t working directly on the stories,” Allen said. “Everyone was so supportive of Nico by promoting his work on social media and sharing everything he was doing, so we felt a really supportive environment around us."
Viñuela also shared, and sometimes sold, his notes to national news organizations, earning him credits as a CBS contributor and NBC freelancer. He developed friendships with fellow media members across the nation, including NBC producer Ann Preisman, CBS Sacramento reporter Madison Keavy, Your Own Backyard podcaster Chris Lambert, and crime reporter Chloe Jones from The Tribune in San Luis Obispo.
“It was an amazing experience to be a part of that group of journalists [covering the trial], because I didn't feel isolated,” Viñuela said. “Even though I was the college journalist, and they were the professional journalists, we were all there going through and seeing the same things.”
In recognition of his work, Viñuela was awarded the $5,000 Lucas Clark and Aja Goare Scholarship in the fall. Journalism faculty members and local reporters Lucas Clark and Aja Goare chose Viñuela for his demonstration of excellence and commitment to journalism while covering the trial.
Viñuela notes that though the experience was challenging, he was supported along the way by various mentors, faculty and his fellow Mustang News reporters. The group that provided him flexibility, advice and an extra pair of hands consisted of students Allen, Lauren Boyer, Riordan, Naomi Vanderlip, Wilson and Wu; faculty members Bisheff, Richard Gearhart, Mary Glick, Patti Piburn and Teufel; and KCBX News Director Benjamin Purper.
“It’s great to, at the end of it, get praise and recognition, but it means nothing to me if it's not also directed toward the people who helped me. There are a lot of people who sacrificed a lot for me to be able to cover the trial. I want to emphasize the fact that I didn't do it alone,” Viñuela said.
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Literature in the Landscape: English Students Study Abroad in Scotland and England
Dec 5, 2022
By Ellison McVicars
Cal Poly students encounter Highland “coo” cows on the Pentland Hills Hike.
In summer 2022, 17 students and two professors from the Cal Poly English Department visited the English Lake District and Edinburgh, Scotland as part of a new Cal Poly Global Program for an immersive experience of literature in the landscape.
The group frequently made its way to Grasmere, Cumbria, home of the Wordsworth Trust's Museum honoring William and Dorothy Wordsworth and other local writers, the poets' home, Dove Cottage and the Jerwood Centre for rare books and literary archives. Jeff Cowton, the principal curator and head of learning, hosted the group at Jerwood, where they learned how to handle manuscripts (delicately!), gained repeated special access to rare first-edition books usually open only to credentialed professors and scholars, and even had the chance to wear period garments while exploring the grounds.
At the Jerwood Centre in Grasmere, students handle engravings from the 19th century that depict the breathtaking Lake District.
Students pick out period costumes to wear at Dove Cottage, the home of William and Dorothy Wordsworth.
Cowton described the experience as a privilege and said he wanted to give students “an experience you couldn’t get anywhere else.” With his guidance, students wrote captions for an upcoming museum exhibit highlighting tourism in the Lake District, including how it has changed over the centuries.
Professor Catherine Waitinas and Associate Professor Brad Campbell took the students on hikes to locations featured in the literary readings, where students studied in situ how walking, wayfinding, and literature work together. Not once did the group meet in an actual classroom: their meetings took place in the great outdoors, from town greens to mountain- and lake-sides and even in a cave. English student Jenna Lyons felt that interacting with the texts in this way “connected me to the literature and the English major.” The whole trip exemplified Learn by Doing in the humanities.
At the Yorkshire moors students climbed around and on the farm house that is said to be the inspiration for the setting in Wuthering Heights.
Guided by the Jerwood team, students sit in John’s Grove in Grasmere and experience the peace that William and Dorothy Wordsworth often wrote about.
