The Vision: Realized

THE VISION: Realized

The original blade structure was erected in Poly Canyon in 1963 and was designed and built by Steve Gilmore, Mark Haselton, Dan McMann, and Ken Minor. These students would go on to sponsor the structures rebuild four decades later.

The right picture was taken in 2003 after the rebuild of the Blade structure with its original designers alongside the students who rebuilt it. Ben Green, Robert Pacheco, Elley Arinez, Susan Smilanich, Jeff Massana, and Jon Voorhies won an award of excellence from the Post Tensioning Institute in 2006 for their work on the structure.

Celebrating 75 Years

The Vision was published in 1972 and provides the history of the Architectural Engineering program at Cal Poly. It is a compelling story of how George Hasslein recruited other faculty members (Hans Mager, R.L. Graves, Wesley Ward, Ken Schwartz and Bill Phillips) who created a collaborative, multi-disciplinary, student-based program in the post-World War II era on the central California coast. That program lives on and is now celebrating its 75th anniversary.

The program has evolved, grown and adjusted, but the original vision is still intact, yet much has changed. The concept of architects and engineers having a common two-year experience has passed, largely due to decisions for accreditation. The architectural engineering program evolved into two separate programs in architecture and engineering. The extra disciplines of construction, landscape architecture and city and regional planning were added, and the College of Architecture and Environmental Design was formally created. No other college in the nation houses these five disciplines. Despite the growth and changes, the mix of theory and application, the learn by doing philosophy and the work and service ethic have remained cornerstones of the architectural engineering program.

This book’s purpose is to make the case that the vision created seventy-five years ago has been realized and is alive and well. This effort starts with the celebration of the sixtieth anniversary and uses pictures and prose to highlight and document the past fifteen years of activities and progress in the architectural engineering department. If a prospective student knows that he or she wants to be a structural engineer, there is no better program in the nation at the undergraduate level than the Cal Poly architectural engineering program. Now we celebrate and then look forward to the next 75 years.

In 2008, the Architectural Engineering department hosted a celebration marking the 60th Anniversary of the program’s founding. Formed originally as the “Architectural Drafting Department”, the ARCE program gradually grew into the rigorous and thriving program it is today.

The 60-year milestone offered an opportunity to recognize and highlight what the department has accomplished over the years.

Hosted at the Ventana Grill in Pismo Beach, the event drew over 160 alumni, supporters, faculty and students.

Attendees enjoyed the sunset over the Pacific Ocean, cut an anniversary cake, made centerpieces out of K’nex toys, watched a commemorative video, and reconnected with old friends. Founding faculty member Ken Schwartz was the guest speaker.

LEARN BY DOING

The university motto, Learn by Doing, is at the core of what makes the Cal Poly Architectural Engineering program special. Laboratory work in conjunction with the lecture subjects is just the start of how the program strives to provide hands-on experience for students. Starting day one, first year students learn the fundamentals of the building systems through live demonstrations and guided construction exercises. Throughout their undergraduate careers, students gain valuable experience preparing them for their futures, from testing full scale construction techniques to competing in international competitions to building experimental structures. This teaching motto has merit; the first-time Fundamentals of Engineering exam pass rate consistently hovers around 90%, substantially ahead of the national average.

Cal Poly ARCE students are taught more structural engineering focused content than any other undergraduate program in the country, giving them a leg up when entering the workforce. Students leverage their foundation in calculus, physics, and engineering sciences towards the analysis sequence, including structural analysis, structural dynamics and seismic design. Where the program shines is the design sequence: starting with the essentials in structural systems, then to design laboratories in steel, timber, concrete, and masonry. The Learn By Doing experience is enhanced by these experimental and computer laboratories which expose students to current building codes and professional structural engineering software used in industry. The architecture and construction studios provide a broader understanding of the design-construction process. The culminating capstone project is often interdisciplinary in nature and offers many options. With such a wealth of knowledge ARCE students begin their careers with confidence.

ARCE 106

Design Village

Student Projects

Interdisciplinary Efforts

Experimental Labs

Site Visits

Masters Program

High Bay and Seismic Lab Upgrades

EERI Design Competition

Student Design Competitions

Structures Garden

Canyon Days

arce 106 • introduction to building systems

Introduction to Building Systems (ARCE 106) is just that. Every ARCE first-year student is enrolled during Fall quarter. Students are introduced to the structural systems, mechanical/electrical/ plumbing components, the building cladding, and the foundations. The class consists of a large group lecture each week followed by a small group, hands-on activity that features:

• Arches and catenaries

• Timber connections (Simpson StrongTie)

• Concrete connections (Hilti anchor bolts)

• Welding and bolted steel connections

• Trusses and digital fabrication

• Electrical wiring

• Drainage and slope calculations

• Disaster case studies

• Design, bid, build roleplaying exercise using K’nex toys

New students are introduced to structural engineering in their first quarter at Cal Poly and become acquainted with the ARCE department and the classmates they will work with for the next four years. The course is dedicated to Carson Starkey, an ARCE first-year student who died at Cal Poly in 2008.

DESIGN VILLAGE

Design Village is a competition hosted by Cal Poly’s Architecture program, as part of the first-year architecture studio curriculum which all ARCE students take. The Design Village competition has a long history and has become one of the most anticipated events of the year for the College of Architecture & Environmental Design (CAED).

Each year, students work in teams to design and build “shelters” and transport the assemblies in pieces on a one-mile hike to Poly Canyon behind campus. As part of the weekend long event, students assemble their structures on the grassy slopes of Poly Canyon and inhabit their shelters by staying overnight for the duration of weekend!

It is a great opportunity for students to work creatively across disciplines and gives insight into the constructability of their designs; it is a remarkable display of “learn by doing” in action.

student projects

The ARCE curriculum has four culminating experiences. The three upper division design labs meet most of the university and accreditation requirements for a capstone course, which leaves a huge degree of flexibility for the senior project. The default senior project is an interdisciplinary studio working with an actual client on a complex project. But students can also choose an independent senior project involving undergraduate research with a faculty member, designing and building a structure, conducting experimentation, taking part in a national competition, working on an interdisciplinary project with Journeyman International, or building on the work done on an internship.

