OCOB Mag Spring 07-2b - Cal Poly College of Business

Retired IT Professor 

Nelson “Smitty” Smith III 

Colleg College Colleg College & Alumni Alumni Magazine 

Magazine 

Spring 2007 

Making A 

Difference 

Dedicated Faculty Members 

Produce Successful Alumni

DEAN’ S MESSAGE 

Attracting the best to teach the best 

Dear Friends, 

Within the pages of our College and 

Alumni Magazine, you’ll see that our students 

and faculty continue to be engaged in the 

important business of learning by doing. We 

welcome your suggestions as to how we can 

improve, and thank you for your loyal support, 

without which many of these activities 

would not be possible. 

Our faculty continues to invest in the intellectual 

capital that makes them so well 

qualified to teach our students. Occasionally 

I get questions about why it is important that 

our faculty are both scholars and teachers, 

and it’s a question that I enjoy answering. We 

all want our faculty to inspire students 

to learn deeply and personally. This requires 

students to explore areas of knowledge that 

they do not know, that can be complex, and 

about which some important questions are 

still unanswered. To be effective in this 

process, the faculty must also be scholars, 

exploring important questions that are not yet 

fully understood, and thinking deeply about 

how concepts and theories fit together in practice. 

We are privileged to teach some of the 

most talented students in California, and they 

deserve a faculty that is similarly committed 

to excellence. 

Our students continue to benefit from 

visits to Cal Poly by leaders in business and 

professional development. This year we are 

hosting Randy Bernard, CEO of Professional 

Bull Riders Inc, Mike Mitchell, President – 

Sales Division, Nestlé USA, and Stuart L. Hart, 

Samuel C. Johnson Chair in Sustainable 

Global Enterprise at Cornell University. 

These distinguished speakers are each selected to provide 

students with unique perspectives in the practice of 

business. Professional development speakers Tim O’Brien 

and Dan Harbeke have challenged our students to explore 

their personal attributes and to enhance them. We believe 

Dean Dave Christy 

Our ability to attract the 

best faculty and enable 

them to enrich the 

experience of students is 

only possible because of 

your generosity. I do my 

best to thank you at 

every opportunity ... 

because we are partners. 

We are working together 

to invest in the future 

by educating these 

young people. 

WWW.COB.CALPOLY.EDU ❚ 2 

that “the brightest minds make the best 

company,” and personal development 

enhances this brightness. 

Beginning this fall we will improve 

coordination of the many college activities 

designed to inspire entrepreneurship within 

our students. These activities include the Ray 

Scherr Business Plan Competition organized 

by our Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) 

organization, our food development project 

that engages students in business and agriculture, 

as well as entrepreneurship courses in 

business and industrial technology. We will 

also offer an introduction to entrepreneurship 

course open to students across the campus 

using a format that will include conversations 

with experienced entrepreneurs. If you would 

like to join us in this activity, we will 

welcome you. 

Our faculty have been working hard to 

develop new master’s degrees in tax accounting 

and applied economics, and to reposition 

our master’s degree in industrial technology 

management. These degree programs will 

provide great opportunities for our students. 

We will also recognize students in smaller 

commencement celebrations beginning this 

spring, so that students, their families, and 

the faculty closest to them can have a more 

personal and memorable experience. 

This magazine also recognizes your 

financial support for our students and 

programs. Cal Poly is – without question – 

an outstanding value and experience for 

students and their families, and our ability 

to attract the best faculty and enable them 

to enrich the experience of students is only 

possible because of your generosity. I do my best to thank 

you at every opportunity that presents itself because we are 

partners. We are working together to invest in the future by 

educating these young people. 

Thank you!

Randy Bernard 

In the second year of its 

Distinguished Speaker Series, 

the Orfalea College of 

Business will have three 

speakers address students and 

community members. 

Randy Bernard, CEO of 

the Professional Bull Riders 

(PBR) Inc., was on campus in 

January to share his story of 

success. Bernard has built the 

PBR from 150,000 fans who 

attended PBR events in 1995 

to an estimated 1.6 million 

fans who will attend PBR 

events in 2007. 

The PBR became a global 

operation in 2006 with offices 

operating highly successful 

tours in Mexico, Australia, 

Brazil and Canada. In March 

2006, Bernard was recognized 

for his achievements and 

contributions to the world of 

sports by being named among 

Street & Smith’s Sports Business 

Journal’s Top 40 Executives 

Under 40 years of age. 

Mike Mitchell, president 

of sales for Nestlé USA, was 

our guest in March. Mitchell is 

responsible for all retail sales 

for supermarkets, mass mer- 

Inside 

Alumni News ............... 26 

College News .................. 3 

Mike Mitchell 

Stuart Hart 

Success stories 

Distinguished Speakers 

share their experiences, 

inspire audiences 

chandising, discounters, club 

stores, drug stores and military 

for Nestlé. With 2005 sales of 

$8.1 billion (which includes 

Nestlé Nutrition), Nestlé USA is 

part of Nestlé S.A. in Vevey, 

Switzerland – the world’s 

largest food company – with 

sales of $73 billion. 

Coming to campus in May 

will be Stuart L. Hart, chair in 

sustainable global enterprise 

and professor of management 

at The Johnson School at 

Cornell University. Professor 

Hart is one of the world’s top 

authorities on the implications 

of sustainable development 

and environmentalism for 

business strategy. 

Our Distinguished Speaker 

Series is free and open to all. For 

details about times and locations, 

contact Leslie McKinley 

at lmckinle@calpoly.edu. 

Cover Story ..................... 10 

Dean’s Advisory Councils .. 37 

COLLEGE NEWS 

ORFALEA BUSINESS ❚ COLLEGE & ALUMNI MAGAZINE ❚ 3 

Grads urged to ‘engage, learn, lead’ 

The Orfalea College of Business celebrated success 

with 103 undergraduates and 11 graduate students 

at the December 2006 commencement ceremonies. 

Michael McBreen, director of global operations for 

Nike, gave the commencement address. 

McBreen arrived on campus a day early to spend 

time with business faculty and students. He had breakfast 

with the college’s student leaders, sharing with 

them the rewards and challenges of his 18 years in the 

sporting goods industry. Experiencing tremendous 

growth in the business, McBreen shared global experiences 

and wisdom and reminded the students never to 

lose touch with their own humanity. After visiting classrooms, 

McBreen was guest of honor at a VIP luncheon 

with campus and community business leaders. 

McBreen’s message to the grads was consistent with 

his discussions with students and community leaders: 

1) Engage – Proactively seek out diverse perspectives 

to create broader and better understanding of the 

opportunities and challenges that face us; 

2) Learn – Commit to a process of lifelong learning. 

There are new technologies and ways of doing 

business that have not yet been dreamed. Play a role in 

defining your future; don’t just try to predict it; and 

3) Lead – Leadership can take 

many forms; all of us must evolve 

our leadership style and approach 

as we move through life. Look 

for those key opportunities to be 

a true leader – not just a 

manager, a leader. 

As McBreen’s words 

echo in their ears, we 

wish the best to our 

December graduates 

and urge them to keep 

in touch! 

Directory ...................... 46 

Faculty News ............... 23 

Michael McBreen 

Honor Roll of Donors .... 39 

Student News ............... 15 

On the Cover – Foreground: Retired Industrial Technology Professor Nelson “Smitty” Smith III. Background: IT students and assistant professor Keith Vorst examine 

plastic wrap that was made in the plastics lab. Pictured (from left) are: Patrick Bainbridge, Joey Ceccato, Vorst and Chris Hamblin.

Kevin Gilman conducts 

a tour of Lansmont 

(above). 

