News & Features
Welcome Back!
The 2023-24 school year has begun! Check out a photo gallery of Week One.
Empowering Work
Students participating in the Summer Undergraduate Research Program gain real-world experience with faculty mentors.
Going Global
Cal Poly Team Competes in Global Finals of International CFA Investment Research Challenge
A Day for Celebration
Information Systems student Erica Arredondo was one of three Cal Poly sisters to graduate on the same day. Read about their different paths to commencement.
Serving Up Success
Kim Bhunu succeeded both as a business student and a tennis standout.
“Living Learn by Doing:” Macey Hardridge Uses Her Marketing Skills to Promote Jewelry Business
Marketing student founded Lucky Lucky Studios after surviving serious accident.
Removing the Mask: Former Undocumented Student Hopes Sharing Her Background Will Help as Coordinator of the Multicultural Business Program
Meet Yesenia Beas, MBP’s new coordinator.
Overtime: Student Athletes with Extra Sports Eligibility Get an Edge on the Competition Through Cal Poly’s Graduate Business Program
See why top athletes are coming to Cal Poly to pursue master’s degrees.
ConGRADulations!
Check out our photo gallery from the 2023 spring commencement ceremony!
Cal Poly Team Takes Home Second Place, Rookie of the Year at Marine Energy Collegiate Competition
By TAYLOR VILLANUEVA A Cal Poly team of business and engineering students made its debut at the Department of Energy Marine Energy Collegiate Competition by taking home the titles of Rookie of the Year and second place overall. This was the first year a team from Cal Poly entered the competition. The group built and…
Dancing Like Nobody’s Business: The Marriage Between Business and Movement
By NETA BAR Growing up in Hawaii and San Diego, Sharon Dobson was a member of a host of dance groups, ranging from ballet to hula, tap to jazz. She practiced tirelessly and performed for audiences large and small. The more she learned, the more she fell in love with her craft. Sharon Dobson, who…
Four Orfalea Faculty Members Promoted to Professor; Six Awarded Tenure
Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong and Provost and Executive Vice President Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore recently announced the university’s newly promoted professors, including four faculty members promoted to the rank of professor from the Orfalea College of Business. The newly promoted include Mahdi Rastad (Finance), Joongmin Shin (Industrial Technology & Packaging), Taryn Stanko (Management, HRIS) and…
Dressed for Success: Women in Business President Uplifts Peers While Running Boutique She Co-Founded
As the co-owner of a clothing boutique in Southern California, Layna Hathway can share plenty of business tips with her peers in the Women in Business club, which she currently leads as president. (Photo: Jack Sann) By PAT PEMBERTON During a soccer game as a high school sophomore, Layna Hathaway was setting up for a…
Morro Bay Wind Energy Project Could Create Thousands of Jobs, Make Morro Bay a Green Energy Leader, According to Orfalea College of Business Study
A wind energy project would feature turbines roughly 20 miles off the coast of Morro Bay. (Photo: Pat Pemberton) By PAT PEMBERTON A proposed wind energy project in Morro Bay will create 24,000 jobs during construction and 600 annual jobs over the next 25 years, making the tiny seaside town a leader in U.S. wind…
I Tried My Luck at Cal Poly’s Annual Egg Drop – and Here’s How it All Went Down
(Photo: Jahan Ramezani) By NETA BAR I am no packaging connoisseur. Not well acquainted with the laws of physics, either. So when I was summoned to participate in Cal Poly’s annual egg drop competition and write about the experience, I was as intrigued as I was apprehensive. I had no idea what to expect, but…
Debt Ceiling Crisis, Severe Spending Cuts Could Cause U.S. Economy to Tailspin, Professors Say. Can You Offset the Potential Harm?
By PAT PEMBERTON As a political showdown over the nation’s debt intensifies in Washington, D.C., a Cal Poly economics professor said even speculation about the United States defaulting on its obligations can negatively impact the economy. “Just the threat of a default could rattle the stock market and trading in the U.S. dollar,” said Dan…
Identical on (Almost) All Accounts: Twins Trisha Daughtrey and Dana Pearson Took Separate Paths – and Both Wound Up at Cal Poly Accounting
By NETA BAR Identical twins Trisha Daughtrey and Dana Pearson were uncertain about what they wanted to do for a career – until they each separately took an aptitude test. In both cases, the test recommended accounting. “I’ve always liked math,” said Daughtrey, who took the test while finishing up her general education classes at…
How Cal Poly Helped a Power Couple Launch Two Startups That Have Become Giant Success Stories – and Why They’re Paying It Forward
By PAT PEMBERTON Ian Alexander and his wife, Jessie Becker Alexander, each were involved with separate startups at Cal Poly that eventually became huge success stories. (Photo courtesy of Ian Alexander and Jessie Becker Alexander) After business student Jessie Becker posted a flyer promoting a 2011 startup competition, a computer engineering major with a notebook…
Low Income Taxpayer Clinic Worked Over 110 Cases in 2022; Begins Boot Camp for New Student Workers
By PAT PEMBERTON A married couple with an IRS bill that amounted to half their income was one of several recent cases the Low Income Taxpayer Clinic successfully addressed, according to the LITC’s recent annual report. The LITC, which has been helping the community since 2010, enlists accounting students to assist people with tax conflicts,…
Accreditation Extended Five Years for the Orfalea College of Business
The Orfalea College of Business recently received an extended accreditation after a rigorous external review of its mission, faculty qualifications, curricula and ability to provide the highest-quality programs. The Orfalea College of Business had its accreditation by AACSB International (AACSB) extended for another five years. For over a century, AACSB accreditation has represented the highest…
Catalyst for Creativity: Cal Poly Entrepreneurs Club Promotes Startups with Space, Resources and Community
Maxim Lavrov shares his thoughts during the Cal Poly Entrepreneurs Startup Launch Weekend last November. The annual event is a 54-hour activity, held at the HotHouse, that fosters new business ideas. (Photo: Charlie D’Amico) By Neta Bar After coming down with what he calls the “frat flu” in September of 2022, Matthew Reis boiled a…
Reaching for the Stars: How a Business Student Became a NASA Engineer
By Neta Bar When asked what it is about space that he finds so intriguing, Jordan Ticktin’s face twists into an expression of genuine bewilderment. “I can’t answer the question of why I like space,” said Ticktin (Industrial Technology, ’18, MS, Industrial Engineering, ’19), who works for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a quality assurance…
Cal Poly’s Tax Clinics Offer Tax Tips to Help You Maximize Your Return and Avoid Trouble
https://youtu.be/02BS3SyweXM By Pat Pemberton Charitable donations and contributions to your 401(k) can help you at tax time. However, to avoid an unwelcome letter from the IRS, you might want to do a little research before you write off that home office. As W2 forms arrive, this is a good time to think about ways to…
A Team of Finance Students Spent Months Preparing an In-Depth Financial Analysis of a Tech Company. But Would Their Efforts Pay Off?