With the encouragement and guidance of faculty advisors, students have created a massive, welded steel mustang; elaborate frames for telescopes; seismic resisting systems in steel, concrete, and timber; a double curvature bridge on a golf course; and much more. The diversity and creativity of student projects is a testament to the skill, knowledge, and ingenuity of the ARCE student.

Interdisciplinary efforts

Regional Planning, and Architectural Engineering – the only college in the opportunities other schools do not have. The college has always been a leader in this area in the early years of students’ educational experience where first-year ARCE students take

devoted great effort to providing upper-division interdisciplinary opportunities where students are brought together after learning their individual disciplines to work on project teams in ways that replicate what they will do in industry.

The senior project course, ARCE 415, lets ARCE students work in teams of two or more disciplines with an actual client, with the advice and guidance of a professor, to create deliverables for a project which replicates the real-life requirements and challenges. Students often present their work to industry professionals who judge the deliverables based on their communication, collaboration, and interpretation of the proposed project.

experimental labs

The experimental labs provide a physical, visual and tactile experience to the ARCE education.

The labs attempt to demonstrate that the theory covered in the lectures actually works in the physical world.

Some call it learning by breaking things.

Formal experimental laboratory courses accompany the mechanics of materials, soil analysis and reinforced concrete design courses.

Periodic experimentation and activities are part of the building systems, masonry, timber, structural dynamics and seismic design courses.

Students learn context by breaking steel, placing concrete, crushing masonry, compacting soil, shaking models and connecting timber.

The students learn to conduct experiments, synthesize data, analyze errors, and make conclusions in a formal lab report.

site visits

An important part of the Learn by Doing philosophy for the ARCE department is visiting job sites and gaining a greater understanding of actual construction.

Students get to ask questions to contractors and engineers that reinforce topics learned in class and see how buildings are constructed.

Opportunities for site visits range from in-class trips with professors, site visits and quarterly trips organized by SEAOC, and a myriad of opportunities provided by industry partners.

Cal Poly ARCE’s travel locally and nationally finding opportunities to see exciting and sometimes cutting-edge projects.

With the amount of construction on campus, there is no shortage of convenient site visits.

Masters program

Starting in 2008 as a Master’s in Architecture with a specialization in Architectural Engineering, the department bypassed the cumbersome approval process for a new degree. By 2015 with a track record of success, the degree transitioned seamlessly to an M.S. degree in Architectural Engineering.

The Master’s cohorts have been around 16 students. The program is blended for ARCE undergraduates which guarantees completion in a year. Students from outside Cal Poly typically take two years but get to take those upper-division ARCE courses not offered anywhere else.

Master’s courses include Advanced Structural Mechanics, Nonlinear Behavior, Finite Element Method for Structures, Structural Systems Behavior, an architecture studio, choices of electives, and a capstone project. The program’s reputation has grown and the graduates are highly sought.

hIGh bay and seismic lab upgrades

One of Cal Poly ARCE’s premiere facilities for learning by doing is our High Bay Lab. This facility houses supplies for full-scale structural tests of all the major material types with equipment including a high-capacity universal testing machine and an overhead crane.

Fundraising over the years, instigated by faculty, lab technicians, and even students, has allowed the High Bay Lab to see continued maintenance and upgrades. The existing equipment has been calibrated and control systems have been rebuilt. A new reaction frame, designed by faculty, was installed with the help of the lab technicians. New actuators, pumps and chillers have been added to the available resources, with custom load cells, control boxes, and sensors implemented to control the new tools. And a new overhead crane was installed in 2024. The seismic lab has added a new controller to the shake table, allowing greater control over the existing shake table platform.

These improvements have greatly improved our ability to conduct experiments reliably and enhance the accuracy and ease of our research efforts.

earthquake engineering research institute

Every year our Cal Poly Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) Seismic Design Competition Team designs, analyzes, builds, and shake tests a balsa wood high rise model built to that year’s specifications and competes in the international competition hosted by EERI. With over 30 undergraduate institutions attending, it is a great opportunity for students to use their engineering and construction knowledge as well as communication skills to engage in seismic resilience.

Teams are judged on the balsa wood model, structural and architectural design, poster, oral presentation, and how accurately the predicted acceleration values match the ones obtained during shaking. Cal Poly has participated in the EERI Seismic Design Competition since 2007, even achieving first place!

Fundraising has allowed our team of 16 students to travel to the competition each year. Cal Poly EERI team alumni have served as industry advisors to our current students. The input from these professionals is invaluable for the success of the team.

student design competitions

Architectural Engineering students have been a part of a variety of student design competitions, with a selection of these included here.

AEI, an institute of ASCE, offers an annual conference with keynote speakers, a networking session, and a student design competition. Student teams apply principles of design and their construction knowledge to a real-life scenario. Teams present their work to an audience of conference attendees and compete for the honor of the best project.

The Timber Strong Design-Build competition, put on by NCSEA, challenges students to design and build a two-story wood frame structure which is sustainable, aesthetically pleasing and structurally durable.

The Timber Bridge competition requires students to design, build and test a timber bridge on their campus, submitting a technical report and the results via video. Bridges are tested for minimal overall bridge deflection, deck deflection, and weight, with a maximum of 25% non-wood content by weight.

structures garden

The Structures Garden, formally known as the Experimental Structures Laboratory is a Cal Poly treasure. No other university has anything like it. Located in Poly Canyon, the Structures Garden is a collection of innovative structures designed and built by students that span the better part of the last century. It stands as a testament to the “Learn by Doing” motto of Cal Poly and the pedagogy of George Hasslein.