Professor Olsen (right) 

with students in the 

HSBC conference room 

COLLEGE NEWS 

Technology trips offer 

rich learning experiences 

for graduate students 

Lessons in the field 


Professor Eric Olsen led an 

educational field trip for students 

enrolled in the Graduate 

Programs special summer 

session courses to the HSBC Card 

Services facility in Salinas and the 

Lansmont Corporation facility in 

Monterey last September. Students 

in both of the special summer session 

courses participated in these 

direct learning experiences, which 

provided both an inside view of 

these diverse organizations as well 

as excellent opportunities for networking 

with company executives. 

At HSBC, the students were 

hosted by Patrick Burke, managing 

director and CEO, and Suzanne 

Beahan, learning and development 

specialist. HSBC Card Services is 

under the banner of HSBC - North 

America, one of the top 10 financial 

services companies in the U.S. with 

assets approaching $300 billion. 

HSBC Card Services handles the card 

services portions of this banking 

giant and is the sixth-largest issuer 

of MasterCard or Visa credit cards in 

the U.S. 

Lansmont Monterey’s Vice 

President, Peter Brown (IT ’91), and 

Kevin Gilman (CENG ’79), chief 

engineer, conducted the tour of that 

facility. Lansmont Corporation was 

founded in 1971 to foster significant 

advancements in the emerging 

product and package dynamics 

testing industry. Headquartered in 

Monterey, Lansmont operates multiple 

facilities and is recognized 

globally as the leader in this specialized 

industry. Lansmont equipment 

is applied to many business activities 

including product and package 

design, reliability, transportation 

logistics, and risk management.

MS in Taxation available 

starting fall 2007 

The Orfalea College of Business will implement 

a Master of Science in Accounting- 

Taxation effective during Cal Poly’s 

2007-08 academic year, according to Eddy 

Quijano, accounting professor and MSA 

Tax Program director. 

The MSA-Taxation will be a 45-quarter 

unit, one-year tax immersion program with 

some unique features, says Quijano. 

“The program will begin with a threeweek 

special session in August 2007 

immediately preceding the 2007 fall quarter. 

The 2007 fall and 2008 spring quarters 

will be traditional academic periods. The 

2008 winter quarter, however, will be a 

tax internship program with either an 

accounting firm or governmental tax 

agency. The graduate tax students may be 

compensated for services they render 

during their internship.” 

The Orfalea College of Business is 

presently accepting applications to the 

MSA-Taxation program. The deadline for 

applying for the 2007-08 academic year is 

June 1. Information about the program is 

available online at http://ms-a.calpoly.edu. 

Equilar CEO shares expertise 

Equilar CEO David 

Chun spoke in Professor 

Rebecca Ellis’ 

human resources 

compensation class 

about Equilar, the 

market leader for 

benchmarking executive 

and board pay. 

David Chun 

Chun discussed 

trends in executive compensation in Silicon 

Valley, explaining the rise and fall of 

stock options as a way to reward executives 

in the technology sector. 

Chun was also a guest speaker at a 

Human Resources Management Association 

meeting on campus. 

COLLEGE NEWS 

Tapping 

a valuable 

resource 

Business students meet 

former PG&E CEO/chair 

Stanley Skinner guest-lectured 

about his experiences in the 

energy field last November in 

Professor Eddy Quijano’s Governmental 

and Social Influences on 

Business accounting class. 

Skinner served as chairman 

of the board and CEO of Pacific 

Gas & Electric Corporation (PG&E) 

from 1995 until his retirement in 

2002. He began working with the 

firm in 1964 as a securities lawyer. 


Students reap the benefits of 

Stanley Skinner’s knowledge of 

policy and regulation in today’s 

business world. 

Skinner addressed the 

importance of oral and written 

communications in business, the 

policy-making function of the 

board of directors of a public 

company, the business judgment 

rule in corporate decision-making, 

and the importance of corporate 

social responsibility at PG&E. 

Skinner’s experience also 

includes volunteer work with 

many non-profit organizations, 

including the American Red 

Cross Board of Directors, the Bay 

Area Economic Forum Board of 

Directors, the California Business 

Roundtable, the California Chamber 

of Commerce Board of Directors 

and The Business Council.

Packaging students win 

‘Best of the Best’ honors 

The “Best of the Best” student 

competition for United States and 

Canadian packaging schools 

sponsored by the International Corrugated 

Packaging Foundation (ICPF) 

was won by Cal Poly packaging students 

Eric Kvilhaug and Chris Starnes. 

The “Best of the Best” runoff 

competition was held among four 

winning teams from the past year in 

The Orfalea College of Business chapter of 

Beta Gamma Sigma was named Exemplary 

Chapter for 2005-06. The award recognizes 

the chapter’s academic excellence and the 

hard work of its faculty officers to enhance 

its stature on campus. 

The award also qualifies the chapter 

for recognition as an Exemplary Chapter in 

the society’s print and electronic publications, 

certificates awarded at regional 

COLLEGE NEWS 

which 14 colleges and universities from 

North America participated. Of the 

original 14 schools that competed, only 

two were invited to compete by satellite 

on Feb. 13, 2007 – Cal Poly and 

University of Wisconsin-Stout. The 

other participating schools in the 

original 14 included Michigan State 

University, Clemson University, North 

Carolina A&T State University, Humber 

College, Mohawk College, Western 

Michigan University, University of 

Florida, Indiana State University, 

Fox Valley Technical College, 


Cal Poly’s “Best of 

the Best” winners 

(from left) are: Nancy 

Schueneman, 

Lucas Euser, James 

Manley, Josh Taylor, 

Chris Starnes and 

Eric Kvilhaug 

Christian Brothers University, Virginia 

Polytechnic & State University and 

Rutgers State University. 

Kvilhaug and Starnes won 

$2,500 for themselves and $5,000 

for the Orfalea College of Business 

packaging program. 

Placing second were Josh Taylor 

and James Manley of Cal Poly for a 

$1,000 award. Winning third for Wisconsin-Stout 

were Ashley Zimmerman 

and Wes Eveland, and placing fourth for 

the competition were Cal Poly’s Nancy 

Schueneman and Lucas Euser. 

Beta Gamma Sigma earns Exemplary Chapter recognition for 2005-06 

deans’ meetings and eligibility to participate 

in the Beta Gamma Sigma Matching 

Funds Scholarship Program. 

Beta Gamma Sigma encourages and 

honors high academic achievement by 

students of business and management 

through chapters in business programs 

accredited by AACSB International. Beta 

Gamma Sigma is the honor society serving 

business programs accredited by AACSB 

International – The Association to Advance 

Collegiate Schools of Business. 

Membership in Beta Gamma Sigma is 

the highest recognition a business student 

anywhere in the world can receive in a 

business program accredited by AACSB 

International. 

Faculty advisor for Beta Gamma 

Sigma at the Orfalea College of Business 

is Lisa Simon.

Taxing work 

VITA program serves 

community for 16th year 

Accounting students in the Volunteer 

Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program 

were on hand for seven consecutive Saturdays 

to assist local community members 

with their income tax preparation. 

Begun 16 years ago by professors 

Janice Carr and Jack Robison and now 

joined by Michelle Bissonnette, faculty 

members work with the students to prepare 

them for the daunting task ahead – 

every Saturday morning for seven weeks, 

they open the doors of the College and 

extend a hand to anyone who qualifies to 

have their income taxes prepared at no 

cost. The forms are filled out by the students 

and reviewed by local CPAs who 

volunteer their time to ensure that the 

work is done completely, accurately, and 

according to the law. 

COLLEGE NEWS 

In 2006, Orfalea College of Business 

students in the VITA program completed 

875 income tax returns, with the majority 

of those being e-files. 


