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Articles by Gabby Ferreira
Moneyball for Mustangs: Student Leverages Data to Boost Baseball’s Success
When Gabe Riedel set foot on campus at the start of his first year, he was already inspired to pursue a career path that could marry his interests in math and baseball. “I remember watching 'Moneyball’ as a kid and thinking, ‘Oh, that's amazing,’” said Riedel, a mathematics major and lifelong baseball fan.
West Coast Choppers
Team member Zach Pellow practices the obstacle pole event. On Friday afternoons, a field on the edge of campus comes alive with activity. The sounds of chopping and sawing ring out as the Cal Poly Loggers meet for their weekly practice, working on various skills including axe throwing, climbing, double buck saw, obstacle pole and chopping. The club, which is open to all, attracts a variety of students who want to try their hand at something different.
Animal Care in the Slow Lane
Students in professor Mark Edwards’ ASCI 290: Reptile Husbandry Enterprise take measurements of the tortoises at their weekly class meeting. On Thursday afternoons, students in a unique animal enterprise meet at the Poultry Unit on the outskirts of campus.
MLK Award Winner Talks Community and Making an Impact
At the10th annual MLK Jr. Legacy event in January, Preston Allen, retired associate vice president for Cal Poly's Student Affairs Division and executive director of Cal Poly University Housing, co-accepted the MLK Legacy Award with fourth-year business student Adanna Okiwelu in recognition of their work to strengthen Cal Poly and the broader community. MLK Legacy Award winners Preston Allen and Adanna Okiwelu smile for a photo.
Alumnus Victor Glover Pilots NASA’s First Lunar Mission in 50 Years
Top image courtesy of NASA/Frank Michaux In April, Cal Poly alumnus and astronaut Victor Glover will be one of four crew members rocketing into space as part of NASA’s history-making Artemis II mission. Artemis II is the first crewed flight around the moon in over 50 years, as well as NASA’s first mission with crew aboard the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft.
What Leadership Looks Like
Nailah DuBose (right) shakes hands with President Jeffrey D. Armstrong at Commencement in 2025. It was a bright, sunny day in May, just a few weeks before graduation. Nailah DuBose was running from a midterm to the President’s Diversity Awards ceremony, excited to support the students, faculty and staff who had become friends throughout her undergraduate career.
See Our Top Photos of 2025
As we come to the close of another year, it's time to reflect on the incredible work of our students, faculty and staff — and celebrate the university photographers who capture every moment of Learn by Doing. The Cal Poly News staff went through our photo archives to choose the photos we felt best represented 2025. See them all below. January A student catches some air at the ASI Snow Day event in the UU plaza.
Five Top Stories from 2025 (And Five You May Have Missed)
As 2025 comes to a close, we’re taking a look back on some of our favorite news stories from the past year. Here are five of our top stories from 2025, and five more you may have missed. Top Stories Fighting Fire with Fire In October, a senior project class implemented a prescribed burn — the first of its kind at Cal Poly. Learn more >>> Built to Fly Over five quarters, more than 60 aerospace students helped construct a plane out of sheet metal.
‘There is Support For You Here.’ Guardian Scholars Program Meets Students Where They Are
From a young age, Bri Frickman Miller knew she wanted to go to college. When she entered foster care as a teenager, education became her lifeline: a point of stability and control in an otherwise destabilized world. Bri Frickman Miller, now a Guardian Scholars intern, meets with program coordinators Shayna Citrenbaum and Lea Scott to talk about upcoming events. But when she arrived at Cal Poly, in the fall of 2023, she felt adrift.
'As Hands-On As You Could Get.' Students Document Largest Juniper Tree on Record
In early July, a caravan of Cal Poly professors, students, and renowned botanists made their way up Sonora Pass in Stanislaus National Forest in search of the largest Sierra juniper tree on Earth. And — just over a ridge, nestled in a verdant meadow studded with wildflowers — there it was: the Bennett Juniper. “The girth of this tree was absolutely insane,” said recent graduate Jake Jackson, one of the students on the trip.