The garden hosts a wide variety of structural systems, including post tensioned concrete, tensegrity structures, cantilever decks, suspension systems, preassembled concrete, straw bale construction, a geodesic dome, steel shear walls, and more. Students have been building and repairing these structures since the 1950’s. New projects are built, and the old ones get renovated (concrete blade structure, bridge house and stick structure) and occasionally, the alumni who built the original support and fund the students doing the renovation.

Canyon Days

Canyon Days, primarily made up of ARCE students, is a club whose goal is to maintain Poly Canyon and its structures. Poly Canyon is home to more than 20 unique structures that were created through a collaboration of CAED students. Some of these structures were once habitable, with running water and working electricity. Many generations of students have worked on projects in the canyon, some dating back to the 1950s.

Each spring, volunteers help with landscaping around the structures, replace parts of structures that have fallen apart, fix the areas that have been defaced, and generally make changes which improve the visitor experience to the Structures Garden. By keeping the area in good condition, the Canyon Days team is proud to enable students to continue to participate in the rich and memorable learn by doing experience of building new structures in the canyon!

LEARN TOGETHER

Fostering strong community bonds elevates the learning experience for Cal Poly ARCE students. There are many professional and social activities for students to be involved in. From a cheery introduction to the ARCE program in their first weeks on campus, to trips exploring buildings and engineering firms around the country (and globe!), to exciting community events, the program offers ample opportunities to explore the world of structural engineering.

Freshman Photos

WOW Week

SEAOC Student Chapter

SEAOC Trips

Lithuania

SESH

Tanzania

Halloween

Mustang Family Weekend

Open House

ARCE Magazine

Senior Banquet

Senior Photos

Order of the Engineer

FRESHMEN photos

WOW

Week of Welcome (WOW) is every Cal Poly student’s introduction to the university. Before their first term, students participate in a week of university-led events and activities and visit their new departments.

The ARCE department hosts an orientation for its new class of freshmen and transfer students. The students take a class photo, and each student is gifted an “ARCE” T-shirt, a branded engineering paper pad and mechanical pencil.

To top off the afternoon, the department offers the students a delicious free barbeque lunch cooked by the upper-class SEAOC chapter students in the Engineering West courtyard with games like cornhole and giant wood block Jenga!

structural engineers association of california

seaoc student chapter

The Cal Poly chapter of SEAOC maintains a strong and active community, holding weekly meetings, hosting barbeques, planning trips and more. The club holds a weekly meeting in which industry professionals are invited to speak and lunch is served. Aside from its professional society affiliation, SEAOC is the student’s most active social network.

The SEAOC family is made closer with events like the kayaking in Morro Bay, Halloween pumpkin carving, Thanksgiving lunch, golf tournament, ARCE prom, intramurals, end-of-quarter party, and subsidized senior banquet. The 7th week barbeque and the Avila Beach barbeque are consistent events that are great for relaxing, playing games, and grabbing a great lunch. The SEAOC big sib/ little sibling program was created to welcome and encourage new freshmen to join. All these events are organized by the students for the students and create a strong supportive environment and community.

SEAOC TRIPS

One of the prominent benefits the student SEAOC chapter offers is quarterly trips to visit structural engineering firms and explore their metropolitan areas. Many trips have been made to San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and neighboring urban areas, however trips to cities outside California are reserved for the spring break trip. Students have been able to visit cities including Portland, Seattle, Chicago, New York City, and even some international cities including London, Vancouver

The trips bring students closer to industry through office and site visits, giving a sense of the types of work each firm contributes to and their office culture. The students also see the sights and become immersed in the cities. With the added exposure to companies, these trips have even helped some students secure an internship or job offer.

In Lithuania

study abroad

Started by ARCE faculty member, Ed Saliklis, the Lithuania study abroad program offers an amazing opportunity for emerging third-year students to study with Cal Poly professors at our sister school, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, in Lithuania.

Students travel to the Baltic nation for a 6-week summer term with intensive study covering three ARCE classes and joined by native students of Vilnius Tech.

The program includes several field trips across the nation from the hill of crosses in Šiauliai to the amber artisan beach towns around Klaipėda and the forest spa city of Druskininkai.

The program combines getting a quarter closer to graduation with a terrific global study abroad experience.

students for humanity

structural engineering

SESH

The Structural Engineering Students for Humanity (SESH) is a campus organization created by ARCE students. This motivated and intrepid group of philanthropic engineering students travel for two weeks every summer to a developing country to help the local community rebuild after a natural disaster. Partnering with industry leaders at Miyamoto Global Relief, the student teams raise funds and participate in an on-going Miyamoto project. The engineering students participate in generating solutions to buildings failing from natural disasters and even constructing new structures.

The mission is to provide humanitarian aid to these communities. The students connect with the people and cultures. A key component of each trip is to explore the countries and try to learn from the communities while abroad. Different groups of students get the opportunity to travel each year, with past trips to Haiti, Nepal, Myanmar, Ecuador and Indonesia.

For the last 12 years, Architectural Engineering faculty Kevin Dong and Architecture faculty Thomas Fowler have led interdisciplinary student teams to design structures for the people in Same, Tanzania. In coordination with the Mbesese Initiative for Sustainable Design (MISD), a non-profit organization uplifting the East Africa region through the built environment, Cal Poly students design and develop construction documents for classrooms and other educational facilities for the Same Polytechnic College.

This project was started by ARCE graduate David Lambert, Senior Structural Engineer at ARUP, as part of both his senior project and master’s thesis at Cal Poly and each summer iteration has contributed to the overall effort.

Cal Poly ARCE and ARCH students get a chance to connect with another culture and learn to adapt their knowledge to solve real world problems.

in the halloween spirit

The ARCE department has spirit and tries to celebrate every holiday, but Halloween is special!

The SEAOC student chapter hosts a pumpkin carving event during Halloween week. It is always a smashing hit.

Students and faculty dress in costume for class and around campus adding a festive and spooky atmosphere to accompany the fall holiday.