Reviewing a completed tax return 

(from left) are: CPA Polly Mead 

(Accounting ’86) with students 

Teresa Miller and Jason Lau. 

Dean’s Open Forum 

Dean Dave Christy meets 

quarterly in a town hall 

setting with Orfalea College 

of Business students to 

discuss any topics that 

students would like to 

address. The dean typically 

gives a brief overview of 

issues with which he is 

dealing, and then opens the 

floor for questions. Over 50 

students attended the winter 

quarter Dean’s Open Forum 

with concerns ranging from 

parking and class accessibility 

to faculty hiring. Christy 

encourages the students to 

share issues and solutions 

with him.

In 2006, students in Michael Stebbins’ 

Managerial Consultation class designed 

and carried out three projects involving 

organizations in the community. As 

instructor and coach, Professor Stebbins 

worked with the companies to help set the 

focus and guidelines. In conducting the 

projects, students had the opportunity to 

directly relate theory and best consulting 

practices to real company problems. 

At Vision Art Gallery, students interviewed 

the management team and identified 

key issues related to marketing and 

human resource management. The main 

focus was on planning for the company’s 

opening of a third gallery in Avila Beach. 

Students investigated marketing media 

options and provided a plan for advertising 

the grand opening. 

Other products included recommendations 

for recruitment, training, and integrated 

management of the company’s 

three locations. The project ended with a 

formal report and presentation to the 

owners. The team members included Kyle 

Chamberlain of Santa Rosa, Ryan 

Clinkenbeard of Mission Viejo, Rae 

Phillips of Brentwood, Tamara Savluk of 

Fresno, and Zachary Wells of Pine. 

A second class project involved The 

Literacy Council of San Luis Obispo, a 

non-profit organization committed to 

assisting adult learners and their families 

in the development of English language 

skills. This was the second time that 

Bernadette Bernardi, the director of The 

Literacy Council, has hosted a class 

project. During spring quarter, students 

met with Bernardi and Virginia Mack, 

program coordinator and tutor trainer, to 

define a project related to extension of 

services to businesses within the county. 

Students worked with council leaders 

to develop a PowerPoint presentation, 

brochures and bookmarks that council 

members could use in marketing programs 

to businesses. The student team members 

were Dan Fukuyama of Fremont, Becky 

Mischenko of Arcadia, Kelly Neary of San 

Carlos, Marina Trezos of San Gabriel, 

COLLEGE NEWS 

Real-world business challenges 

Managerial Consultation class lends hand in the community 

Meryl Rodgers of Davis, and Chris Rose 

of Sacramento. 

Probably the most ambitious project 

involved management personnel at The 

Spice Hunter in San Luis Obispo. Students 

acted as management consultants in researching 

effects of new packaging requirements 

from one of the company’s 

major clients, Williams-Sonoma. Several 

students on the team had extensive work 

experience related to this project, and the 

products included a detailed process 

analysis, examination of pass-through 

costs (incurred by Williams-Sonoma) and 

non-pass-through costs (extra UPS freight 

costs) incurred by Williams-Sonoma. 

Students also considered environmental 

impacts for both companies as well as 

indirect costs associated with the changes. 

The highlight of the project was a presentation 

and lively exchange among the 

students and company managers. The 

student report was used by managers in 

summer 2006 negotiations with Williams- 

Sonoma to set the final requirements. 


Managers contributing to the project 

included Carol Lambert (Business Administration 

’82), manufacturing manager; 

Karen Woodling, controller, and Rick 

Carter, quality assurance manager. Student 

team members included Steve 

Mammen of Templeton, Paul Borsuk of 

Pittsburg, Kim Wiig of Santa Ana, Sean 

Stanley of San Luis Obispo, and Nick 

Rogers of Fort Collins, CO. 

At The Spice Hunter (above, from left): Rick 

Carter, quality assurance manager; Pat 

Winkle, production manager; Karen 

Woodling, controller; Steve Mammen 

(Management ’06); Nick Rogers (Management 

’06); Carol Lambert (Business Administration 

’82), program manager; Patrick 

Stafford (Management ’06) and Kim Wiig. 

Seated is Paul Porsuk (MIS and MGT).

The Under 4 Campaign was originally 

created by 14 marketing 

students under the guidance of 

Professor Mitch Wolf in spring 

2004 using a grant from Coors Brewing 

Company and Cal Poly. The goal was to 

develop a social norms marketing 

approach to reduce binge drinking 

among students. 

Since its inception, the Under 4 

Campaign has been successful in educating 

students about the drinking habits of 

their peers through eye-catching advertisements 

and fun promotional events. 

In 2006, the number of drinks the 

average Cal Poly student reported 

drinking at one sitting was 3.4, which 

was lower than the almost four drinks 

reported in 2004 at the beginning of the 

campaign. Also, the average perceived 

number of drinks was 4.1 drinks in 

2006 compared to 4.9 drinks in 2004. 

The attitudes of Cal Poly students 

about binge drinking have changed as 

COLLEGE NEWS 

Battle of the binge 

In its fourth year, Under 4 Campaign reports positive results 

in educating students about the dangers of binge drinking 

well. One-fourth of students interviewed 

in 2006 said it was unacceptable to get 

drunk, which is higher than both 

2005 and 2004 findings. The Under 4 

Campaign has achieved its initial goals 

of gaining awareness and positively 

affecting the drinking behaviors of Cal 

Poly students. 

For 2007, the Under 4 Campaign is 

being run by 25 marketing students who 

want to take the campaign to a whole 

new level by focusing on a problem still 

plaguing Cal Poly students: drinking and 

driving. The team is successfully working 

with bars in downtown San Luis Obispo 

to put on promotional events highlighting 

Under 4’s message. 


The team is also working with 

Beach Cities Cab Company to promote 

alternatives to driving under the influence 

to Cal Poly students. 

By running Under 4 advertisements 

in the Mustang Daily, on 

Facebook, on the radio, as well as 

advertising on pizza boxes from 

Backstage Pizza and Woodstock’s 

Pizza, the team hopes to have the 

campaign’s awareness at an all-time 

high. Hopefully, the Under 4 Campaign 

will continue to raise student awareness 

about responsible drinking and 

create a safer atmosphere on the Cal 

Poly campus. 

– Megan Labun & Joe Rodriguez 

The Under 4 team 

strategizes with advisor 

Mitch Wolf (from left, 

seated): Amber 

Brockman, Jessica 

Guilbeau, Stephanie 

Ganiban, Jeff Grelck, 

Staci Unjey, Cristin 

Wagoner, Marissa 

Godwin and Brandon 

Wadley. Standing 

(from left) are: Nicole 

McCabe, Danielle 

Theisen, Brent Griffith, 

Wolf, Lindsey Allison 

and Kelly Keane.

COVER STORY 

Nelson “Smitty” Smith III (left) and Mark Alexander 

impact 

The 

of one IT professor 

in a student’s life 

Mark Alexander (IT ’71) had to ask his advisor 

to repeat himself. He had asked for advice 

about which job offer he should accept, 

and he couldn’t believe what he was 

hearing. His industrial technology 

professor had told him to take the 

lowest offer. Not exactly the words he 

was waiting to hear, so he asked him to repeat what he had said. 

Sure enough, he had heard right – Nelson L. Smith III, “Smitty” 

had indeed advised him to take the lowest offer. His rationale was 

that, “If I could bite the bullet for five years at the lower wage, I 

would be able to gain invaluable experience and write my own 

ticket after that time,” said Mark recently. 