(Almost) Wine Time: See Scenes from This Year’s Grape Harvest
In early September, the first wine grapes arrived at the JUSTIN and J. LOHR Wine & Viticulture Center from Cal Poly's Trestle Vineyard for processing. "Harvest is a unique opportunity for students, especially those that haven't experienced it before," said enology professor Federico Casassa.
These Greens are Out of this World
A student repositions a tower of lettuce plants in the BRAE Vertical Farm. Could humans one day grow food in space? Tucked away in the back of the bioresource and agricultural engineering (BRAE) shop is a tarp-covered lab where students work to help answer that question. Inside the hydroponic lab, known as the BRAE Vertical Farm, a bounty of leafy greens grows under a spectrum of colored lights, while various irrigation machines provide a background hum.
The Stench of Summertime: A Reborn Corpse Flower Blooms on Campus
A few days after Commencement, Cal Poly Plant Conservatory Curator Gage Willey was watering plants in the lowland rainforest section when he noticed a two-foot-tall spadix shooting out of one of the pots: a telltale sign of an upcoming corpse flower bloom. “Usually we get about three weeks of warning, but this one snuck up on me,” Willey said. A little over a week later, Sneaky was in full bloom and receiving a steady stream of visitors.
Astronaut Victor Glover Accepts Honorary Degree - and Celebrates Family Graduations
This year, Cal Poly Commencement was a joyful family affair for astronaut and Navy Capt. Victor Glover (General Engineering ‘99). The alumnus, who accepted an honorary Doctor of Science degree at the College of Engineering ceremony on June 15, celebrated his wife Dionna, a child development major, and eldest daughter and biological sciences major Genesis as they walked across the stage at the Bailey College of Science and Mathematics ceremony the day before.
A Record-Setting Year, An Astronaut and Mortal Kombat: Fun Facts About Commencement
This weekend, hundreds of new Cal Poly graduates will walk across the stage at Spanos Stadium and on to the next chapter of their lives. It’s a joyous occasion full of pomp and circumstance — and some interesting history. Here are six fun facts about commencement. The Mace During the opening academic procession, ahead of the throng of college banners and robed dignitaries, you’ll spy someone carrying a club-like artifact that would look more at home in a museum.
The Future on Fire
Since 2017, California has experienced 15 of the 20 most devastating wildfires in state history. You’ve heard of them, or the towns they’ve affected: the deadly Camp fire in Paradise, the Tubbs fire in Napa and Sonoma counties and the Eaton and Palisades fires this past January that destroyed swathes of the Los Angeles area and killed dozens of people.
Small Stature, Strong Smell: Another Corpse Flower Blooms on Campus
If you walked into the lowland rainforest section of the Cal Poly Plant Conservatory on Monday, your nostrils were greeted with a rare treat: the smell of roadkill and death, the trademark stench of the corpse flower. “It hits the back of your throat. There’s a depth to it that’s fascinating,” said conservatory curator Gage Willey, as he grinned and pointed out the fading bloom on Tuesday.
Cal Poly Welcomes 3 New Deans This Summer
In winter quarter, Cal Poly named new deans for three of the six academic colleges. Kate Murphy will lead the College of Liberal Arts, Marc Swackhamer will lead the College of Architecture and Environmental Design and Brian Horgan will lead the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences. Murphy, an accomplished historian known for her research on the history of science and the transatlantic slave trade, has served as the interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts since August 2024.
Student Chefs Give Campus a 'Taste of the World'
Agriculture and Food The smells of cooking beef, buttery coconut and chocolate cake waft through the Frost Center’s culinary lab on a busy Wednesday morning in February. Inside, about 15 students are hard at work preparing dishes for the upcoming Taste of the World event on Feb. 26. The event, hosted by the International Center, introduces participants to countries around the world through one of the most universal languages out there: food.
Ask an Expert: What is Bird Flu, And Why Is It Such a Big Deal?
Bird flu headlines have been everywhere in recent months. But besides skyrocketing egg prices, how worried should consumers be about it? Cal Poly News spoke with animal science professor and veterinarian Kim Sprayberry about the agricultural impact and what we can do to protect ourselves and our pets. What is bird flu, and why is it such a big deal right now? Bird flu is the common term for the avian influenza strain that is currently in the news.
