A Letter from the Dean

Dear CLA Alumni,

The College of Liberal Arts rarely sleeps, even during the summer months. This way, we can continually seek new ways to make the Cal Poly experience richer and more engaging for our students and to better connect with our alumni community.   

I am pleased to present the summer issue of The Link. Inside you will find snapshots of the ambitious and unique projects and people that helped end this academic year on a note of success. Ranging in topics from the production of a grand-scale event honoring the life and values of Jim Hayes, the late emeritus professor of journalism, to the inspirational story of alumna Lisa Haines Heppelmann and her journey to becoming vice president of public affairs at Disneyland Resort, each article is a testament to CLA’s enduring legacy.

In particular, I call your attention to the story describing the outstanding support for faculty excellence provided by the CLA Circle of Giving (COG), a group founded and led by women. By supporting faculty excellence, this group recognizes that they also enhanced the educational experiences of hundreds, if not thousands, of students in our liberal arts courses. The generosity of this group is matched by the tremendous work completed by faculty receiving this support.

With COG support, five excellent teachers and scholars will be able to directly involve students in their research or creative productions and incorporate that work into the instruction of future students. Social Sciences Professor Dawn Neill will take students to Fiji to conduct research on changing eating patterns; English Professor Catherine Waitinas will involve students in developing better ways to use technology to teach literature; Graphic Communication Professor Xiaoying Rong is tackling obstacles in the emerging field of printed electronics; Psychology Professor Julie Spencer Rogers will work with students to determine the effectiveness of a smartphone application in generating well-being with Asian and Latino students; and History Professor Matt Hopper will engage students in historical studies of liberated African slaves in the Indian Ocean world.

In addition to wrapping up the summer, the college has prepared for the new academic year with the goal of making it as exciting and productive, if not more so, than the last one. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instragram. And, as always, we want to hear what you’ve been doing — update us! 

Doug Epperson