The company was Bechtel. Mark took Smitty’s advice and 

accepted the company’s offer, working there for 34 years until his 

retirement in 2006. He did manage to negotiate a slight increase in 

starting salary from $730 a month to $780 a month. Considering 

that an associate professor was making $900 a month at the time, it 

WWW.COB.CALPOLY.EDU ❚ 10

was no doubt a livable wage, but certainly 

not the amount the other companies were 

willing to pay. 

But the other companies didn’t offer the 

international travel and intrigue that Mark 

wanted. Because of his career, Mark and 

Carolyn and their two boys were able to live 

all over the world – and they did, moving 22 

times in 34 years. After only three years 

with Bechtel, Mark had the opportunity to 

move to Indonesia, and from there, wanderlust 

continued to fan his decisions. 

Mark’s eyes light up when he talks 

about the people with whom he has 

worked, the places they have been, and 

the amazing things that his family has 

seen and shared. He wouldn’t change one 

single detail. And it all began with his 

industrial technology professor telling him 

to take the lowest offer. 

Looking back on his career, Mark felt 

that it was time to give back and try to make 

sure that others had some of the opportunities 

that he has enjoyed. He decided that 

he wanted to make sure the name of that 

professor would forever be honored in the 

Orfalea College of Business by students in 

the Industrial Technology major. 

Mark started an endowment in Smitty’s 

name, and by working with Orfalea College 

personnel, was able to send out a letter 

inviting all industrial technology alumni 

who were here during the years when 

Smitty was teaching (1962-1994) to join 

him in contributing to that endowment. 

It has been clear that Mark is not the 

only student who was deeply touched by 

Smitty and his genuine affection and 

concern for his students. The response to 

Mark’s letter for Smitty’s endowment has 

been incredible, and at the second annual 

IT alumni banquet in May, attendees will 

celebrate as Smitty bestows the first 

Nelson L. Smith Scholarship. 

Smitty was moved to tears when told 

of the Nelson L. Smith Scholarship Endowment 

and Mark’s wishes to memorialize 

his name. When he sat and advised 

that student 36 years ago, he had no idea 

of the profound impact that he would 

COVER STORY 

What is the Industrial 

Technology Story? 

Nelson L. “Smitty” Smith was 

an Industrial Technology (IT) 

professor from 1962 until his 

retirement in 1994. Many were touched 

by him. The Orfalea College of Business 

has been the home to the IT area since 

1992, but we have often been asked how 

it came to be a part of our College. In the 

course of several meetings with Smitty, it 

became apparent that we needed to also 

meet with some of the other founding 

fathers of the area and go back to the 

very beginning to answer that question. 

Thus began our journey to Santa 

Barbara in the summer of 2006. Lou 

Tornatzky, the newly appointed chair of 

the Industrial Technology area, and I, 

director of college and alumni relations 

for the Orfalea College of Business, 

accompanied Smitty and Alice Smith 

have on that student’s life. He had no idea 

that student would forever be grateful to 

him or hold him in such high regard that 

he would always set a standard of excellence 

by him. He had no idea that there 

would be a legion of people that he would 


to a reunion and lunch with Mac and 

Mary McRobbie. 

In 1962, Professor Carl Cummins 

was selected as the dean of the newlyformed 

College of Applied Arts. Carl 

had run the IT area single-handedly for 

three years and the area had grown. It 

was time now to build. Mac was in 

Colorado at the University of Greeley 

working on his doctorate when Carl 

sent a telegram asking him to apply for 

the job. Mac was hired as department 

head with the stipulation that he teach 

50 percent of the time. IT was in Applied 

Arts and Mac and Smitty reminisced 

that they had to argue with the Physical 

Education department over money 

for equipment versus stop watches. 

Mac stayed 17 years as head of 

IT. He remembers hiring many IT 

faculty – Frank Barrows, Roger Keep, 

continued on page 13 

From left: Mac McRobbie, Smitty and Lou Tornatzky (August 2006) 

touch, each in a unique way, who would 

feel indebted to him. 

That is the impact a professor can make 

in a student’s life. That is what the best of 

the best can do. 

– Leslie McKinley • director, college & alumni relations

COVER STORY 

Thank you, donors, for making a difference in students’ lives 

Within 15 months, alumni, 

faculty, parents, and friends 

have established 25 new 

named scholarship endowments using 

Orfalea matching funds. Each individual 

gift, beginning at $2,500 a year, is being 

matched 1:1 by the College. With a total 

donor gift of $12,500, matched up to 

$12,500 by Orfalea endowment proceeds, 

a scholarship endowment of $25,000 will 

yield a scholarship of approximately 

$1,125 after a year’s investment. 

Each scholarship endowment will 

exist in perpetuity and will provide financial 

assistance to an outstanding student 

beginning in the freshman year. Students 

will be eligible to receive their named 

scholarship for the four years of their 

business study. Donors may add to their 

scholarships in the future. Without scholarships, 

over 50 percent of business students 

could not attend Cal Poly. 

Mike Mantle (Business Administration 

’79), executive vice president of 

California Bank & Trust, parent of a Cal 

Poly business student and chair of the 

Orfalea College of Business Endowed 

Scholarship Initiative, believes that “creating 

an endowed scholarship is a fantastic 

way to reinvest in students and the College.” 

Mike has established the Theresa 

Marquez Scholarship Endowment. 

Many of these endowed scholarships 

will be awarded to business students 

beginning in fall 2007. There are 15 scholarship 

opportunities remaining that are 

eligible for Orfalea matching funds. Our 

goal is to reach a total of 40 scholarships 

by June 30, 2007. 

For more information about establishing 

a scholarship endowment, contact me 

at 805.756.2951 or pmcclure@calpoly.edu. 

– Pamela McClure • director of advancement 

Thank you to the following donors who have created 

Named Endowed Scholarships using Orfalea matching funds: 

Donor Named Endowed Scholarship 

Stan and Joann Benson Gianna M. Benson 

Ryan S. Bristol Ryan S. Bristol Family 

William L. Chillingworth William L. Chillingworth 

Ruth Drandell Milton Drandell 

David R. Booker First Bank of San Luis Obispo 

Horacio Saavedra Steven G. Fishman 

David E. and Karen R. French Sheri Adele French 

J. Michael Geringer & Colette Frayne J. Michael Geringer and 

Colette Frayne International Business 

Bradford M. Hair Glenn Burdette Phillips & Bryson CPA’s 

Brian, Donald, and Leo “Chip” Hanly Leo Mick Hanly 

Business Advisory Council, Family, Friends Margery J. Harris 

Fred T. and Judi A. Honoré Brett and Erik Honoré 

B. Quentin Lilly Kim and Garlyn Lilly 

Mike Mantle, Lim Family, and Friends Richard Lim 

Marc L. Loupé and Anette Harris-Loupé Marc L. Loupé and Anette Harris-Loupé 

Mike Mantle Theresa Marquez 

Russell P. Nash Russ and Kim Nash Family 

Philip J. Oberti Philip Oberti Family 

Philip J. and Klina Oberti Philip and Klina Oberti 

Peter M. Oser Howard M. Oser 

Gregory Rodrigues Professor Ken Riener 

Bruce A. Smith/VSP Bruce A. Smith/VSP 

David M. and Christine M. Sullivan Dave and Christine Sullivan 

Dr. Teresa Swartz Robert and Geraldine Swartz 

Lee A. Doble, Jr. Vic Wolcott 

WWW.COB.CALPOLY.EDU ❚ 12

Bill Bruckart, Dave Fretwell, Lynn 

Mosher, Jim Price, Larry Talbott, Ken 

Kimball, Fred Abitia, Tony Randazzo, 

and many others. 

