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Looking Back on 2024
As we leap into 2025, our news editor presents a look back at some of the biggest Cal Poly headlines of last year.
Written by Gabby Ferreira // Photos by Joe Johnston
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As we turn the page on a brand-new year, it’s worth it to take a stroll back through all the things that happened at Cal Poly in 2024. From a senior project inspired by a Cal Poly tradition, to medal-winning Mustangs at the Paris summer games, to a transformative merger with another CSU school, here are 12 news stories you might have missed from Cal Poly News in 2024.
January
Every January, Cal Poly participates in the Rose Parade in Pasadena — and the program celebrated a milestone 75th anniversary in 2024. Collin Marfia, who served as vice president of the Rose Float team last year and president this year, marked the occasion with a unique senior project.
February
Two students went deep into the annals of San Luis Obispo history to put together Hidden Voices, an exhibit about four women from underrepresented communities who played an integral role in making San Luis Obispo the place it is today.
March
Cal Poly lies on land originally held by the yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini Northern Chumash tribe. That connection — along with other campus ties to Native culture and history — was explored in an interactive campus tour developed by students and designed to call attention to Native contributions both on Cal Poly’s campus and off.
April
When Ramon Gutierrez got on a Zoom call at the start of his graduate program, he saw a familiar face staring back at him: his elementary school principal, Juan Olivarria, the man who inspired him to become an educator in the first place.
May
What’s better than an astronaut? A Mustang astronaut! Victor Glover, who will be part of NASA’s Artemis II lunar mission in 2026, stopped by to visit campus, speak to students working to answer the challenges of space and flight and share words of inspiration.
June
Six inspiring students, all on the cusp of graduating, share the stories of how they beat the odds and chased their dreams.
July
Cal Poly researchers set up a camera system at a “mega-den” of rattlesnakes in Colorado that livestreams to YouTube. But behind the fear factor, the livestream helps researchers get a better idea of rattlesnake behavior in the wild without disturbing them — and help the public learn more, too. Image courtesy of Project RattleCam.
August
As the eyes of the world turned toward Paris for the Olympics and Paralympics, Cal Poly alumni strutted their stuff on the court, on the course and behind the scenes. Photo by Getty Images.
September
Is it any surprise? For the second year in a row, Cal Poly won best overall masters-level university in the West — in addition to a 32 straight years as the best public masters-level university in the West – from U.S. News and World Report.
October
The Cal Poly chapter of Kesem, a college-based nationwide organization designed to support kids whose parents or guardians have been impacted by cancer, puts on a no-cost summer camp every year, giving kids an opportunity to build a supportive community around a shared experience while also having fun. Image courtesy of Kesem Cal Poly.
November
In November, the CSU Board of Trustees voted to integrate Cal Poly and Cal Maritime in Vallejo. The process will begin in July 2025, with full integration of academics by fall 2026. Image courtesy of Cal Maritime.
December
Cal Poly has been awarded the contract to spearhead the creation of California’s new strategic plan for urban forestry, a major initiative in partnership with Cal Fire. Driven by Assembly Bill 2251, the project aims to boost canopy cover by 10% by 2035, addressing climate change, fostering healthier communities and enhancing equity in green space access. Contributed image.
