Faculty News – CAFES News

Faculty and Staff Hike to Cerro Romauldo

Saturday, May 24 at 8:30 a.m., faculty and staff can partake in a scenic hike to the peak of Cerro Romauldo, on the site of Camp San Luis Obispo. There is a maximum of three guests per registrant, and an overall capacity of 50 hikers. Please complete the RSVP form by 5 p.m. Thursday, March 20.

Arrival & Security Procedures

Arrival Window: Plan to arrive between 8:15 and 8:30 a.m. If you arrive at the Camp SLO main gate after 8:30 a.m., you will not be permitted entry. LTC Mark Swiney will be stationed at the gate but will depart promptly at 8:30 a.m.

Enhanced Security Measures: All drivers must present the following at the gate:

Driver’s license
Vehicle registration (current)
Proof of insurance (current)
Vehicle Registration: Ensure you arrive in a vehicle whose license plate matches the one provided on your RSVP form.

Trail Conditions & Considerations

The first 1.25 miles are moderate.
The next 0.75 miles become more challenging, with some steep areas.
The final 0.25 miles are difficult, requiring climbing over large rocks to reach the peak.
Those with mobility concerns or small children are cautioned to hike only the first 1.25 miles. But, enthusiastic children and dogs did hike the entire trail in 2024 without issue.

Faculty News

AG 452 Students Advocate for Agriculture in Sacramento

Students in AG 452 “Current Trends and Issues in California Agriculture” traveled to Sacramento, presenting comprehensive research on California agricultural issues including water, agricultural literacy, labor, policy, and climate change to industry leaders and government officials.

These presentations, backed by executive briefs and weeks of preparation, earned valuable feedback while creating networking opportunities with influential figures including California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross and Legislative Advocate Terry McHale. Students were introduced on both the Assembly Floor by Assembly Member Dawn Addis and the Senate Floor by Senator John Laird.

This is the twenty-fourth class since the program’s founding in 2001 by George Soares, now having prepared over 500 students through this transformative professional experience.

Faculty News

Lucy McGowan Joins Prestigious Fellowship

Agribusiness Assistant Professor Lucy McGowan was invited to be a member of the Business Higher Education Forum Faculty Innovation Fellowship in February. The inaugural cohort of faculty from across the nation will join a prestigious new program representing 13 institutions across 10 states. Fellows represent a diverse array of disciplines including business and hospitality, nursing, and social sciences among others. In this role, McGowan will join a national network of colleagues dedicated to fostering student success through new innovative practices.

Faculty News

Faculty in the News

Ricky Volpe: Egg prices are likely to shoot up even more in 2025. Here’s what to know: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/eggs-prices-shortages-bird-flu-2025/

Daniel Scheitrum: Concerns of price gouging after L.A. wildfires at Cal Poly: https://keyt.com/news/money-and-business/consumer/2025/01/22/concerns-of-price-gouging-after-l-a-wildfires-at-cal-poly/

Frank Frievalt: Domino Effects: Insurance after LA fires: Bloomberg (Wall Street Week) Interview:

Marc Horney and Frank Frievalt: Startups Race to Build Bigger, Better Drones to Fight Bigger, Hotter Wildfires: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/startups-race-build-bigger-better-drones-fight-bigger-hotter-wildfires-rcna187152

Frank Frievalt: On America’s Wildfire Nightmare: https://www.climateproof.news/p/frank-frievalt-on-america-s-wildfire-nightmare

Frank Frievalt: ‘It was a hellscape’: The challenge of evacuating Los Angeles during wildfires: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250109-why-los-angeles-was-so-hard-to-evacuate-during-the-wildfires

Faculty News

Interim Dean Named

Please welcome Dr. Jeremy James as the interim dean for the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES). He will serve in this role through August 31, 2025, or until a permanent dean assumes the position, whichever occurs first. Jeremy replaces the CAFES interim dean, Bill Hendricks, who retired after serving Cal Poly for 30 years.

James joined Cal Poly in 2020 as department head for the Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences (NRES) Department, which serves more than 850 students across three majors. In this role, he has emphasized shared governance, distributed leadership and applied student-centered research to enhance student success and advance the university’s polytechnic mission.

During his tenure, the NRES Department has experienced significant growth. Applications for the forest and fire sciences major have doubled, and enrollment capacity has increased by 60% to meet rising student demand. Jeremy also collaborated with faculty and Cal Poly’s Swanton Pacific Ranch to secure a $4.2 million CAL FIRE grant to prepare students to address California’s mounting wildfire challenges.

Jeremy teaches a range of courses related to his scholarship and offers students hands-on opportunities supporting his ecosystem management research. For example, a recent student-led paper published in Environmental Research Letters evaluated how climatic variation impacts carbon capture across California’s diverse ecosystems.

Faculty News

Awarded Grants

Ricky Volpe, associate professor in the Agribusiness Department, was awarded a $649,932 grant from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture for the project titled, “The Evolution of the Labor Force in the US Food Supply Chain.”

Stewart Wilson, assistant professor in the Natural Resources and Environmental Resources Department, was awarded a $749,975 grant from the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for the project titled, “Using Artificial Intelligence to Map Soil Burn Severity: Decision Support Tools for Postfire Assessment.”

Aydin Nazmi, professor in the Food Science and Nutrition Department, was awarded a $75,000 grant from the USDA’s CalFresh Healthy Living, to carry out outreach for the State Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education Program in conjunction with Chico State.

Faculty News

New Grants Analyst

Lauren Young joined the college as a grant analyst in November. Young is working fully remote. Research related questions, including queries about ARI and McIntire-Stennis grants, can be directed to her by email at lyoung23@calpoly.edu or by phone at 805-858-0807. Sue Tonik is assisting Young during the transition. You can reach Tonik at stonik@calpoly.edu.

Events

Aspire to Grow Conference on Feb. 5

The seventh-annual Aspire to Grow Conference explores innovation in the food, agriculture and natural resource sectors. The symposium will focus on the role diversity of thought and experience plays in achieving this. The conference will be held Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, from 3 to 6 p.m., at the JUSTIN and J. LOHR Center for Wine and Viticulture (Bldg. 156). Student committee chairs Averie Konefat, agricultural science major and Angeli Morales, agricultural science major are organizing the event.

Events

Plant Sciences Professor Retires

Plant Sciences Professor David Headrick is retiring after 27 years of teaching at Cal Poly. Join the Plant Sciences Department in celebrating his tenure and wishing him farewell on Saturday, Dec. 7. A cocktail hour will be held from 5 to 6 p.m., followed by dinner and an open mic. Bring your stories and fondest memories to share. RSVP by Friday, Nov. 29. You can also submit a message on a kudos board to that will be shared with him.

Faculty News

Wine and Viticulture Department Head Named Industry Leader

Wine and Viticulture Department Head Benoit Lecat was honored as an industry leader by Wine Business Monthly, a well-known publication of wine industry news. As mentioned in the article,

Cal Poly SLO has quickly come on to the scene as one of the premier winemaking and viticulture schools thanks in large part to Dr. Benoit Lecat, who has served as its department head since 2015. His “learn by doing” approach has helped students graduate ready to jump into most winery operations and, with an importance placed on business and marketing as well, ready to start their own businesses. His passion for educating the next generation of vintners and industry professionals has culminated in the creation of the JUSTIN and J. Lohr Center for Wine and Viticulture, a state-of-the-art 27,600-square-foot, student-operated winery.

Category: <span>Faculty News</span>