At first, their offices were in the old 

power plant. They had no secretarial help 

(administrative assistants in today’s 

vernacular as their duties have grown) 

because in those days, all administrative 

help came from the secretarial pool. 

During his first year at Cal Poly, Mac 

was the state president of the California 

Industrial Educator’s Association. In 1962- 

63, he served on the California Council of 

Vocational Associations, and he was also 

busy working on his dissertation. Mary 

was working as a substitute teacher to 

help supplement Mac’s wages until the 

time came that she needed to stay at 

home with their four children. One of 

the many ways that Mary supported 

Mac’s career was by partnering with him 

in implementing faculty dinners at the 

beginning of the academic year for faculty 

and spouses on campus. 

Two other young men were hired on 

at the same time as new faculty members 

in IT – Ed Strasser and Smitty. Smitty 

COVER STORY 

From left: Forrest Fleming (IT ’78), Bill Bruckart & Blair Pruett (IT ’79) 

The IT story (from page 11) 

remembers that the very first person he 

met was Mac McRobbie. For one year, 

Smitty, too, had an office in the power 

plant, but in the second year, he was 

moved to engineering west. He stayed in 

that office for 30 years, only moving 

when the new Orfalea College of Business 

building was completed in 1993. 

Mac and Smitty recall that there were 

just the four of them in the beginning – 

Mac, Smitty, Strasser, and Owen Harlan. It 

was up to them to create the program. 

They selected the books and materials. 

They sent students out to local businesses 

to get materials to use in classes for labs. 

Their wives made coffee for students who 

came to the house to ask questions. They 

put on picnics and outings – anything to 

interest students in the program. Field 

trips were made on school buses and 

consisted of business and fun. We heard 

all about Smitty’s “poker” class, where 

they studied about statistics and probabilities 

of gambling and then went on a field 

trip to Las Vegas and toured the casinos! 

After a few years, students in other 

areas began to notice that these IT students 

were graduating and getting good 

jobs. The department earned a reputation, 

especially as students from other departments 

eventually were hired to work for IT 


students. With more recognition came more 

pride for IT students, and with more pride, 

the student/faculty relationships started to 

grow, most notably in the early to mid-70s. 

When the College of Professional 

Studies was phased out in 1992 and Industrial 

Technology chose to move to the 

Orfalea College of Business, with the 

transfer came a search for identity. There 

was a strong need to convince both administration 

and faculty that the fit would be a 

good one. As the Industrial Technology 

area has settled in its new role, and as 

alumni have gone out into the workforce 

as graduates of IT within the Orfalea 

College of Business, the response has been 

positive. Certainly there have been growing 

pains, but our alumni confirm that the 

blend of industrial technology and business 

is a move forward for the area. 

Mac retired in 1979. Smitty retired in 

1994. The area has new faculty who will 

earn the loyalty and love that these two 

professors earned from their students. It 

takes time. 

Meanwhile, as chair, Lou Tornatzky 

has a vision for the IT area that includes 

being true to the hands-on, can-do tradition 

of the past, but that is also responsive 

to the realities of globalization. That 

means more attention to value chains, 

packaging and fast-moving technology 

entrepreneurship, but an abiding vision of 

solving technology and people challenges. 

– Leslie McKinley 

IT’S AN IT REUNION, AND 

YOU’RE INVITED 

All Industrial Technology alumni are 

invited to reunite at The Cliffs Resort 

on Friday, May 4. For details about the 

event and other activities planned that 

weekend, contact Leslie McKinley 

at lmckinle@calpoly.edu.

Philanthropy 

benefits business 

State funding for public education 

provides basic instruction and 

classrooms. Preparing bright 

students to work in California businesses 

and to compete successfully in a global 

economy requires a larger investment. 

What, then, distinguishes an Orfalea 

College of Business that challenges and 

engages students to be the best? It is 

primarily the quality of the faculty. 

Alumni remember how faculty like 

Owen Servatius, Gene O’Connor, Nelson 

“Smitty” Smith, and Ken Riener influenced 

their lives. 

Today, faculty dedication to teaching 

is primary, but faculty excellence is also 

measured by academic research, service 

to the department and professional 

recognition. This level of professional 

excellence takes more than what basic 

state-funded salaries provide. 

What can/are we doing to enhance 

our faculty and to assist in their recruitment, 

retention and achievement? Private 

funding makes a huge difference. 

Providing summer support augments a 

nine-month state salary and enables 

faculty to do research, travel to professional 

conferences and supervise summer 

student interns. Providing a stipend 

up-front to new faculty members assists 

them with the high cost of housing in 

San Luis Obispo County. Businessfunded 

faculty research and internships 

assist faculty in attaining new knowledge 

and professional skills, which enhance 

their teaching. 

Individual and corporate giving to 

the Dean’s Fund, Faculty Development 

Fund and Departmental Discretionary 

Funds is the kind of investment that 

enhances faculty excellence in teaching 

and research that attracts the brightest 

students and develops the best graduates 

that companies want to hire. 

COVER STORY 

Lee Doble (left, Finance ’68) with retired professor Gene O’Connor 

Investment in faculty gives the Orfalea 

College of Business a competitive edge. It is 

one reason why student admission to the 

College has become so selective and why the 

College is considered a peer institution to the 

Haas School of Business undergraduate 

program at UC Berkeley and the Marshall 

School of Business at USC. 

Gifts such as the Richard and Julie 

Hood Professorship in Marketing and the 

Bank of America Professorship in Community 

Development assist in faculty recruitment, 

retention and recognition. What also 

is needed are Faculty Fellowship Endowments 

at $500,000 and Term Faculty Fellowships 

at $100,000 for summer research 

support and professional development. 

Gifts to support new programs like the 

master’s degree in Accounting/Tax and the 

new real estate program in Economics will 

fund curriculum development, program 

management, and interaction with the 

very companies who will benefit from 

hiring the programs’ students. 

Gifts to scholarships, which are highlighted 

in this magazine issue, support 


business students who need a helping 

hand. More than 50 percent of the students 

at Cal Poly require some financial 

assistance to attend college. 

Offering scholarships to outstanding 

incoming freshmen helps to attract the 

very brightest minds and assist them for 

the four years of their business study. 

Among accounting firms, the Orfalea 

College of Business is a “National 

Premier School” and a “Prime Source 

Campus” for recruiting students into 

the accounting profession. In other 

professions, the Orfalea College is 

considered a “Tier One” college for 

new employee recruitment. 

Philanthropic investments in the 

Orfalea College’s faculty, students and 

programs are yielding excellent results and 

placing the Cal Poly Orfalea College of 

Business among the best business schools 

in the West. For more information about 

making a gift, please contact me at 

805.756.2951 or pmcclure@ calpoly.edu. 

– Pamela McClure • director of advancement

Industrial Technology Society 

places in NAIT Competition 

Cal Poly’s student division of the 

Industrial Technology Society 

teamed with the Robotics Club to 

compete in the National Association of 

Industrial Technologists (NAIT) Student 

Robotics competition in Cleveland, OH. 

The team took second place overall, 

and out of 14 contestants placed second 

in design. The team was funded by the 

Instructional Related Activities fund at 

Cal Poly. 

The goal of the competition was to 

build a remote-control robot that would 

pick up a 1.5-inch diameter, 8-inch-long 

piece of EMT pipe and navigate through 

a 200-foot course. To complete the 

course, the robot had to push the pipe 

through a 2-inch hole in plywood 6 

inches off the ground while avoiding 

obstacles such as textbooks, chairs and 

STUDENT NEWS 

Students’ response enthusiastic for Professional Development Speaker Series 

The Business Student Council of the 

Orfalea College of Business has 

initiated a Professional Development 

Speaker Series in 2006-07 to 

resounding success. 

