CPP Magazine

That's SoCalPoly

A collection of short stories celebrating our campus' unique location, traditions and inclusive polytechnic identity.

How to: Launch a Startup Tucker Dunbar tries to recruit passersby to the Bronco Makers Fair while wearing a Star Wars helmet and a Ghostbusters Proton Pack

Mechanical engineering senior Tucker Dunbar launched an online store on Etsy in 2018, drawing on his experience from the Student Innovation Idea Lab, Bronco Makers Club and Innovation Orchard, where he serves as the lead technician. His Etsy store, PropNShop, sells replica props from the fantasy and science fiction worlds. Dunbar shares his path in launching the startup.

“If you’re not sure about your passions or strengths, it is OK to try new things. Don’t be afraid to jump in headfirst as long as you can afford it.”

“I often look around Etsy to see if an idea already exists and how popular it is. I also go to conventions to see what things people are interested in.”

“Once you have an idea, ask yourself if it is popular enough to warrant your time and effort. Or, is it too popular with too many competitors? Could you make it better or cheaper?”

“Once you’ve launched, decide on your next steps. You could maintain the business at a lower but a sustainable level. You could stagnate, by continuing but not creating new products or updating the marketing. Or, you could scale up the business, take in more orders, hire people and grow.”


A Brief History: Women in Engineering

brief-history-women-in-engineering.jpgCal Poly Pomona is dedicated to recruiting, retaining and graduating female engineering students, supporting them with mentoring, networking and leadership development opportunities. Supporting these activities are three separate units: the Women in Engineering program, Femineers (K-12 outreach program), and the collegiate chapter of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). From 2007 to 2019, the proportion of female engineering students grew from 13 to 21 percent.

2002

  • Cal Poly Pomona’s Society of Women Engineers is awarded Most Outstanding Diversity Program for the Region at SWE Nationals.

2014

  • Edison International donates $100,000 to Women in Engineering. The program is renamed the Edison International Women in Engineering Program.

2015

  • The Femineer program is recognized by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.
  • The “Engineering Girls–It Takes a Village” program invites girls and their mothers to live on campus for a week and engage in STEM activities. The summer program recruited families who experience housing insecurity and reveived funding from the California Space Grant Consortium and Southern California Edison.

2020

  • The outreach program “Introduce a Girl to Engineering” receives an Inspiring Programs in STEM Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity.

Building by the Numbers: Student Health Services Building

Student Health Services Building at CPP

The Student Health Services Building (SHS) serves to promote healthy lifestyles and academic success by providing students with quality medical, psychological and wellness services at little to no additional costs. Built nearly six decades ago, SHS provides a variety of programs and resources dedicated to topics like nutrition, sexual health, mental health and stress management.

graphic that says 1,762 Flu shots given in 2019
Graphic that says 121 Wellness programs
Graphic that says 20 exam rooms
Graphic that says 1 x-ray room