This creative ritual creates some much-needed fun during the stressful and busy midterm season.

Reinvigorating students with the energy they’ll need to tackle the latter half of the quarter, Halloween is an excellent example of the sense of community and camaraderie felt between students in the ARCE department.

Mustang Family Weekend

The ARCE department hosts an annual Mustang Family Weekend Barbecue. While exploring San Luis Obispo and the Cal Poly campus, families are invited to enjoy a central coast style barbecue lunch in between other Mustang Family Weekend activities. Lunch is provided and cooked by Cal Poly’s SEAOC student chapter.

While enjoying lunch, ARCE families can connect with ARCE faculty and staff and other supporters. Family photos are taken by the ARCE banner. A presentation is given featuring a department head update on the department, a student description of current activities and an open dialog for asking and answering questions.

Open House

Every year the ARCE department welcomes future students and their families to Cal Poly’s annual Open House weekend. Hosted in spring after acceptance letters have been distributed, prospective students visit campus. The department head provides an orientation to prospective students and families. ARCE labs are opened, with tours given by current Cal Poly undergraduate and graduate students.

All these labs provide a great insight on what Learn by Doing in the ARCE program is all about! The department prepares displays of student projects and typical student work. The SEAOC student chapter supports a display booth alongside all of the other Cal Poly student organizations.

ARCE Magazine

What better way to celebrate the accomplishments and activities of the ARCE students and faculty for posterity than an annual magazine. The ARCE magazine is a professional publication that provides a compelling department update. The magazine celebrates our students on and off campus, extolling our academic success and dedication, as well as the community contributions and individual achievements of our student body. We are not just engineers, but also artists, athletes, volunteers, builders, and more. The ARCE magazine allows us to share our story with prospective students, alumni, parents, industry and potential donors. An archive of the annual ARCE Magazine can be found on the department’s website for those who wish to see the highlights of the last 15 years.

Senior Banquet

program that starts with the department presenting a commemorative gift to each senior. The student program has included a talent show, baby pictures, superlative awards or gag gifts to the faculty.

This banquet is the final chance before parents and families arrive for graduation, for the class to celebrate before they all go their separate ways.

senior photos

Order of the engineer ceremony

In addition to the university wide commencement ceremony, the ARCE department holds its own ceremony to induct undergraduates into the Order of the Engineer. The ceremony marks the transition from student to professional. Each year family and friends gather in the Hasslein Courtyard to recognize and celebrate the graduating class.

Each student receives a stainless-steel ring, takes an oath to serve and protect society, and is presented with a certificate to honor the occasion. The ring is placed on the pinkie finger of the working hand of each graduate to remind them that the safety of the public is at stake whenever they sign a design drawing. The ARCE department is pleased to celebrate the commitment to excellence expected of each graduate!

Thanks to Barrish-Pelham (now a Degenkolb company) for sponsoring this event.

LEARNING FROM EXPERIENCE

The quality of the ARCE educational experience is determined greatly by the faculty who teach the classes and staff who provide the support. The composition of the faculty allows the curriculum to cover necessary engineering theory and provide real-world applications and skills. Half the faculty are the Ph.D. credentialed researchers found in most universities. The others are seasoned practitioners with at least a master’s degree in structural engineering, a Structural Engineering (SE) license and at least a decade of industry experience. The tenured faculty are expected to contribute significantly in the areas of teaching, professional development / scholarship, and service. The department also relies on a dedicated team of part-time lecturers to augment the tenure / tenure-track faculty to teach some of the classes. With faculty teaching all of the classes and the class sizes remaining small, there is significant high-quality student-faculty interaction. Once hired, both the faculty and staff have a history of staying for a long time creating a close-knit community which elevates and strengthens the ARCE community.

The ARCE program at Cal Poly strives to keep students and faculty connected to industry. With this emphasis on fostering bonds with entities beyond campus, the program commits to adapting to the needs of an evolving industry. From networking with and learning from professionals, to competing in international competitions hosted by professional organizations, students gain connections which can lead to future careers and a valuable understanding of the industry.

Structural Forum

Alumni Receptions

SEAOC Conference

AEI Conference

Advisory Board

Parents Learn By Doing Fund

Lab Dedications

Scholarship Luncheon

External Scholarships

Staff

ExCEEd

Faculty Research

Faculty Scholarship and Honors

Camaraderie

Faculty Reflections

Structural Forum • Industry And Education

Structural Forum is the Architectural Engineering Department’s most important job fair of the year, but it is also so much more.

Forum begins with a morning series of lectures from industry professionals working in interesting developments of technology and design but also social outreach and the philosophies behind structural engineering.

The afternoon hosts a job fair in which students and representatives of industry partners get to know each other. Students learn about the day-to-day tasks and projects that recent graduates and more experienced engineers are working on, and how each firm operates.

The evening closes with a dinner where students dine with their selected firm and listen to a presentation by a prominent keynote speaker.

Forum is an experience like no other career fair and imparts students with a greater understanding of industry, greater connections to firms, and a stronger idea of where and what they want to work on as they move from student to professional engineer.

alumni receptions

Reaching out to alumni and industry has been a department priority that has paid big dividends in staying both engaged and involved in the ARCE program. The department has hosted an annual reception for ARCE alumni and friends in the Bay Area, usually as part of the weekend of the Computers and Structures (CSI) anniversary parties. With the assistance of advisory board members, we hosted an alumni reception at Downtown Disney as part of the NCSEA conference. Finally, an ARCE reception has been part of every SEAOC convention over the past 15 years. The ARCE department head has made over 100 office visits to the firms that hire ARCE graduates and gained great insights as a result.

SEAOC Convention

The SEAOC convention is the largest annual assembly of California’s structural engineering community, and the Cal Poly ARCE is the only program to bring students year after year. As the ARCE presence has evolved, the four students (usually SEAOC student chapter officers) assist with running the conference and are provided with free registration and access to all social events as a result.