The council’s executive committee 

asked students how they would like the 

Business Council to move forward in representing 

their interests. Business students 

said they wanted as much face time as 

possible with business professionals. 

The Business Council asked the clubs 

in the College to partner with them. The 

first group to respond was Alpha Kappa Psi, 

co-sponsoring Dan Harbeke as the first 

guest in the Professional Development 

Speaker Series. 

The Roboteers 

Dan Harbeke Tim O’Brien 

Harbeke, 24 (http://www.danharbeke. 

com), wrote a book, “Get In! How to 

Market Yourself and Become Successful at 

a Young Age.” He has been a counselor at 

National Leadership Camps and has also 

served as an international guide to the 

first-ever International Student Representa- 

cups. This was the first time that a team 

from Cal Poly has competed in the games. 

The students are already gearing up for 

this year! Faculty advisor for the group is 

Professor Manocher Djassemi. 


tive Conference in Sydney, Australia. 

Students appreciated his high-energy 

presentation and enthusiasm, and swarmed 

around him afterward to ask questions. 

The importance of personal branding 

was the topic of the next presentation in 

February by Tim O’Brien (http://www.the 

personalbranding group.comTimsBio.asp). 

The CEO of The Personal Branding Group 

spoke to a standing-room-only crowd 

eager to learn more about how professionals 

create a personal brand to better position 

themselves in the workplace. 

If you would like to be considered as 

a speaker in the Professional Development 

Speaker Series, please contact Leslie 

McKinley at lmckinle@calpoly.edu. 

The team (from left): Jason Maggard (ME), 

Tyson Messori (ME), Adam Stephens (MS 

Science in Industrial and Technical 

Studies), Shasta Palmer (IT), Dave 

Dougherty (IT), and Tejas Bafna (IT).

The Human Resources (HR) Management 

Association (HRMA) is a student 

organization dedicated to providing an 

information base for students who are 

interested in pursuing careers in the 

human resources field as well as providing 

students with networking opportunities 

through human resources professional 

speakers and alumni who attend our 

weekly meetings. 

One such professional and alumna 

that students had the opportunity to hear 

from in November is Dayna Williamson 

(HR ’91), compensation director for UC 

Santa Barbara. Dayna provided HRMA 

members with knowledge not only about 

compensation and the path she followed 

to pursue her career goals by attending 

graduate school, but also about the delicate 

balance between career and family. 

She spoke of some of the sacrifices she 

made early in her career in order to advance 

herself and discussed how family 

STUDENT NEWS 

Association preps students for careers in human resources management 

decisions are an important consideration 

when trying to launch oneself into the 

working world. Her insights and advice 

went beyond providing students with a job 

description and career advancement tips, 

but rather gave them a life lesson. Students 

found her discussion regarding work 

and family balance to be extremely valuable 

as they are about to embark on their 

own life’s journey after graduation. 

In addition to speakers that frequently 

visit our meetings, HRMA has exciting 

plans for the future of the association. We 

had two teams compete in the California 

State HR Games in Fresno. The HR Games 

is a “Jeopardy”-style competition where 

students from competing schools challenge 

each other’s knowledge of human resources 

and the top three teams advance 

to the next level – the regional competition. 

This year, when our teams traveled 

to Fresno, they met human resources 

professionals from the Fresno area and 


had the opportunity to discuss the field 

with them and advance their networking 

opportunities. 

Last year, Cal Poly was represented 

at the state competition in Pomona and 

performed well enough to earn one team 

a trip to the Pac West regional competition 

in beautiful Hawaii! 

For the remainder of the 2007 academic 

year, HRMA hopes to organize a mock HR 

Games event with the human resources 

professionals of San Luis Obispo. Students 

will either challenge and test their knowledge 

against the professionals or participate 

on mixed teams to compete together. 

HRMA is constantly striving to connect 

students with professionals in the 

human resources field to provide an interaction 

among them that allows for additional, 

fresh information about that career 

path. We look forward to the many more 

speakers and activities to come. 

– Rebecca Ellis • HRMA faculty advisor 

HRMA team members 

are (from left): Jon 

Castellanos, Marissa 

Deffebach, Lindsay 

Gilreath, Leann Tovar, 

Michaele Smith and 

Alex Palacio-Erdmann.

Outstanding! 

Cal Poly’s Delta Sigma Pi 

is recognized for exceptional 

community service 

The Kappa Mu chapter of Delta 

Sigma Pi took home eight awards 

from the latest national fraternity 

conference, including Best Community 

Service in the nation. 

Some of our highlighted events 

included a blood drive for the local 

blood bank, a blanket drive for a local 

homeless shelter, and a charity golf 

tournament that grossed $18,000 to 

benefit the Housing Authority of San 

Luis Obispo. 

Throughout the year the fraternity 

worked with at-risk youth on a 

weekly basis to further assist with the 

needs of the Housing Authority. More 

recently, the chapter has held another 

blanket drive that raised over 100 

blankets for the Maxine Lewis Memorial 

Shelter. Members also repainted 

the shelter and have named it the 

benefactor of this year’s SLO Tour 

Golf Tournament, with high hopes of 

The 2006-07 Cal Poly Chapter of the 

Wheelchair Foundation is laying the 

groundwork for its most successful 

year to date. The 22 business students that 

are working on this project hope to end 

the year with a milestone: reaching the 

quarter of a million dollar mark of total 

money raised in its six-year history. 

The Cal Poly Wheelchair Foundation 

is the first collegiate chapter of the Wheelchair 

Foundation, a non-profit organization 

leading an international effort to 

deliver a wheelchair to every man, woman 

STUDENT NEWS 

making the shelter more effective for 

assisting San Luis Obispo’s homeless 

community. 

The Kappa Mu Chapter was 

founded in 1981 and currently has 53 

active members. Faculty advisors for 

Delta Sigma Pi are Professor Barry 

Floyd and Jere Ramsey. 

– Troy Monken • senior vice president 

and child on the planet who needs one but 

cannot afford one. It is estimated that over 

100 million of the world’s citizens are 

without mobility. 

The Cal Poly Chapter was founded six 

years ago by Marketing Professor Lynn 

Metcalf to provide students in the business 

program an opportunity to use their skills 

toward a cause rather than a product or 

service. After hearing Ken Behring, the 

founder of the Wheelchair Foundation, 

speak at Cal Poly about his journey of 

discovering the need for mobility around 


One example of the community service work of 

Delta Sigma Pi was their recent project painting 

the exterior of the Maxine Lewis Homeless Shelter 

to participate in national Make-a-Difference Day. 

Pictured are (from left): Daniel Michaels of Santa 

Cruz, Olivia Bodzin of San Diego, Alex Cowles of 

Menlo Park, Jaime Sullivan of San Diego, Mike 

Banducci of Bakersfield, Maureen Vachal of 

Coronado, and Zach Kirkman of Clovis. 

Wheelchair Foundation assists Argentinians with mobility 

the world, Metcalf felt compelled to bring 

a project to the Orfalea College of Business 

that enabled students to work for a nonprofit 

organization and learn the business 

of giving back. 

“It’s impossible to see the need and 

not be motivated to help,” says Metcalf. 

“The gift of a wheelchair provides access 

to opportunity and helps to relieve the 

burden on a family.” 

For the past five years, business 

students have worked hard to send over 

see Wheelchair Foundation, page 18

ISA’s growth prompts more 

networking opportunities 

The Information Systems Association 

(ISA) has had a booming year 

with an increase of members and 

industry speakers. 

ISA provides its members with the 

opportunity to network with industry 

professionals while creating social 

networks with one another. This past 

year, ISA has brought in numerous firms 

Wheelchair Foundation 

continued from page 17 

2,100 wheelchairs to five different countries. 