Benjamin Roe discusses his team’s analysis with visiting alumni and Finance chair Cyrus Ramezani, left. To his right is team member Jivitesh Kamboj. (Photo: Pat Pemberton) By Pat Pemberton On a Wednesday evening in late February, the sky outside is beginning to darken when Brenden Rogers approaches a whiteboard in a small conference room, lifts…
Creative Sustainability: Cal Poly Team Gets Global Recognition for Innovative Packaging Design
The Froot team, left to right, faculty advisor Javier de la Fuente, Fred Pastrana, Heather Lopez, Han Wong, Hannah Kraus and Thucmy Dang. Not pictured are Colter Pruyn and faculty advisors Irene Carbonell and Linh Dao. By Pat Pemberton After setting out to design a sustainable package for produce, an interdisciplinary team of Cal Poly…
Despite Fears About Economy, Workers Will Continue to Have Leverage, Says Management and HR Professor
While workers were seen to gain leverage during the pandemic, they have been making progress for a while, said Allison Ellis, a, Cal Poly associate professor of management and human resources, who has studied work trends. (Graphic: Sarah Davenport) By Pat Pemberton While fears of an economic downturn have prompted some workers to prioritize job…
Alumnus Carina Gaz Wins Prestigious Agricultural Trade Fellowship
Carina Gaz Gaz was awarded the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service Diversity Fellowship. (Photo courtesy of Howard University) After a highly competitive nationwide competition, Carina Gaz, a 2009 Orfalea College of Business graduate, was recently awarded the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service Diversity (FDFP) Fellowship. The FDFP is a USDA…
Big Score: A Lifelong Football Fan Uses Her Analytics Master’s Degree to Land a Dream Job with the New York Jets
By Pat Pemberton Because her parents were originally from Ohio, Ashley Goodin grew up watching Ohio State football games with the family – even though they lived in suburban Los Angeles. While those college games made her a huge Buckeye fan, they also helped shaped Goodin’s career ambitions. Ashley Goodin “I always knew I wanted…
Hitting the Books and Gridiron: A Look at Some Business Majors Drafted by the NFL
By Pat Pemberton While millions will watch Super Bowl LVII on television, a few Cal Poly business graduates have a unique perspective on the game – including one who owns a Super Bowl ring. Through the years, several business alumni have been drafted by the NFL, having excelled at the game as a member of…
Super Bowl Ads Will Contribute to Growing U.S. Obesity Problem, Says Marketing Professor
The Super Bowl represents the biggest stage for TV commercials, which includes several food spots. (Graphic: Sarah Davenport) By Pat Pemberton While television audiences eagerly await the funny, creative and memorable commercials set to air during Sunday’s Super Bowl, those ads are also likely to exacerbate the worsening obesity epidemic, said a Cal Poly business…
Three Students Represent Orfalea College of Business During Tour of Statehouse
By Jay Thompson Three Orfalea College of Business students accompanied Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong to Sacramento this month, where lawmakers honored them and other students for their accomplishments. In all, 19 Cal Poly students from all six colleges were recognized Jan. 30 on the floors of the state Assembly and Senate. Each student…
How Rose Float Design Chair Saira Mapes Took Chances and Became a Leader
By Pat Pemberton Outside the Cal Poly Rose Float Lab, an 11-foot metal contraption, looking like a steel spider web sculpture, leans against a wall. “So here’s the mushroom cap,” says Saira Mapes, pointing toward the piece. The highest element of this year’s Cal Poly universities float, she explains, will be a giant mushroom with…
Happy New Year!
https://youtu.be/CCWgy77Sosc Damon Fleming, dean of the Orfalea College of Business, offers a New Year’s greeting.
Finance Professor: “It’s a Wonderful Life” Offers Valuable Lesson on Investment Behavior and Risk After Cryptocurrency Implosion
By Pat Pemberton As Americans commence with their annual viewing of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” the 1946 Christmas classic provides a valuable lesson about banking and the cryptocurrency implosion, according to a Cal Poly finance professor. “In addition to being a holiday favorite, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ reminds us why trust in financial institutions is…
Making the Cut: Nate Mirizzi, the Only Business Student in the Cal Poly Loggers Club, Can Balance the Books and Throw an Axe
Recent Orfalea College of Business graduate Nate Mirizzi chops wood during his final logging competition. (Photo: Andy Sherar) By Pat Pemberton Balanced atop a 12-inch wood block, Nate Mirizzi drives an axe down repeatedly, digging a triangle in the center of the log. “The better you hit your lines, with strength and good hits, the…