Political Science Student Annie Kettmann's Team Wins Cal Poly’s Change the World Challenge Award
Nov 30, 2022
By Annelise "Annie" Kettman
Editor's Note: Last Spring, political science student Annie Kettmann was part of a group that won first place at the inaugural Change the World Challenge. Read her account of the experience below.
Annie Kettmann is a 4th year
political science student with a
minor in ethics, public policy,
science and technology.
Upon returning from studying abroad in Barcelona, Spain in the fall of 2021, I was eager to jump back into my community and coursework at Cal Poly.
Beginning in the winter of 2022, I took the initiative to join in on the excitement of the inaugural Change the World Challenge (CWC). The CWC is an interdisciplinary, systems-thinking-based, project which asks students to design solutions to global issues. In 2022, the challenge asked students to design a solution to a supply chain disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a part of the university honors program and a long advocate for multidisciplinary studies, I was eager to collaborate with students from different backgrounds.
Inspired by courses such as POLS 333, and World Food Systems, I knew I wanted to find a team focusing on designing a solution to an agricultural problem as it affects the entire global economy. Ultimately, my group chose to address the changes experienced in the strawberry industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. We recognized our fortunate proximity to the strawberry industry which is primarily based in the Santa Maria Valley. Further, Cal Poly’s robust agricultural programs granted us access to resources such as the Cal Poly Strawberry Center. We utilized these resources to conduct primary and secondary research. My team members, Ahkar Kyaw (Mechanical Engineering, ’22) and Brandon Janney (Mechanical Engineering, ’22), sought to eliminate the reliance on high inputs (soil, water, labor, transportation, etc.) by designing a hydroponic solution, or soil-less growing containers.
Coming from a social science background, I focused my research on labor, environmental and immigration policies affecting strawberry agriculture in California. Using research and presentation strategies I learned in my political science classes, I specialized my knowledge on the social, ethical and political developments experienced by industry stakeholders during COVID-19.
In the end, our holistic approach and innovative prototype won our team first place and the grand prize of $20,000, which was mainly put towards turning our idea into a business reality! In front of a panel of industry leaders and academics, I felt confident with the critical thinking and confidence I’ve developed as a political science student at Cal Poly. I look forward to being a part of the challenge this year and hope to return with a desire to work on another systems-oriented solution!
International Exchange Student Wins Prestigious CSU Media Award
Nov 14, 2022
Selina Madeira Dolscheid
By Nicole Troy
On October 26, 2022, international exchange student Selina Madeira Dolscheid won the CSU Media Arts Award for Best Short Screenplay at the prestigious CSU Media Arts Festival.
Dolscheid attended Cal Poly last academic year as an international exchange from Stuttgart Media University in Germany.
“I feel honored to have won the CSU Media Arts Award for Best Short Screenplay. It is an amazing competition that fosters the passions of CSU students, and I especially want to encourage exchange students to seize these unique opportunities that Cal Poly offers,” Dolscheid said.
Dolscheid’s major at Stuttgart Media University is online media management, which she describes as a mix between computer science, business and media production.
“For my exchange year I wanted to emphasize my focus on media production but also to explore and try things I otherwise wouldn't like ballet and philosophy,” Dolscheid said.
While attending Cal Poly, Dolscheid took several classes within the College of Liberal Arts including graphic communication, interdisciplinary studies in the liberal arts, women’s, gender, and queer studies, theatre and dance, journalism and English.
“I had never studied film or written a screenplay before taking ISLA 340 with Randi Barros and TH 350 with Ramón Esquivel, and it directly changed the trajectory of my career. I am incredibly thankful for these professors for offering creative learning opportunities that aren't in the spotlight so much,” Dolscheid said.
Dolscheid describes her award-winning film, “Embraer E-175," as “a female-driven story about honoring your past and the moral and emotional complexities of parenthood.”
“With this story, I wanted to challenge myself and take on someone else's perspective. I am far from becoming a mother, but I am excited about the prospect, so I thought, ‘what if I write about someone that has had a child but didn’t want to be a mother,’” Dolscheid said.