The 22 students working on this 

project comprise the largest team since 

the chapter’s formation in 2001 and hope 

to raise $66,000 to send 880 wheelchairs 

to Argentina. 

Estimates show that only 45 percent 

of Argentina’s population has some form 

of health coverage, and there are 3.5 

million disabled persons in Argentina; 

every year that number increases by 

150,000. The team plans to travel to 

Argentina during the summer of 2007 to 

deliver the wheelchairs and visit local 

STUDENT NEWS 

to speak at meetings. Ranging in industry 

from accounting and biotechnology to food 

and high technology, they have included 

companies such as Ernst & Young LLP, 

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Amgen, Inc., 

Hewlett Packard, Chevron, Navis, Scitor, 

and new guest, Foster Farms. 

Many ISA alumni returned to speak 

about the companies they work for, and 

to recruit for job openings within 

their companies. 

orphanages to deliver toys, clothes and 

other needed commodities. 

The team has already held several 

successful fundraising events, including 

their 1st Annual Tennis Tournament 

and a Halloween Movie Night at the 

Fremont Theatre. 

The 6th Annual Gift of Mobility Benefit 

is scheduled to be held on April 14, 2007, 

at The Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach, and 

will feature a live and silent auction. Many 

auctions items were donated by local 

businesses, and each year prominent 

community members, Cal Poly Alumni and 

Cal Poly faculty attend the event. 

The event is organized each year to 

raise awareness about the need for wheel- 


The networks that ISA members 

create have not only led to successful 

job placement, but multiple internship 

and job offers. Members of ISA are 

receiving salary offers ranging from 

$55,000 to $65,000. 

Beyond the professional network, 

ISA’s social network has continued 

to grow with weekend getaways, 

socials and game nights. The social 

networking not only creates lifelong 

friendships, but also eventually leads 

to professional networks. 

Faculty advisor for the 

group is Professor Barry Floyd. 

– Cathalina Kung • ISA president 

ISA members (from 

left): Eric Doster, 

Michael Mueller, 

Eric Nilson, Nissana 

Akranavaseri, 

Jeffrey Rose and 

Brian Block. 

chairs, and this year, to help achieve the 

goal of $66,000. The team is hopeful that 

they will reach their goal and is looking 

forward to opportunities that await them 

as the year comes to a close. 

As team member Ali King of Laguna 

Niguel puts it, “Working with the Wheelchair 

Foundation has given me the opportunity 

to help others, while teaching me new 

skills that will be beneficial in my professional 

and personal life, for years to come.” 

For more information on how you can 

help the team reach its fundraising goal, 

e-mail Lynn Metcalf at calpoly@wheelchair 

foundation.org or contact me at 

831.566.3445 or khurley@calpoly.edu. 

– Kelly Hurley

FMA members benefit 

from corporate guests 

The Financial Management 

Association has had a stellar 

year attracting many recruiters 

in search of our quality finance 

student members. Companies such 

as Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, The 

Capital Group, Triage, HSBC and 

Pimco recognize Cal Poly as a recruitment 

destination for finance hires. 

This year, we were fortunate 

to aid many students in obtaining 

careers in investment banking with 

firms such as Wells Fargo Securities, 

Piper Jaffray and Co. as well as 

Citigroup, strengthening our alliance 

and alumni representation 

within these financial institutions. 

We have continued to have an 

array of speakers at our meetings 

such as Tom Sherman, president 

and CEO of Founders Community 

Bank in San Luis Obispo, who 

walked our members through the 

process of taking his bank public. 

Our weekly meeting size has 

significantly grown and sparked 

interest among many younger 

students contemplating their choice 

of concentration. 

We are adamant about being 

more than just a lunch club by 

offering corporate tours and mixers 

for our members to network at 

different venues. Recently, we 

enjoyed a private tour of Google’s 

corporate office followed by an 

exclusive Q & A with the company’s 

finance department. 

Faculty advisors for the Financial 

Management Association are 

Professors Larry Gorman and Cyrus 

Ramezani. For more club information, 

visit www.calpolyfma.com. 

– Kevin Wagner • Chair, FMA 

STUDENT NEWS 

In the black 

The Cal Poly Accounting Club’s (CPAC) 

2006 Fall Symposium was a huge success, 

with more than 100 representatives from 

37 firms participating and more than 180 

students attending the event. 

Last year, these firms hired more 

than 100 paid interns during their oncampus 

interviews. Congratulations go 

SAAC a useful tool for 

accounting students 

Started in 1994 by Professor Jack Robison, 

the Student Accounting Advisory Council 

(SAAC) was formed to serve as a liaison 

between accounting students and faculty. 

Today, SAAC is run by President Danny 

Barnett and Faculty Advisor Janice Carr. 

Approximately 15 board members 

provide supporting roles for the various 

tasks and functions that SAAC takes on 

each quarter. This year, SAAC has hosted 

quarterly information sessions for accounting 

students that range from tips on attaining 

a successful internship and full-time 


Careers in Accounting Day pays off tor 

participating students and companies 

to the Fall Symposium committee of Chris 

Boucher, Natalie Craig, Kevin Kumar, 

Annette Rietkerk, Jacob Swan and faculty 

advisor Tad Miller. 

The Fall Symposium committee (from left): 

Natalie Craig, Annette Rietkerk, Tad Miller, Chris 

Boucher, Jacob Swan and Kevin Kumar. 

positions, to updates about the new 

Master’s in Accounting/Tax program. 

SAAC also provides free tutoring to 

accounting students four days a week and 

volunteers for community projects. The 

latest community service project, initiated 

by SAAC in conjunction with the Cal Poly 

Accounting Club, is a financial literacy 

program for local elementary schools. 

For years SAAC has provided many 

services for the Accounting Department 

and their students, and will continue to do 

so with the strong involvement from 

student and faculty members. 

– Danny Barnett • SAAC chair 

and Brandon Stock • SAAC board member

Entrepreneurship Club learns 

from business community 

The Cal Poly Entrepreneurship Club is 

a new club on campus geared toward 

developing a better understanding 

of what it takes to survive in today’s 

business world. Our members share a 

common interest and passion for the 

exciting life of an entrepreneur and 

find that there are many lessons to be 

learned. At our meetings this year, we 

have brought in speakers from many types 

of businesses to share their understanding 

of entrepreneurship. 

Karen Nuno of Mid-State Bank 

explained how to apply for a SBA loan, 

including special points on what your 

business plan should look like. Nate 

Miller spoke to us about his unique 

laundry business, Fresh Threads, and 

what it is like to manage such a quickly 

growing company. The director of the 

Cuesta Small Business Development 

Center (SBDC), Cindi Wilshusen 

(Accounting ’02), gave a presentation 

on the services the SBDC offers and how 

entrepreneurs can benefit from this 

organization. Zach Frederick, owner of 

Frederick Export, spoke to the club about 

his amazing international business and 

how he excels on a global level. 

We are lucky to have had incredible 

speakers who share these experiences with 

us. From how to finance a start-up business 

to how to keep it running and successful, 

this club strives to cover it all. 

The 2006-07 school year has been 

a wonderful experience, as we are 

already seeing great member turnout 

and involvement. We have a lot of room 

to grow and will be turning to our club 

members for feedback and suggestions. 

Our goal is to broaden our reach so that 

all Cal Poly students, regardless of their 

major, get a chance to learn about such 

an exciting field! 

Faculty advisor for the Entrepreneurship 

Club is Professor Michael Geringer. 

