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Ortiz Selected as University's Fifth President

Michael Ortiz, provost and vice president for academic affairs at California State University, Fresno was selected by the CSU Board of Trustees to be Cal Poly Pomona's fifth president. He will replace Bob Suzuki who is retiring after serving 12 years as president of Cal Poly Pomona in July.

"I liked the excitement I saw in the faculty, staff and students during my visit, and I look forward to working with them," Ortiz said. "There will be challenges ahead at Cal Poly Pomona, certainly, but the campus is strong academically, and together we will work to enhance its national reputation."

Ortiz received his Ph.D. in early childhood special education from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. His master's is in special education from the University of New Mexico, where he also received a bachelor's degree in English, secondary education and coaching. To see Ortiz's presidential forums with faculty, staff and students in February, visit www.csupomona.edu/~iit/pres_search.html.

Girls Just Want to Have Engineering Fun

More than 150 Junior Girl Scouts from the Spanish Trails Council took park when Cal Poly Pomona's College of Engineering hosted its inaugural Girl Scout Day in April. Sponsored by the Fluor Corp. in association with the university's chapter of the Society of Women Engineers, the event featured the theme "Who Wants to be an Engineer?"

Participants learned engineering fundamentals at five workstations while earning their "Making It Matter" badge. They also toured campus engineering labs and viewed projects including solar cars and concrete canoes.

"Engineering is a great career for girls to pursue," said Barbara Hacker, professor of chemical & materials engineering. "We want to help girls realize that engineering is fun and they can do it."

Anka Did It His Way

Music legend Paul Anka received a standing ovation when he sang a Cal Poly Pomona version of his hit "My Way" at Founders' Celebration 2003: A Notable Night in February. Nearly $245,000 was raised at the annual fund-raising event attended by more than 500 guests at the Pacific Palms Resort in the City of Industry. Proceeds support university programs and scholarships. Television personality Stephanie Edwards served as master of ceremonies.
Hero of the Green Century

One of the world's foremost authorities on renewable energy, Hermann Scheer, spoke on "The Solar Economy" in May. A socio-economist and political author, Scheer has been called the "Hero of the Green Century" by TIME magazine in 2002. The principal architect of Germany's much-admired Laws for Renewable Energy, Scheer has received numerous awards, including the Alternative Nobel Prize in 1999.

Spike Tells Students: Do the Right Thing

Acclaimed filmmaker Spike Lee emphasized the importance of education and the pursuit of dreams as he addressed a capacity crowd in May.

"Ninety-nine percent of the people in this world have had to work all their life at a job they hate," said Lee, who is recognized as a creative force in the film industry. "You don't want to be in that position, so college is critical. Don't let anybody tell you that [your degree] does not mean anything. You cannot put a price on educating your mind."


The visit by Lee-an accomplished producer, director, actor, writer and entrepreneur as well as movie visionary and candid celebrity-was part of the 2003 Distinguished Speaker Series sponsored by Associated Students Inc.
Wireless Connections

About 300 academic and industry representatives gathered at the second annual Wireless Telecommunications Symposium in May to exchange information on emerging issues and advances in the field. The symposium featured many industry leaders, including Irwin Mark Jacobs, founder and CEO of Qualcomm, who spoke about "What is Next For the Computer/Camera/GPS Receiver in Your Pocket - Your Cellphone." Newly emerging and future cell phone capabilities Jacobs mentioned include video streaming, simultaneous voice and data usage, 3-D interactive games and global positioning systems. In its second year, the symposium was developed after the colleges of business administration and engineering began collaborating on an interdisciplinary master's degree in telecommunications and computer networking.
Panorama is published by the Office of Public Affairs at Cal Poly Pomona.
Questions or comments? Please email publicaffair@csupomona.edu.