A Delicate Balance
Fall 2021 & Winter 2022
Fall Features
From the Battlefield to the Beehive: Mechanical Engineering Student Finds Kinship with the Veteran His Senior Project is Assisting
Javier Guerra, a mechanical engineering student, decided to take the elective beekeeping course mostly because his senior project seeks to help a wounded veteran, Alejandro Jauregui, who makes his living as a beekeeper.
Engineering Advantage Letter from the Dean
Over the past few years, our Cal Poly community has faced plenty of trials and asked many questions about diversity, equity and inclusion. We have evaluated our efforts to create a diverse and inclusive environment, and we are making changes where we failed. I’ve frequently been asked about diversity, equity and inclusion – and what specifically we’re doing to promote that.
The Comeback Trail
Unable to move at the bottom of a Big Sur cliff, Alex Fung patiently waited for help, coordinating his breathing rhythm with the sound of ocean waves.
While preparing for his own odyssey, Victor Glover kept a journal detailing conversations with astronauts who preceded him in space.
“I’ve been given so much good advice,” he told Engineering Advantage in 2019.
While those pioneers offered wisdom about space travel, they also reminded him to take it all in — to be in awe of it.
“I’m looking forward to falling asleep and waking up in zero gravity,” he said in advance of the mission.
One of 70 students and faculty in the University Union audience, Dionna Odom listened to Victor Glover’s passionate speech about the need for more diversity at Cal Poly and thought, Wow — he’s got a gift.
One of 70 students and faculty in the University Union audience, Dionna Odom listened to Victor Glover’s passionate speech about the need for more diversity at Cal Poly and thought, Wow — he’s got a gift.
A young toy rocket enthusiast at the time, Rich Murray watched Neil Armstrong plant his foot onto the moon in 1969 and envisioned his own future.
“I was kind of a nerdy kid,” Murray said. “I wanted to build that moon lander that Neil stepped off of.”
When Dean Amy S. Fleischer is considering a strategy to increase diversity throughout the College of Engineering, implementing cutting-edge curriculum industry desires for the next generation of employees or looking for notable trends in the industry, she often looks to a group of leaders. Leaders in business, industry, government, research and engineering education communities perfectly poised to assist—the Engineering Dean’s Advisory Council (DAC).
Giving Back
Lives Well-Lived, a Legacy Left Forever: George and Tonny Murray
Passion is a word both George and Tonny Murray lived by.
From First Generation to Family Tradition
When Robert Sakamoto (electronic engineering, ’57) attended Cal Poly, his drive to build a better future helped him overcome many obstacles.
Providing Opportunity: Dean Fleischer Supports Cal Poly Scholars with New Family Scholarship
When Katie Fleischer earned her women and gender studies degree from Smith College last spring, her graduation ceremony represented a notable achievement for herself and her parents, Amy and Paul.
Inside the College of Engineering
Alumni
Faculty
Students
Providing a Lift: Students Create All-Terrain Wheelchair to Help Adaptive Surfers
When surfer Sarah Taylor rode to the Pismo Beach shoreline on an all-terrain wheelchair, it was just the first major test for an interdisciplinary senior project designed to help wounded vets.
‘Swimmingly Well’ Mechanical Engineering Students Create Mini Research Vessel for Federal Lab
Standing in knee-high water beside his team’s senior project, mechanical engineering student Jacob Davis pumps a fist in the air and lets out a celebratory cheer. “We’re all super happy that it’s floating right now,” he says.
Student Leads Dual Life as an Engineer and a Magician
Standing next to an applause sign he engineered himself, Elliott Hunter begins his virtual show with some of his most time-honored tricks, making cards magically appear from his hands and mouth.