We don't wait for the world to change. We change it.
Every day, on every continent, Cal Poly Engineers are putting the power of doing to work. With their reputation for being curious problem solvers, creative thinkers and, above all, hands-on doers, our graduates have made an extraordinary impact on science and society, in industry and in service to humanity. Imagine the possibilities for positive change if we could multiply that impact!
Now think of the challenges our world faces, and the enormous opportunity for Cal Poly engineers to help solve them. Think of how the world has been propelled forward by people who dared to do what had never been done before. Walk on the moon. Master suborbital flight. Or even design and manufacture a prosthetic leg so that wounded veterans could know the joy of surfing in Central California's challenging waters.
These engineers didn't just imagine change, or write about it, or talk about it. They just did it. And right now, the world needs a healthy dose of doing. We need to unleash even more of that positive spirit of hands-on problem-solving that is at the core of the Cal Poly engineering experience.
So, who will be next to do what needs to be done to meet the world's challenges and step up to its opportunities? We will be. Because here at Cal Poly, we are about leading the way.
GIVING PRIORITIES
- Build the Center for Creative Engineering: a Place for Doing. Our students thrive on collaboration; it's at the core of their approach and delight in how they approach and solve problems. the Center for Creative Engineering will create a welcoming environment that inspires diverse student teams to dream, design and create – harnessing next generation opportunity through the lens of their Learn by Doing heritage. Providing the mentorship necessary for complex, systems-level, solutions, and open, hands-on work spaces for clubs and projects, the Center will have all the advanced tools, technology and equipment that modern Learn by Doing demands.
- Multiply our impact through an Inclusive and Equitable College Atmosphere. Our students do amazing things. Yet we have barely begun to tap the potential of wide segments of the population. That's why we've made it our mission to provide more opportunities for women and historically underserved young people to know the joys and rewards of an engineering career. The world, and the world of engineering, needs their perspective and talent.
- We commit to expanding Learn by Doing opportunities for students earlier in their time at Cal Poly, while strengthening our ties with the industry. The Summer Undergraduate Research Program allows students, primarily in their first or second year, to stay on campus over the summer and work on real-world, industry-sponsored research projects alongside mentoring faculty members. This high-impact program imprints students with critical thinking skills and increases retention. Today, the program has many more qualified applicants than spaces. It's time to change that equation.