The students attend technical sessions, network with potential employers, find guest speakers and get acquainted with the latest innovations from the sponsoring vendors. ARCE faculty have regularly presented their papers from structural engineering research conducted at Cal Poly. Increasingly, ARCE student papers have been accepted for presentation. The students routinely participate with the SEAOC regional chapters in the President’s Cup competition. ARCE hosts a reception for friends and alumni as part of the conference.

Over the past fifteen years, the conference has been hosted in Palm Springs, Carlsbad, Lake Tahoe, New Mexico, Seattle, Las Vegas, Long Beach, and even Maui!

AEI ConvenTion

The SEAOC/AEI student chapter is proud to represent Cal Poly annually at the Architectural Engineering Institute Professional Conference.

The event offers multiple keynote sessions with top innovators in industry, exhibitors and vendors with displays of their latest technical solutions, and a chance for emerging professionals, future leaders, industry experts, and academics to network.

The conference hosts both the Workshop for Student Chapter Leaders and the AEI Design Competition. The Department Head attends the annual in-person meeting of the AEI Academic Council and the joint meeting with the AEI Board of Governors.

The advisory board

The ARCE department reconstituted an industry advisory board in 2007 and has conducted semi-annual meetings ever since. The board consists of practicing structural engineers with representation from architecture and construction. The board has fifteen members each serving three-year terms. Five members rotate on and off each year. The board has consistently maintained a diversity of gender, geography, type of firm, experience, and graduate versus nongraduate of the program. The Advisory Board has provided valuable insights and advocacy on issues of accreditation, quality of graduates, curriculum, industry trends and assessment of the current program. Some of the most prominent and respected practitioners in California have donated their time and talents to serve in this capacity.

Parents Learn by doing fund

The Parents Learn By Doing Fund was started by Florian and Lori Barth, parents of Ian Barth (ARCE, ’14) when they graciously donated $50,000 to the department and challenged other parents to match their contribution. The fund is dedicated to enhancing the educational experience of ARCE students. Subsequent iterations have earned $100,000 each by asking five lead parents to provide $10,000 each with other parents matching the gifts.

The fund has allowed students to present research findings at professional conferences, to learn leadership skills at workshops, and to compete in national competitions. The fund has also supported senior projects and master’s theses as well as faculty creativity in the classroom and upgrades to both labs and laboratory equipment. It has funded student awards, the scholarship luncheon, the new student welcome luncheon, and the ARCE freshman T-shirts.

Nobody has a more vested interest in the department’s success than those parents and supporters who have entrusted us with their sons and daughters.

A substantial backlog of maintenance and repair resulted in laboratory and classroom facilities not compatible with the quality of students and faculty in the program.

A valuable solution was a lab sponsorship program where industry partners and/or alumni committed to giving $10,000 for five years to affix their name to a laboratory.

At the end of five years, the sponsorship can be renewed. Funds go exclusively to upkeep and improvements to the facility. The program has resulted in new computers, window treatments, chairs, desks, white boards, teaching stations and wall coverings representing a huge improvement of teaching facilities.

The generous contributors have been Computers and Structures, Inc., Degenkolb Engineers, Clark Pacific, Hilti, SidePlate, Mitek, Labib, Funk and Associates, kpff, Verco Decking, Nucor Steel, Simpson Strong-Tie and alumni Jack Berridge and Mark Haselton.

Each lab sponsorship has included a dedication ceremony complete with photos, check presentation, cake cutting, plaque unveiling, ribbon cutting, words of thanks and lunch for the students.

scholarship luncheon

The Scholarship Luncheon is an annual event hosted by the department and celebrates the hard-working ARCE students and the generous donors who are contributing financially to their educations.

The ARCE department offers both need-based and merit-based scholarships through internal programs and funding, however, the luncheon also celebrates students who win external scholarships from friends of the department.

Lunch is served and the scholarships are formally presented. Group and individual photos are taken.

Donors are invited to present their scholarships in person. Those donors unable to travel to San Luis Obispo are invited to send a congratulatory video message and compete for the coveted ARC’Y award which honors the best video.

external scholarships

Cal Poly Architectural Engineering students have been proud recipients of outside scholarships every year. Through fostering strong connections with industry, the department connects students with merit-based and need-based scholarships from external organizations and donors.

Many of these awards come from the Structural Engineering Association of Southern California (SEAOSC) and the Structural Engineering Association of Northern California (SEAONC), with organizations like the International Code Council having awarded exemplary students in the last few years.

It is impressive to see how so many students have been empowered to continue the path of structural engineering thanks in part to these scholarships.

Staff

The ARCE staff are few in number but huge in their contributions. Nothing in this department happens without their involvement. In 2008, the ARCE staff consisted of two administrative members, a computer technician (Michael Salmon) and a laboratory technician (Ray Ward). As the information technology was consolidated at the university level and the lab/ shop staff were consolidated at the college level, the two administrative coordinator/ assistant positions remained.

We have been blessed to have Kay Riedel, Christine Cobb, Carrie South, Melissa Minor, Erika Clements, Adrianna Sousa, and Jamie O’Kane serve in these roles. They are the people who greet our visitors, schedule the classes, contract the parttime faculty, prepare the budget, process travel, plan events, maintain the building, monitor grants, and make the ARCE department a fun and functioning place to work. Two staff members, Christine Cobb (2010) and Ray Ward (2017), were awarded the university Outstanding Staff Awards – the only two awarded in the college since 1972.

excellence in civil engineering education

The primary mission for the ARCE faculty is to teach students…and do it well.

The American Society of Civil Engineers offers a five-day Excellence in Civil Engineering Education (ExCEEd) teaching workshop.

Most ARCE faculty have attended this intense teaching bootcamp that features seminars, demonstration classes and small group practice classes with extensive feedback.

The wide scale attendance offers the faculty a common perspective and collaborative reference towards teaching that includes organization, clarity, objectives, learning styles, compelling presentations and interpersonal rapport.

