By Neil Farrell ~
Ten Cal Poly faculty members and three university staffers were recently honored for exemplary service at the 2015 Fall Conference held Sept. 14 on campus.
“We have many reasons to celebrate our faculty and staff for their dedication and their hard work,” said Kathleen Enz Finken, Cal Poly’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “Our annual faculty and staff awards are one way for us to acknowledge all of this fantastic activity that is going on around our campus. These are colleagues who engage, inspire and go beyond the call of duty.”
Distinguished Scholarship Awards, recognizing educators who involve students in their research and apply Cal Poly expertise in direct contributions to the region, state and nation, went to Professor Wyatt Brown in the Horticulture & Crop Science
Department, Philip J. Costanzo, an associate professor in the Chemistry & Biochemistry Department, and Associate Professor Lars Tomanek in the Biological Sciences Department.
Brown has been at Cal Poly since 1990, and has brought in nearly $2 million in grants to the university since 2006. In June, the Atascadero resident was awarded a patent for an anti-browning/antimicrobial formula for pre-cut fruits and vegetables. Costanzo, of SLO started at Cal Poly in 2007. His research focuses on developing unique polymeric materials for applications including re-healable coatings, insensitive munitions, and the development of dynamic resins and scaffolds. Tomanek, of Morro Bay has been at Poly since 2005. His research focuses on the physiological performance of marine organisms in response to climate change.
The Distinguished Teaching Award, based on nominations from students and alumni and chosen by a committee, went to
mathematics Prof. Todd Grundmeier; architecture Prof. Sandy Stannard; and associate professor Dustin Stegner in the English Department.
Grundmeier, of SLO has been at Cal Poly since 2003. “He wants to make sure that we are as prepared as possible for our future careers,” said one student. “It shows in the care he takes in helping us enhance our problem-solving skills.”
Stannard joined the architecture faculty in 2001. The SLO resident was hailed as an “exceptional and passionate teacher, truly dedicated to the art of teaching.” Stegner joined the English Department in 2007. The Morro Bay resident was praised for encouraging students to achieve beyond their expectations.
The Inaugural Learn by Doing Scholar Awards, which recognizes outstanding faculty scholarship on Cal Poly’s signature learning philosophy, went to Steffen Peuker, an assistant professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department, and Prof. Kevin Taylor, who heads the Kinesiology Department. Peuker, of Atascadero helped implement a freshmen service project in which student teams developed engineering outreach experiences for groups of underserved third- through eighth-graders. Taylor, of SLO was recognized for his work with Activity4All, a program in which he collaborates with engineering faculty to provide kinesiology and engineering students with interdisciplinary projects that result in prototype equipment for people with disabilities. He has been at Cal Poly since 1999.
Kristen Cardinal, an associate professor in the Biomedical & General Engineering Department, received the Outstanding Faculty Advisor of the Year Award. The Arroyo Grande native, who earned her undergraduate engineering degree at Cal Poly, joined the faculty in 2007.
The Provost’s Leadership Award for Partnership in Philanthropy went to Jonathan York, co-founder in 2010 of Cal Poly’s Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship who came to Poly in 2007, after a 30-year career as a CEO, entrepreneur and venture capitalist.
Three staff members were honored with Outstanding Staff Awards, which recognizes dedication, loyalty, expertise and contributions to Cal Poly. Honored were Don Popham, project and event manager; Donetta Rosson, an administrative support coordinator in the Agricultural Education & Communications Department; and Maria Arvizu-Rodriguez, an academic advisor for Student Academic Services.
Arvizu-Rodriguez joined the Educational Opportunity Program in 1987 and served as an admissions officer for eight years. In 2006, the Orcutt resident co-founded the Chicana Latino Faculty Staff Association.
Rosson, of Santa Margarita has worked at the university since 1979. She worked for a time in the Liberal Studies Department, returning to the College of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences in 2006. Popham, of Atascadero began working at Cal Poly in 1998 and has held a variety of positions in Facilities Services.