Here Are the Top Photos of 2024
Campus and Community It’s been one heck of a year at Cal Poly — and through it all, our students, faculty and staff have worked hard to learn, experience, research and have fun. The Cal Poly News staff went through our photo archives to choose the photos we felt best represented 2024. See them all below. January February March April May June July August September October November December Want more Learn by Doing stories in your life? Sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Cal Poly News Recap!
Getting to Apple’s Core: Steve Wozniak Shares Perspectives with Cal Poly
In early November, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak spoke to the Cal Poly community in an event that kicked off the Noyce School of Applied Computing’s Distinguished Speaker Series. The event, which was attended by a few hundred campus community members, began with opening remarks from Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong, College of Engineering Dean Amy Fleischer and the school’s director, Chris Lupo, who also moderated the talk.
Ask an Expert: How Has AI Changed Misinformation - And What Does That Mean for Consumers?
Since 2020, misinformation has become a dominant part of public online discourse: unequivocally false claims about the 2020 election, COVID-19, hurricanes and presidential candidates have swirled, driven further by the rise of AI. Cal Poly News sat down with Kim Bisheff, an assistant professor in Cal Poly’s Journalism Department who studies how misinformation spreads online, for a chat about what digital media consumers face, how misinformation has changed — and what we can do about it.
Three Startups to Watch from the CIE's Demo Day
At the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s Demo Day in early September, eight startup teams who participated in the CIE’s 2024 Summer Accelerator showcased their businesses to the community – and the future looks bright. “This year’s cohort is really exceptional in that they are showcasing such a diverse range of innovative solutions that reflect their understanding of market needs and entrepreneurial resilience,” said CIE Academic Programs Director Dr. Thomas Katona.
Welcome Back, Mustangs! See Memorable Moments From the First Week on Campus
Campus buzzed with activity a week before the start of fall quarter as thousands of Mustangs moved in, and new and transfer students gathered on campus to kick off a time-honored tradition: the Week of Welcome. The award-winning campus program, which stretches back more than 60 years, brings new students together with more experienced student mentors who introduce them to campus life and critical resources for a successful college career.
Forged in Flame
Five days before the 2023 fall quarter started, environmental management and protection major Tyler Riley wrapped up his final shift of the summer with Santa Lucia Crew 7, a Type II firefighting handcrew based in the Los Padres National Forest. He and other crew members, many of whom were also Cal Poly students, wearily left the district office in Santa Maria to make the commute home. But as soon as he walked through the door of his San Luis Obispo apartment, his phone went off.
Cultivating Tenderness: College Corps Students Help Local Kids at City Farm SLO
On a bright spring morning, three Cal Poly students prepare for a therapeutic horticulture program at City Farm SLO — one of several educational programs they facilitate throughout the week. The students, Isabella Jamner, Michael Hu and Kennedy Martin, are all #CaliforniansForAll College Corps members in the first year of their fellowship — and three of the 185 Cal Poly fellows serving the community this year.
Ask an Expert: How Do I Stay Sssafe During Rattlesnake Season?
Springtime in California: the weather is warming up, the winter rains have painted the hills with greenery and flowers, and more and more people are taking to hiking trails and soaking up the sun. But we’re not alone: the temperate conditions also mean more rattlesnakes are out and about too.
Gabby Ferreira, California Polytechnic State University
Skip to content Posted inLife Springtime in California: the weather is warming up, the winter rains have painted the hills with greenery and flowers, and more and more people are taking to hiking trails and soaking up the sun. But we’re not alone: the temperate conditions also mean more rattlesnakes are out and about too. Cal Poly News spoke to […]
Ask an Expert: How Do I Stay Sssafe During Rattlesnake Season?
Springtime in California: the weather is warming up, the winter rains have painted the hills with greenery and flowers, and more and more people are taking to hiking trails and soaking up the sun. But we’re not alone: the temperate conditions also mean more rattlesnakes are out and about too.