ARCE faculty who have attended include Cole McDaniel (2004), Pamalee Brady (2007), Ed Saliklis (2008), Abe Lynn (2009), Peter Laursen (2009), John Lawson (2010), Jill Nelson (2011), Jim Guthrie (2011), James Mwangi (2013), Anahid Behrouzi (2017) and Michael Deigert (2019).

It shows a common commitment to quality teaching.

faculty research

Over the years, there has been greater emphasis on faculty professional development, scholarship, and research.

The university has adopted a teacher-scholar model which welcomes scholarship of discovery, integration, application and teaching.

This provides the freedom to pursue practical, real-world applications and educational scholarship.

The ARCE faculty have successfully navigated this requirement by collaborating on projects, involving students and leveraging the research with the other requirements of service and teaching.

University grants and industry/ alumni donations have provided much of the funding.

Without any Ph.D. students, there are greater opportunities for undergraduates and master’s students to participate in research efforts.

Faculty Scholarship & Honors

The ARCE department is proud of its faculty not only for the standards of which they uphold in the classroom as educators, but also for their commitment to community engagement and to lifelong learning. The merit of scholarship, research, and development that our faculty attain is often overlooked.

Our faculty is always engaged in research, traveling to conferences to present papers, attending workshops, providing expert opinion, and much more. Undergraduate and master’s students are often involved and the examples cited here barely scratch the surface.

In 2022, Ed Saliklis was honored with the national ASCE George Winter Award which recognizes “the achievements of an active structural engineering researcher, educator or practitioner who best typifies the late Dr. George Winter’s humanistic approach to his profession: i.e., an equal concern for matters technical and social, for art as well as science, for soul as well as intellect.”

ARCE faculty members Al Estes, Anahid Behrouzi, and Michael Deigert attended the 2019 American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) conference in Tampa....

...Michael Deigert presented his paper, “Exposing Undergraduates to Design, Fabrication, and Large-Scale Experimentation in a Structural Steel Design Course” that was co-authored by Anahid Behrouzi and ARCE students Jenna Williams and Mark Wright.

Anahid presented two papers. The first was “Interactive Physical Experiments in an Advanced Undergraduate Structural Dynamics Course” co-authored by former ARCE student Chad Facciolo. The second was “E-Learning Tools to Facilitate Instruction of a Large Enrollment Structural Engineering Course” which resulted from her summer trip to the University of Auckland. Al Estes presented, “Diversity, Inclusion and the ExCEEd Teaching Workshop” based on his 20 years of participating in this workshop. Al and Anahid also served as moderators of sessions.

Faculty member Dennis Bashaw (ARCE) along with Maggie Kirk (ARCH) and Greg Starzyk (CM) were selected for the Service Learning – Faculty Team award at the 32nd annual Cal Poly Community Service Awards on May 10th on the patio of the Alumni House. President Armstrong presented the award to the faculty team who created an interdisciplinary studio in the Fall 2017 quarter that focused on rebuilding the community of Weed, California which was devastated by fire in September 2014.

Master’s students and students taking their Timber Design Lab with Professor Michael Deigert have assisted with his research into more ductile shear wall systems and have designed walls that perform with greater ductility than traditional code prescribed walls.

In 2020, Professor Anahid Behrouzi won the ACI Walter P. Moore Award for excellence and innovation in the teaching of concrete design, materials, and construction. She presented her work at ACI’s 2021 convention.

In 2019 Jill Nelson, SE, LEED AP, and Associate Professor in the ARCE Department presented at Structures Congress 2019 with ARCE Master’s student, Mika Marsh, for their work developing and executing a workshop titled “Creating Structural Resiliency”. The workshop format, new to Structures Congress, allowed all participants to engage and discuss concepts for integrating structural resiliency into their daily practice. The two also spoke at the ASCE 2018 Convention in Denver Colorado. The session, part of the Natural & Manmade Disaster Topics area, was titled “Resiliency in the Built Environment”.

Professors Peter Laursen and Cole McDaniel presented research at the 16th European Conference on Earthquake Engineering (16th ECEE) in Thessaloniki, Greece.

Dr. Craig Baltimore attended the 10th International Masonry Conference (10IMC) in Milan, Italy, where he presented a paper on his continuing research in Sustainable Self-Consolidating Grout.

In July 2015 ARCE Associate Professor Jill Nelson served as a member on the Infrastructure Vulnerability and Resilience in the Face of Hazards and Climate Change Panel at the 40th Annual Natural Hazards Workshop from July 20-22 in Broomfield, Colorado. As a panel member she presented her research on assessing the seismic vulnerability of California state-owned buildings critical for response and recovery efforts.

ARCE Professor Kevin Dong—alongside Cal Poly students, alumni, and members of a nonprofit— has traveled to Same, Tanzania for several summers where they continue to work on a project with Mbesese Initiative for Sustainable Development (MISD) that will eventually become the Same Polytechnic College. Professor Dong has been a part of this project for over a decade and has been a vital contributor to the massive undertaking.

Faculty members Al Estes, Graham Archer, Cole McDaniel, and Jim Guthrie and ARCE master’s student Willy Rosenblatt attended and presented papers at the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) annual conference in Seattle in 2015. Cole McDaniel’s presentation, “Creating an Experimental Structural Dynamics Laboratory on a Shoe-string Budget”, was awarded the best presentation in the Architectural Engineering Division.

Architectural Engineering professor James Mwangi accepted a one year fellowship position with Simpson Strong-Tie and partnered with a non-profit organization, Build Change. Together, they dedicated their work to disaster-resistant building in developing countries.

Ed Saliklis presented his research on the Airy Stress Function and Graphic Statics at the International Association of Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS) Annual International Symposium at the University of Tokyo, Japan.

