Making an Impact

Cal Poly engineering students regularly use the university’s Learn by Doing approach to make the world a better place — whether it be helping to procure water in underdeveloped countries, helping design improved prosthetics for wounded vets or helping combat global warming.

But to keep up with the demands of a fast-changing world, our engineering students need the latest technology, industry partners and the benefits of a diverse student body.

As the university pursues its comprehensive campaign, we proudly announce our three primary goals:

• 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. TheSummer 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.

Read more about our priorities on the university’s giving site. And, as always, we thank you for your support.

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