'One Big Buddy Group.' Mustang Band Feels the Love At SF's Chinese New Year Parade
When the Mustang Band took to the streets of San Francisco for the 2024 Chinese New Year Parade on Feb. 24, it was a culmination of hard work and a celebration of their togetherness. “When you wake up on the day of the CNY parade, you just strap in,” said Evi Bengel, a fourth-year cymbals player.
'These Women Were Lost to History.' Students Curate Museum Exhibit on SLO's Hidden Voices | College of Liberal Arts
By Gabby Ferreira // Photos by Joe Johnson A new historical exhibit in San Luis Obispo delves into the lives of four women who were pillars of the local community — and it was co-curated by two Cal Poly students. “Hidden Voices,” which is currently on display at the History Center of San Luis Obispo County, was the product of nearly two years of work by recent anthropology and geography graduate Zoë Levit and fourth-year history major Jess O’Leary.
Restoring the Dunes
At the southern end of San Luis Obispo County, about a half-hourʼs drive from the rolling golden hills surrounding Cal Poly, lies a different world. Massive sand dunes — like something out of an adventure movie, many of which have been filmed there — rise from the earth, dotted with shrubs and other plants. Birds wheel overhead and recreational vehicles buzz over the landscape. For centuries, the Oceano Dunes have been special to a diverse spectrum of people.
Labor Icon Dolores Huerta Speaks at Cal Poly's First HSI Symposium
As she gazed out at a packed Chumash Auditorium, legendary labor organizer Dolores Huerta asked the audience to remember their common humanity, take care of each other, vote and remember their power. “People that are affected by issues in their community, they have to learn and understand that they have the knowledge of how to solve their problems. They don't have to wait for somebody to come in from the outside and solve the problems for them,” she said.
Wanna Hear a Ghost Story? Here's Why We Love Them, According to Professors
As we get closer to Halloween (and bulk-buy candy at Costco and Target), many folks are also dusting off ghost stories to tell at parties, cracking open a Stephen King novel, or frantically Googling which streaming service has their favorite scary movie for a good seasonal watch. But what draws us to these chilling tales? Cal Poly News spoke to three English professors who have studied horror in film or literature to learn more.
Joining a Global Fight: Students, Faculty Work To Find Ebola, Anthrax Treatment
Ebola, a deadly infectious disease that made its way to the U.S. in 2014, kills thousands in West Africa every year. Having a cheap and potentially cost-effective way to treat the virus could make a global difference. And in a chemistry lab in the Warren J. Baker Center for Science and Mathematics, fourth-year chemistry student Sal Deguara works on modifying compounds that could one day be used in the global fight against both Ebola and anthrax as part of a summer undergraduate research project.
Beating the Heat: Students Map California Tree Canopy to Cool Cities as Climate Warms
California Impact This summer, a group of students are embarking on a groundbreaking project: mapping tree canopy cover in California. Tree canopies, which provide shade, can offset the heat island effect in cities. The effect is caused by buildings, roads and other human-made infrastructure absorbing and then re-emitting heat. In a warming climate, the heat island effect only intensifies, making cities hotter than ever.
Shoot for the Moon: Engineering Students Showcase Prototypes at NASA Challenge
California Impact By the time NASA’s Artemis II mission flies to the moon, some of the tools they’ll be using to ensure a successful mission could come from tech developed by Cal Poly students. In early June, two teams of engineering students flew to Houston to compete in NASA’s Micro-g NExT (Neutral Buoyancy Experiment Design Teams) Challenge.
A Mace, Mortal Kombat and One Very Proud Family: Six Things to Know About Cal Poly Commencement
This weekend, hundreds of new Cal Poly graduates will walk across the stage at Spanos Stadium and on to the next chapter of their lives. It’s a joyous occasion full of pomp and circumstance — and some interesting history. Here are six fun facts about commencement. The Mace During the opening academic procession, ahead of the throng of college banners and robed dignitaries, you’ll spy someone carrying a club-like artifact that would look more at home in a museum.
Character Study | College of Liberal Arts
Alumna Kristen Sanzari brings your favorite animated characters to life designing toys for Mattel. By Gabby Ferreira As a student concentrating in graphic design at Cal Poly, Kristen Sanzari (Art and Design, ’11) dreamed of working in animation for a company like Disney or Pixar, bringing characters and stories to life. Now, more than 10 years later, she’s doing just that — through her work as a toy designer at Mattel.