STAFF AND FACULTY CAMARADERIE

For our faculty and staff, a strong community with their peers is just as important as it is for the students. Whether it’s mountain biking and hiking or happy hour and dinner, these social opportunities allow professors and staff to bond and explore while relaxing from the stresses of work. Having a vibrant and tight knit faculty is not only fun, but also improves the quality of education and the opportunities available for students.

Professors often collaborate on projects, revise the curriculum and govern the department. Getting together outside business hours makes this easier. We are thankful for staff and faculty who have joined this department and brought with them a piece of themselves to weave into the fabric of the ARCE community.

faculty reflections

“Cal Poly ARCE – no other program like it. It has been a joy and privilege to head this department for the past 17 years. My thanks to the students, staff and fellow faculty who made it all worthwhile. My appreciation to those who donated time, talent and resources to reach this new level and realize the vision. Happy 75th Anniversary ARCE and thank you Ashraf for one hell of a bash. The future is bright.”

- Al Estes

“It’s amazing… graduate ARCE, “experience” a fire, then get hired to teach and return to the ARCE department…and then IDK, truly an honor! Many fond memories as a student thanks to Jake, Sat, Botwin, Dr. Liu, Edmisten… then as a teacher watching the students grow as individuals and returning for alumni events as colleagues. Celebrating 75 years and circle X’s, check/check plus, foodie Friday WITH elixirs, and just walking away. Cheers!”

- Kevin Dong

“Having been here for over a quarter of the 75 years of the ARCE program, it has been very fulfilling for me to meet or receive communication now and then from the structural engineering profession leaders who were my former students.

The Structural Engineering Students for Humanity (SESH) group that is student led and organizes annual summer trips to emerging nations for community service-learning projects and cultural exposure is my biggest pride in the department.”

- James Mwangi

“Starting as a student, then working as a Structural Engineer, and then coming back full circle to teach has been a dream to me. I can faithfully say the Architectural Engineering program has continued to improve across those years, and I’m sure the next 75 will be even more remarkable. Our impressive students and dedicated faculty are a reason to celebrate every year as well as this milestone anniversary.”

- John Lawson

“One of my most rewarding career achievements is my involvement in the ARCE department which I believe to be the very best undergraduate program in preparing students for a structural engineering career. I am fortunate to work with a very diverse, supportive & talented group of colleagues and students that continually improve the program. The reputation, history, and camaraderie of the ARCE program and alumni is impressive. I hope to contribute until I am 75.”

- Michael Deigert

“The longevity of the Architectural Engineering program attests to its ability to successfully adapt to the challenges and opportunities in the build environment. We will continue to evolve, even with the advent of artificial intelligence and it’s (unknown) implication for our profession. I am honored to have been a part of the program in the last 17 years and look forward to helping steward it safely forward with respect for its legacy.”

- Peter Laursen

“Cal Poly ARCE, what a dream place to work with such a fantastic legacy to uphold! Where learn by doing is thriving and our global family of alumni continue to make their mark on structural engineering.

Always remember to balance the technical rigor of addressing structural design challenges with empathy for diverse stakeholders who will inhabit the spaces we have created and renewed. Every day, every project we must commit to #EngineerWithHeart.

Happy 75th ARCE!”

- Anahid Behrouzi

“Seventy five, we continue to thrive! The students we have taught are the center of this thriving eco-system. We nourish this departmental eco-system with scholarship, we tend to it with personal touches of humor and professionalism, and we are confident that it will continue to grow for future generations.”

- Edmond Saliklis

“I am grateful to be associated with the ARCE program as a student, professional engineer and faculty member for the past 44 years. I love the ARCE Core Values and the student experience they create, so with my 75 words I want to share them with you.

ARCE Core Values: Blend theory and practice • Interdisciplinary collaboration • Student / faculty interaction • Structural / seismic curriculum • Partnership with industry • Focus on Teaching • Student shared scholarship”

- Brent Nuttall

“Greetings ARCE Alumni, the ARCE program is truly unique with the focus on structural earthquake engineering and the partnership with professional engineering firms. After almost 20 years of teaching I am reminded that the strength of the ARCE program is the relationships that develop among the students that last beyond the time at Cal Poly, leading to lifelong engagement with your peers both professionally and personally. Best wishes on the next 75 years.”

- Cole McDaniel

“Words of Wisdom? Three tidbits from past professors. 1) May your eyes always be open; 2) It is what it is; 3) Structural nirvana. My additions: 4) It’s the same thing just different; and 5) Draw a Proper FBD. All students and faculty have been a blessing – fantanbulous memories – may the next 75 years be more successful. Remember: the past is gone, the future is God’s, so do right today – be a giver.”

- Craig Baltimore

“Lessons learned to date – Engineering is wonderfully rewarding, though in the end, it’s all about the PEOPLE. Make connections; build relationships. Be present; be kind; give them your best; forgive them; forgive yourself. Fear is a shackle; grace (to self and other) is the key that unlocks all potential.”

- Pamalee Brady

“Granted, the department’s geographical and climatic environment could not be better, scenic central Californian coast, beautiful SLO, 300-plus days of blue skies a year. But it was ARCE’S human dimension that meant so much to me: Exchanging teaching philosophies among colleagues, social gatherings including family, teaching curious and motivated students and much more. If my students learned a fraction of what I was able to learn in the ARCE department, I am happy.”

- Ansgar Neuenhofer

“Jim joined the ARCE faculty in 2008 after retiring as senior principal at Forrell Elsesser Engineers, where he specialized in large public, corporate, educational and medical buildings, base isolation and LEED certification. Jim brought his years of field experience into the classroom. As a faculty member, he gave numerous presentations on educational strategies in engineering. Jim earned tenure and retired shortly thereafter. We all miss him.”

- Terry Guthrie for Jim Guthrie

“As an ARCE alum (and one of George Hasslein’s TA’s), professor emeritus and former department head I’ve watched the program grow to be nationally recognized, particularly under Al Estes’ leadership. With the hard work of the faculty and always stellar student cohorts, graduates are some of the most engaged and prized in the structural engineering industry. Thank you to George, to the faculty and to all of the students, past and presentyou rock!”