Watch the synopsis of Embraer E-175.
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Being In the Room: Meet New ASI President Gracie Babatola
Nov 3, 2022
Gracie Babatola Babatola addresses an
audience of staff and faculty members at
Cal Poly's opening convocation in
September. Photo by Joe Johnston.
By Larry Peña
This fall, third-year Gracie Babatola began her term as president of Associated Students Inc. Babatola, from Santa Cruz, California, is majoring in political science and minoring in ethics, public policy, science and technology. In her election campaign last spring, Babatola ran on a platform of “rebuilding connections.” As the new school year began, she spoke with Cal Poly News about her goals for the coming year, and what it means to serve others.
What inspired you to run for ASI president?
I've always just loved being in a room where decisions were being made. In high school, I was heavily involved in student government. But what really motivated me to run was I felt that there was a disconnection between students and ASI. COVID had really taken a toll in student government, but I felt that I perhaps had a fresh perspective that could be brought into student government.
Your campaign was all about rebuilding connections. What does that mean to you? What will that look like during your time as president and how will it impact students?
Rebuilding connections starts off with having students understand what ASI and what student government really is. I often meet students who obviously understand the general idea of student government, but they don't see the particular ways ASI has benefited them.
So it starts off with letting them know the good work that is being done by students and by professional staff, and then acknowledging where we need to do more. For example, making sure student clubs and organizations know we are a resource for them, and then saying, “Okay, what are some problems that you're noticing and how can we come together to fix this issue?”
What other specific goals do you want to accomplish as ASI president?
The majority of both incoming students and continuing students have had to endure some sort of online modality due to the pandemic. I want to help students get back to that in-person comfort level from before COVID.
I want to help students address basic needs. I think as the cost of living has gone up, we have noticed that a lot of our peers are struggling to pay for gas or to have affordable fresh produce. I'm looking for ways we can make students' lives easier. We are going to start hosting regular clothing swaps, encouraging a circular economy on campus and encouraging students to support more sustainable options when looking for clothing.
What do you think is the full potential for student government at Cal Poly? How much can student leaders like you shape the campus experience for fellow students?
In my brief time working with university administration, I've really seen how much they value student input. I don't think there's necessarily a limit. There are obviously processes and ways we go about things depending on the issue at hand. But I have found if there's an issue that is affecting students, the administration is always willing to work with student government to find a solution.
Tell me about the experience of running for president. What was the campaign experience like? What did you learn?
I got together with my campaign manager, Chloe Wardrick, months ahead of time to figure out why I wanted to run. She sat me down, making sure I was running for the right reasons, and that I would be actually capable of this position. I also met with Tess Loarie, the former ASI president, to understand what the role really is. And from there we built a spreadsheet of the steps of the whole campaign. It really took a lot of teamwork and effort, and the way I ran my campaign is the vision I want for student government — that it takes a whole lot of people to make something happen.
What are your career goals? And how does what you're doing now fit into what you want to do after you graduate?
During this campaign I discovered that I really do not want to go the route of election politics. The process of campaigning and the election itself was draining. I much prefer to just be in the room actually making policy.
I want to go to law school and become a public defender. I'm hoping that my role in student government will improve both on my communication skills and my network. In political science there's often two main routes for graduates to go: law or elected office. This position has helped me see other ways I can help people outside of politics.
Public defender is a challenging role. What draws you to that specific form of law?
It’s something I’ve wanted since I was nine years old. I feel like it's a calling for me. In our pre-law courses, we’re made very aware of the issues within our criminal justice system. But I wouldn’t feel that I am working to my fullest potential if I'm not serving in a capacity that can improve things for others.
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Q&A with Transfer Student Advocate, Alumna Jackie Duerr
Oct 17, 2022
Duerr has led UC San Diego's
Transfer Student Success
Program since 2019.