One Swell Project: Students Develop Instruments to Measure Waves, Tides
On a clear and windy afternoon in July, a group of Cal Poly students congregated at the Coast Guard Pier in Morro Bay with laptops and equipment, bending down to look over the side of the pier to check and deploy a series of sensors on the wooden pilings.
'An Exciting Time to Be An Astronomer.' Physics Prof Joins Research Projects on Groundbreaking Telescope
Science and Technology In late December, an important piece of scientific equipment blasted into space to embark on research that could change how we see the universe.
A Mace, Mortal Kombat and a History-Making Grad: Six Things to Know About Commencement
Campus and Community This weekend, hundreds of new Cal Poly graduates will walk across the stage at Spanos Stadium and on to the next chapter of their lives. It’s a joyous occasion full of pomp and circumstance — and some interesting history. Here are six fun facts about commencement. The Mace During the opening academic procession, ahead of the throng of college banners and robed dignitaries, you’ll spy someone carrying a club-like artifact that would look more at home in a museum.
What Does Organic Really Mean?
We’ve all seen organic produce in the grocery store, right next to the regular produce, splashed with an organic label. But other than price, what separates organic food from other kinds of food? Cal Poly Magazine spoke with Matthew Grieshop, head of Cal Poly’s new Grimm Family Center for Organic Production and Research, to learn more about organic food and how it’s grown. What does it mean for food to be organic?
Taste Tests and Funny Faces Help Botany Students Learn by Doing - And Chewing
Agriculture and Food Midway through spring quarter, on a grassy spot under a bunch of redwood trees on campus, students from an introduction to botany course gathered to taste tamarind pods, tomatoes, lemon and lime wedges, jackfruit and durian provided by their professor, Nishi Rajakaruna. It was a taste test party: part fun food event, part educational activity.
New Drone Program Gets Seal of Approval
On a sunny December morning, a group of Cal Poly researchers walked across a bluff toward an isolated, windswept beach. Their subjects: a scattering of elephant seals, who had arrived just at the start of breeding season. Student researchers with Team Ellie begin their work one morning. NMFS permit #22187-02 As most of the group headed toward the seals to conduct observations, two of the researchers, graduate students Kate Riordan and Molly Murphy, began setting up an aerial drone.
Here Are The Top Cal Poly Photos of the Year
It’s been one heck of a year at Cal Poly — and through it all, our students, faculty and staff have worked hard to learn, experience, research and have fun. The Cal Poly News staff asked our campus photographer, Joe Johnston, to select his favorite photos from the past year. See them all below. January Students explore floral diversity by dissecting a selection of flowering plants in professor Jenn Yost’s BOT 313 - Plant Taxonomy lab class.
Challah at Joe: Student Bakes Bread for Good
Economics major Joe Schneider had just gone home to the Bay Area to ride out the pandemic in the spring of 2020 when his dad first encouraged him to make challah, a traditional Jewish bread baked to celebrate the Sabbath. Loaves of challah that Joe Schneider baked and sold in the spring. “He brought out his bread machine and suggested I make it,” Schneider said, adding that he hadn’t made challah since he was a kid at camp.
One Shell of a Research Project
A lab at the end of the Cal Poly Pier provides an invaluable Learn by Doing experience for students interested in the Central Coast’s marine environment. Among other projects, a team of researchers is using the lab to come up with clear-cut processes that can be used to reproduce Pismo clams for aquaculture farming or — one day long in the future — for restoration projects along California beaches.
Campus Community Members Discuss Challenges at State of Latinx
At the fourth annual State of Latinx on Thursday night, a group of Cal Poly faculty, staff and students gathered virtually via Zoom to discuss equity, inclusion and diversity within the Latinx community, and shed light on their experiences as members of the Latinx community at Cal Poly. “These State Of events were born out of, like many things on this campus, student voices,” said Beya Makekau, director of Student Diversity and Belonging, at the beginning of the event.
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