Polycast

Dr. Askay is a Communication Studies professor with a background in organizational science, a field that combines sociology, physiology, management and communication. Before coming to Cal Poly in 2013, he taught small group and business communication at UNC Charlotte as well as English in Japan. Dr. Askay shares an eclectic mix of stories from couch surfing across Europe, joining the Yelp Elite Squad and implementing design thinking in his classes at Cal Poly. 

Emma Chow is a conservationist for the USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). Her office is based in Santa Maria but covers all of Santa Barbara County. She graduated from Cal Poly with a Bachelor’s degree in environmental protection and management and has been working for the NRCS ever since. She has worked up and down the coast of California to help farmers make their farms more viable businesses. Chow is appreciative of her education and how it has influenced her in pursuing a fulfilling career. 

Casey is a senior Journalism major at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. A former starter for the Cal Poly football team, Casey and a few other students created the SLO-based band Golfdads, a student funk rock band which has gained traction in the area. Casey is using his passion and his drive to turn his dream into a reality with the help of like-minded individuals, creating EPs on Spotify and even playing at events for the San Luis Obispo community. 

Peter Zwart graduated from Cal Poly with a degree in Business Administration, concentrating in Human Resources and Management.  He stayed at Cal Poly to get his masters degree in Business Analytics.  During his time at Cal Poly, Peter had two internships: one with Disney and one with Target.  Both internships allowed Zwart to do what he is passionate for, communicating with others.  Now,  Zwart continues his passion for talking to people through his job at Cipher as a Client-Analytics Associate. 

David is a 4th year Finance major at Cal Poly and founder of Roopairs, an online platform that allows restaurateurs to connect with commercial service providers. David has lots of experience in the restaurant industry and passion for the industry itself. He and his brother are utilizing their knowledge and passion to build a platform that makes maintenance in restaurants that much easier.  

 Dr. Abercromby is a professor in the Aerospace Department at Cal Poly. She obtained her undergraduate degree from UCLA in Astrophysics, and her masters and Ph.D. from University of Colorado, Boulder in Aerospace Engineering. Her thesis entails determining the material type of orbiting objects for material identification of orbital debris. 

 Eric Dreischerf graduated from Cal Poly with a degree in mechanical engineering. During his time at Cal Poly, Eric and a group of other Cal Poly students built a drone and placed in second place at an international contest. Now, Eric pursues his passion for robotic-like tools such as a fluoro diving and wishes to explore further.  

 Jolie Higgins is a graduate student at Cal Poly after receiving her undergrad in environmental engineering. She has been involved in Engineers Without Borders, taking on project leads, and traveling to Fiji with the group. Her current research focuses on the drastic decline of eelgrass in Morro Bay where she is taking a chemistry approach to help solve the problem. 

For the past two years, James Whelan has conducted research on the local rattlesnakes in the San Luis Obispo County. With a deep fascination for snakes since he was a kid, his work in the lab has been an unbelievable experience. He has devoted his time to working with these reptiles, fetching data on how climate change has affected them, in order to protect the future of this incredible species.