Polytechnic
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This summer, a unique Cal Poly research project received global media attention: a live video stream broadcasting from a Colorado mega-den of hundreds of rattlesnakes, aimed at shedding light on the animals’ ecosystem and behaviors without disturbing them in their natural habitat. Fueled by stories in outlets like CNN, NPR, the Associated Press and USA Today, the YouTube livestream went from 1,300 subscribers to more than 11,000 in a week.
“Rattlesnakes are popular — people love them or love to hate them,” said biological sciences professor and lead researcher Emily Taylor. “This site is special, and people are enjoying watching them behaving naturally.”
Going for Gold
With the world’s eyes on Paris for the Summer Olympics and Paralympics, several Mustangs represented Cal Poly on Team USA.
Taylor Spivey
(Architecture ’14)
Spivey competed in her first Olympic Games, earning a silver medal in the mixed triathlon relay and 10th place in the women’s triathlon.
Christopher Blevins
(Business Administration ’21)
Blevins competed in his second Olympics in the men’s cross-country cycling event, finishing in 13th place.
Mark Barr
(Nutrition ’09)
In his fourth Paralympic appearance, Barr captured a bronze medal while competing for Team USA in the men’s paratriathlon PTS2 classification.
Nate NGO
(Mathematics ’10)
Ngo took part in his third consecutive Olympic Games as technical coordinator for the bronze medal-winning men’s indoor volleyball team.
Cork Competencies
In a campus first, a team of professional cork harvesters stripped bark from several of Cal Poly’s dozens of cork oak trees, providing a demonstration of a rare but important wine industry skill for nearly 200 students.
“This is a classic Cal Poly thing where we provide an opportunity for students to see something they never get a chance to see,” said biological sciences professor Matt Ritter.
Heavy Rotation
What are they playing on KCPR these days? Here are the top-played songs on Cal Poly’s student-run campus radio station from the past year.
1
Blondshell (feat.Bully)
2
Hiatus Kaiyote
3
NxWorries (feat. H.E.R.)
4
KhruangBin
5
Faye Webster
6
Slow Pulp
7
Seafood Sam
To The Moon
“NASA has been talking about this since 1972. I’m really excited for it — for the agency and for our country, and for the planet — humanity gets to do this. Whenever we do something really big, we call it a moonshot. It’s become a common phrase, but it’s an uncommon action.”
— Cal Poly alumnus Victor Glover, reflecting on his upcoming lunar orbital mission during a recent visit to campus
A Faster Fact-Check
This summer, Cal Poly students worked with the Cal Poly Digital Transformation Hub (DxHub), Amazon Web Services and the online fact-checking resource Snopes to launch a new AI tool designed to combat online misinformation. The new tool, called Snopes FactBot, uses generative AI to compile quick, easily-accessible responses to factual queries based on Snopes’ extensive repository of meticulously-researched articles.
Education for All
At a summer internship last year in Washington, D.C., child development major Cristian Reyes worked to improve educational access to underrepresented communities and earned a yearlong fellowship with Today’s Students Coalition, an organization of outstanding student-leaders looking to deepen their knowledge of federal education policy and create sustainable change after returning to their communities.“The fellowships allowed me to engage in impactful research, advocacy and community service projects, further honing my skills,” he said. “That summer in Washington, D.C., exposed me to diverse perspectives and experiences, broadening my understanding of public policy and civic engagement and paved the way for future opportunities and endeavors.” After graduating this summer, Reyes, a first-generation college student, is planning to pursue a master’s degree in education and wants to help reshape education policy and expand educational opportunities to others. Read more about him, and five other outstanding Class of 2024 graduates.
By the Numbers: Most Applicants Ever!
This year, Cal Poly attracted a record number of applicants eager for a taste of the Learn by Doing lifestyle. Here are a few preliminary stats about the incoming selected class.
Increase in applicant pool over last year.
Students applied for the 2024-25 school year — the most in Cal Poly history.
Average GPA of the selected applicants
Data is correct as of April 2024 and is not final.