By Nicole Troy
Every third week of October, colleges across the nation celebrate National Transfer Student Week (NTSW) to foster transfer pride and community, challenge assumptions and educate the community about the transfer experience.
In celebration of NTSW, we got to know alumna Jackie Duerr (Psychology, ’09; Master of Education, ’11), program manager for UC San Diego’s Transfer Student Success Program.
Duerr gave us advice for current students and insight into how her experience as a transfer student inspired her to become a leader for the next generation of transfers.
Where did your college career begin and how did you find yourself at Cal Poly?
I started my college journey at Santa Barbara City College and I just knew that I wanted to help students somehow. I found my voice in psychology, and as I was trying to decide where to attend, I loved that Cal Poly’s Psychology and Child Development Department had an internship requirement embedded in its curriculum. My practical mind said, “This would be a great bonus — I’d get a degree and experience!”
Why did you navigate into a career of working with transfer students?
The reality is that my transfer experience wasn’t so great. I was working part time, so I didn’t attend orientation and my connection to academic advisors was minimal. I didn’t make connections until I looked around my classrooms and discovered that the other transfers were sitting in the back with me. Somehow, we found each other by being the outcasts.
So, I really wanted to change the experience for transfers following in my footsteps. Because of that, I earned my M.A. in Counseling and Guidance for Higher Education and then I earned my Ed.D.
What has your career trajectory looked like since graduating?
After graduation, I went from being the graduate assistant of the Multicultural Engineering Program (MEP) within the College of Engineering to being an MEP advisor to becoming the MEP coordinator.
I loved working with first-gen, low-income engineering students and ensuring they knew the potential and skills they already had! I was able to incorporate transfers into the program as well.
Finally, I got to a point where I was ready to spread my wings and I went to CSU San Marcos to work in their Office of Undergraduate Studies. Later, I discovered that they were hiring someone to build a transfer center at UCSD and I couldn’t help but apply. And here I am now!
What has been your greatest career achievement?
Something I am proud of is our Transfer Storytellers Contest and Gallery, where transfer students submit diverse artwork focused on resilience and identity. We work with the campus to provide creative coaches and judges for the artwork, and it’s always so inspirational and moving to see transfer stories come to life. See the gallery.
What is your workplace superpower and how did being a transfer student impact that?
Oh geez – this is tough. I’d say I’m decent at thinking outside of the higher education “norm” when it comes to hosting events and sharing content. This is because I was both a transfer student and a commuter. I often ask my team, “Does this content need to be an event, or can we get the information out within an infographic as well? Can we find a way to do this in a hybrid format? Can we turn this content into an interactive video?”
I try to innovate wherever I can to meet the diverse needs of transfer students and to be more accessible.
What advice do you have for transfer students?
Remember that you were selected to this university because you are a capable and amazingly talented human. It can be hard to remember that sometimes, especially when everything is so new and the unknown can be so scary. But when in doubt, remember you’re here for a reason, and you have the tenacity, drive and ability to accomplish your goals.
If you could go back, what advice would you give yourself in college?
Study abroad and slow down! As transfers, many believe we must finish in two years, and because of that we disallow ourselves from doing things, like undergraduate research or studying abroad.
For me, personally, I moved fast through my education – I didn’t study abroad and didn’t take any classes simply for pleasure. I regret that. And for any student that is unsure if they can make study abroad work, there are scholarships available and advisors ready to help create plans. In all my years working with students, I’ve never heard a student say, “I regret studying abroad.” Everyone should do it. It’s good for the mind and it’s good for the soul.
Any final thoughts?
As much as my education at Cal Poly was in CLA and COSAM, I truly found my home within the College of Engineering — specifically in Engineering Student Services. The office family we had and my supervisor Kim Marsalek’s ability to lead with kindness, let me try things and trust in me to create made me the professional I am today.
Join the NTSW celebration and check out the Cal Poly Transfer Center’s event schedule.