News & Features
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…
Separate Paths: 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…
The Search for Surf — and Camaraderie: Scholarship Enables Finance Student to Co-Create Mustang Surf Club
Jackson Prudhon, finance major and president of the Mustang Surf Club, rides a wave next to Morro Rock. Prudhon and his roommate co-founded the Mustang Surf Club. By Pat Pemberton As the majestic Morro Rock casts a soft shadow in the early morning light, Jackson Prudhon quickly applies wax to his 7-foot surfboard, eager to…
Building for the Future: Here’s What We Have Planned
In the Orfalea College of business, we proudly boast about our 89-percent, 5-year graduation rate, which is the best in the entire CSU. We attribute much of that success to our unique Student Services program, which prepares students for success both in college and in their careers. To build on that achievement, the college plans…
Business Students Explore Entrepreneurships for Former Prisoners, Spotify Algorithms, Leveraged Buyouts and More During Second SURP
Students present their research findings at the Summer Undergrad Research Project Symposium (Photo: Andy Sherar) By Pat Pemberton Michelle Jenkins thinks the subjects of her summer research project deserve a second chance – despite being convicted felons. “These people, regardless of what they’ve done, are trying their hardest to re-enter society and provide for their…
Honored Alumnus Katherine Johnson: “I know how hard it was for me, so it’s nice to be able to offer someone a lifeline.”
https://vimeo.com/754914085 One of nine children growing up, Katherine Johnson (Business Administration, ’81, Concentration in Accounting) had to support herself through college — working 40 hours a week her senior year — which limited her social activities. Despite the busy schedule, she did graduate from Cal Poly and had a succesful career as an accounting executive.…
Latinx Alumni Share Experiences, Advice During National Hispanic Heritage Month
Network. Take risks. Share your roots. Have fun. That’s a sample of the advice offered by some of our Latino alumni. As we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15), the Student Services crew reached out to several Latinx alumni who have had an impact at their workplaces and asked them to share their…
In the Moment: Improv Group Teaches New Orfalea Students Communication Skills Before Classes Begin
https://youtu.be/qK-dwrIEFRk Hundreds of students, freshmen and transfer students new to the Orfalea College of Business, participated in a welcome session put on by improv group On Your Feet. (Video: Charlie Damico) By Pat Pemberton Forget those warnings you heard as a child — Brad Robertson says you should talk to strangers. “There’s lots of research…
Students Help Residents Deal with Record Number of Issues at Cal Poly Low Income Tax Clinic
Many LITC clients had personal hardships confounded with unexpected bills from the IRS By Pat Pemberton After having to sell their home to care for a sick relative, a former Central Coast couple recently visited the Cal Poly Low Income Tax Clinic seeking help with another devastating event: An unexpected $223,000 bill from the IRS.…
Blues Revival: Marketing Alumnus Adam Stowe Brought Stability Back to San Luis Obispo Baseball
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOKqmnDkuiA By Pat Pemberton When Adam Stowe became general manager of the San Luis Obispo Blues baseball team in 2012, he joined an organization that had endured several years of debt, instability and turmoil – capped off by a former owner’s 32-month prison sentence. But since taking over, Stowe (Marketing, ’97) has turned the club…
Addressing Economic Inequality: Carlos Noe Saavedra Took His Economics Degree to London to Explore Cryptocurrency as a More Inclusionary Monetary System
By Pat Pemberton A business card Carlos Noe Saavedra picked up at the Cal Poly Robert E. Kennedy Library in 2013 would eventually change the course of his career. The card, promoting Bitcoin as the money of the future, signaled an excellent career opportunity with an emerging technology, he said — and a way to…
Help Me Ronda: Ronda Beaman Helps Other Achieve Dreams Through Leadership Class and Work with Terminally Ill Adults
By Pat Pemberton On the final day of Ronda Beaman’s leadership class, she is surrounded by 30 students on O’Neill Green, many of them holding “vision boards” containing collages of their dreams. One student says she wants to own a coffee shop. Another says he wants to be involved in sports management. A third shares…
Katya Vasilaky’s Ukrainian Roots Have Influenced Her Careers as a Dancer and Economist
By Pat Pemberton During the dramatic finale of a “Nutcracker” performance with the San Francisco Ballet, Katya Vasilaky gracefully leapt onstage, then landed to a jolt of pain. Unknown to the audience at the War Memorial Opera House, a previously healed stress fracture had unraveled, tearing an ankle tendon. “I heard it snap, and then…
State Law Mandating Plastic Packaging Be Recyclable Could Promote Positive Sustainable Innovation, Cal Poly Professors Say, But Plastic Isn’t Always Bad – Or the Most Damaging
By Pat Pemberton Even before California passed a ground-breaking law requiring all plastics be recyclable or compostable by 2032, Cal Poly students were exploring more sustainable packaging alternatives, professors said. “We need professionals that understand the profound implications of their design decisions,” said Javier de la Fuente, who chairs the Industrial Technology and Packaging area…