– John Anderson • club president 

STUDENT NEWS 

2007 International Career Conference: 

Diverse program of speakers, workshops draws a crowd 

The 2007 International Career Conference, 

held annually at the Embassy 

Suites, was a great success this year, 

presenting a very diverse group of speakers 

and workshops. 

Starting in May 2006, 15 students in 

the Orfalea College of Business began 

raising money to fund the International 

Career Conference as their senior project. 

The team raised $10,000 over the course 

of eight months while planning the 

agenda, booking the speakers and inviting 

corporate businesses to recruit students 

of the Orfalea College of Business 

along with engineering and architectural 

design majors. 

This year’s conference included three 

keynote speakers. The first speaker, Steve 

Trice, is the founder and CEO of Jasco 

Products, a licensee of the General Electric 

Company. Trice’s speech gave a unique 

perspective of someone who seemingly 

had it all but struggled to find happiness 

along the way. 

The second keynote speaker was 

Leanne Haworth, who leads the California 

Space Authority’s efforts to grow its international 

partnerships. Her perspective was 

unique in that she started her career in the 

Peace Corps. This experience launched her 

international career and was a major 

emphasis of her speech. 


The final keynote speaker was 

Goran Radman, chairman of Microsoft 

South-East Europe. An employee at 

Microsoft since 1996, Radman gave a 

detailed economic profile of the region, 

how Microsoft pursues markets in Eastern 

Europe, and how government corruption 

in the area affects the way that 

Microsoft does business in the region. 

The conference was attended by 250 

students, 27 speakers and 15 companies, 

and it included eight workshops. 

This year’s workshops were 

“Investing in Your Future,” “International 

Finance,” “Expatriation and 

Cultural Adaptation,” “Adapting to the 

Technological Evolution,” “Women in 

Business,” “Making it in San Luis 

Obispo,” “Ethics in Business” and 

“Marketing Majors.” 

The faculty advisor for the 2007 

International Career Conference was 

Professor Barry Floyd. 

– Ryan Pease • conference chair 

Above: For their senior project, a group of 

Orfalea College of Business students 

raised the money, planned the agenda, 

booked the speakers and invited 

businesses to participate in the 2007 

International Career Conference.

Mingling with the pros 

PackExpo ’06 in Chicago was 

attended by 27 of Cal Poly’s 

Industrial Technology packaging 

students, faculty members Lou 

Tornatzky, Jay Singh, Keith Vorst, 

and Orfalea College of Business 

Director of College and Alumni 

Relations Leslie McKinley. 

The exposition brings together 

the industry’s leaders for four days 

and provides the students with 

unparalleled opportunities to meet 

and learn from industry greats. 

During the four days of the 

exhibition, the students staff a booth 

that displays projects that packaging 

students have completed; resumes 

for each of the students; College 

STUDENT NEWS 

Packaging students 

meet industry leaders 

at Chicago’s PackExpo 

materials; and information for employers 

about hiring students for fulltime 

positions, internships and 

co-ops. The students also host an 

alumni reunion, which provides 

employers with opportunities to meet 

the students. 

The Chicago PackExpo is held 

every two years, and the students 

and faculty who attend know that it 

is the premiere showcase available to 

students for meeting and learning 

from packaging industry leaders. 

Packaging students and faculty ready for action at their PackExpo booth in Chicago 


Alumni invited 

to Poly Pack May1-3 

Every year, the Cal Poly Packaging 

Club produces Poly Pack, a three-day 

packaging symposium designed to 

“integrate industry with education.” 

Held at the university since 1987, the 

symposium is run by students in the 

Industrial Technology, Graphic Arts and 

Food Science departments. 

Poly Pack provides an opportunity for 

students, faculty and industry professionals 

to share information about existing and 

upcoming technologies, discuss trends 

within the multifaceted industry and make 

connections that will last a lifetime. 

This year, Poly Pack is being held May 

1-3. Discussions by expert panels on the 

“Sustainability of Packaging” and the 

“Globalization of Packaging” will kick off 

the event on Tuesday, May 1. 

On Wednesday, May 2, the event will 

be held in conjunction with the Cal Poly 

Career Fair. This is an excellent opportunity 

for recruiting and interviewing the top 

packaging students in the nation. Tours of 

the Graphic Communication and Food 

Science facilities will also be conducted. 

On Thursday, May 3, Poly Pack will 

come to a close with the Annual Egg 

Drop Competition in downtown San Luis 

Obispo at the Farmer’s Market, followed in 

the evening by an awards banquet and 

silent auction. Poly Pack attendees may 

also want to catch the Central Coast Wine 

Tour and Golf Tournament earlier on 

Thursday at Monarch Dunes. 

The IT alumni banquet will be held at 

The Cliffs Resort on Friday, May 4. We are 

looking forward to seeing many of our 

alumni there. For more information, please 

contact Leslie McKinley at 805.756.2219 

or lmckinle@calpoly.edu. 

For more club information, visit 

www.polypack.calpoly.edu or e-mail 

polypack@calpoly.edu. 

Faculty advisor for the group is 

Professor Jay Singh. 

– Nancy Schueneman • Poly Pack chair

Student team wins flexible 

packaging national award 

First and second place for the Flexible Packaging 

Association’s (FPA) 2007 Student 

Flexible Packaging Design Challenge were 

awarded for the second year in a row to 

prototypes developed by Cal Poly students. 

Industrial Technology student Gianni 

Donati led the team that won $1,000 and the 

first place title with their Cough Cure bench 

sample. Team members Donati, Jimmy 

Chun, Gilbert Posadas, Marisa Gaitan and 

Micheal Lee also won a trip to the 2007 FPA 

meeting in Florida to receive their award. 

The Challenge judges commented, “The 

innovative idea advances the use of flexible 

packaging. It also incorporates several 

features including consumer convenience, 

single-serve doses and easy disposal and 

storage into one package.” 

Second place award winner was 

Melanie Kronemann with her Cereal Later 

design. Melanie won $500 for her work. 

In congratulating the winners, Lauren 

Kinard of the Flexible Packaging Association 

noted that “a majority of the concept 

outlines that advanced to the prototype/ 

bench sample development round of the 

Challenge were from Cal Poly students.” 

Congratulations also go to Faculty 

Advisor Keith Vorst. 

STUDENT NEWS 

The MBA program has launched a 

mentor program that is designed to 

match MBA students with senior 

level professionals. 

Charter group members (from left) 

are: Bob Ehlers (Marketing ’85), Dean’s 

Advisory Council member and mentor; 

Patrick McGuire (Industrial Technology 

’89), current MBA student; Gregory 

Gilham, current MBA student; Erik 

Slayter (Accounting ’92), current MBA 

student; Bill Chillingworth (Business 

Administration ’78), Dean’s Advisory 

Council member and mentor; Mike 


Hill wins packaging award 

Ryan Hill, a packaging minor, was 

awarded third place in the national 

Paperboard Packaging Alliance (PPA) 

Student competition. Hill received a 

$500 award from the PPA for himself, 

and $1,000 was awarded to the packaging 

program. Shown in Chicago at 

the PPA luncheon are (from left): 

James P. Brown, Jr., CAE, director of 

business services for the Paperboard 

Packaging Council; Hill; and Industrial 

Technology Professor Jay Singh. 

Grad students benefit 

from MBA mentor team 

Mantle (Business Administration 

’79), Dean’s Advisory Council member 

and mentor; and Max (Peter) 

Thelen, current MBA student. 

Orfalea College of Business 

alumni who would like to become 

mentors to MBA students can learn 

more about the program by calling 

Chris Carr at 805.756.2637 or by 

e-mailing MBA@calpoly.edu.

OCOB Mag Spring 07-2b - Cal Poly College of Business

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