- Abe Lynn

“When I came to CalPoly in 1981 I was struck by the close interaction and cooperation of the 5 departments to the extent that all the students in the school took several common courses. Over time the individual departments focused on their own disciplines to the detriment of the “common good”. ARCE’s strengths are the rationally constructed step-by-step curriculum & the close interaction of the faculty with the students.”

-Mike Botwin

“As a retired staff member, ARCE was my favorite department to be a part of (20+ years at Cal Poly). The faculty and students were and are amazing. ARCE always felt like home… the staff, a team of professionals, made sure there was always candy in the bowl, a band-aid, a toothbrush and toothpaste for all-nighters and plenty of time to listen. The faculty were always available and spent many hours preparing for classes and time helping students prepare for their future. And, the Department Head, always available, open door, always thinking up new ideas (more work for staff!)… but most of all, he always wanted/wants the best for all the students, staff and faculty.”

- Christine Cobb

“It has been an honor and a privilege to have had the opportunity to dedicate a lifetime (1969-2008), and contribute to laying the strong foundation of the architectural engineering department, that it is today. I feel blessed that I had the opportunity to inspire, mentor and work with countless creative souls - our architectural engineering, architecture and CM students, to make a difference in this world; and whose professional accomplishments make us all proud today. ”

- Sat Rihal

“I am honored to claim my role in five of the past 75 years of ARCE history. This is truly a unique and prestigious program and there is so much hard work represented by those two digits. From helping a student who was attacked by swarm of bees, crashing lectures, and rescuing a baby possum who wondered into the office there is no shortage of adventure while working here. Go forth ARCE!”

- Jamie O’Kane

“It is clear to me that the ARCE department is a very special place which is comprised of a group of individuals that care very much about this learning experience and I feel privileged to be a part of it.!”

- Erika Clements

“Congratulations on this momentous milestone! The ARCE department has built a legacy through its commitment to pushing the boundaries of innovation while instilling in students the value of integrity. It was a pleasure to witness firsthand the profound impact this department has had on the built environment and the minds of thousands of students who have passed through its doors. I look forward to seeing how ARCE continues to propel Learn by Doing into the future and bring new generations of engineering leaders into the world. Cheers to 75 years, ARCE! .”

- Adriana Sousa

“It had been my pleasure to work with such fantastic faculty and students.”

- Michael Salmon

75th anniversary celebration

In 2023, the Architectural Engineering department hosted a suite of events culminating in a black tie celebration marking the 75th Anniversary of the program’s founding. Following in the footsteps of the 60th anniversary celebration, this milestone offered a chance to honor the accomplishments made over the past fifteen years.

The day began with events on the Cal Poly campus including a hike through Poly Canyon to visit the Structures Garden, a state of the department address providing an overview of the status and growth of ARCE at Cal Poly, and a networking hour including student project showcases. The day continued with a walking tour of the facilities, an Honors Course on Women in Structural Engineering focus group, and project spotlight presentations from current students and alumni. For those who had not recently visited Cal Poly it was a moment to reconnect with the department and old friends!

In the evening the celebration continued at the Madonna Inn Expo Center, hosted by Ashraf Habibullah and CSI, Inc. Guests enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and drinks, followed by a delicious buffet selection. The elegant gala featured reflections from current Department Head Al Estes, Cal Poly President Jeffery Armstrong, former Dean Paul Neel, alumni and former SEAOC Presidents Krista Looza and Ken O’Dell, Interim Dean Kevin Dong, current student SEAOC Chapter President Morgan Cuthbert, and CSI President Ashraf Habibullah. Faculty member Ed Saliklis wrote a song for the 75th anniversary. The evening culminated with a lively fusion of live music, dancing, and karaoke! With 600 alumni, industry, and students of all generations in attendance, it was a vibrant reunion of many generations of Cal Poly ARCEs!

POLY CANYON TOUR

STate of the department address networking AND student showcase

walking tour of facilities

honors course on women in se

student and alumni project spotlights

ALUMNI PATHWAYS IN THE PROFESSION

CONCLUSION

Seventy-five years ago, a visionary team of faculty members founded and created the Architectural Engineering program at Cal Poly. Intended initially to educate both architects and engineers, it has evolved to become the best undergraduate structural engineering program in the nation. The core of that initial vision remains unchanged and other parts have changed with the times. The goal of this book has been to demonstrate the initial vision created 75 years ago has been realized and firmly embedded into today’s architectural engineering education experience.

The ARCE department is rich with unique learning opportunities, quality facilities, student events, community outreach, industry connections, and a faculty and staff committed to the continued development of structural engineering excellence. The students foster a diverse community of personalities sharing a vested interest in structural engineering, a community which extends far beyond the classrooms and labs on the Cal Poly campus. The department thanks the community of alumni who promote the continued growth and success of the students today. The learning and career preparation has reached a caliber which is unmatched.

Architectural Engineering does not end here, the program continues to evolve to fulfill the needs of tomorrow’s structural engineers.

Donor gifts have elevated the learning potential of the program year after year. Thanks to generous parents, alumni, and industry, the program has been able to continue existing special learning opportunities and bring in new opportunities for students. With the continued support of the ARCE community, the programs will continue to prosper.

The university is switching from the long held 10-week quarter system to the semester system. While adapting to match the new term format, the department is taking steps to re-evaluate the program structure and emphasize what has the most learning potential for students. The programs which make the program great are sticking around with a few additions which will elevate student comprehension and will diversify their knowledge.

The department is excited to invest in new state-of-the-art technologies revolutionizing the industry. After years of fundraising the department can continue to strategically upgrade its facilities to shine above the best. ARCE is happy to offer labs for material and structure testing, these will expand as new technologies are incorporated into the curriculum. The future of the Architectural Engineering department is bright!

in memoriam

1934 - 2020

1990 - 2008

1950 - 2022

2003 - 2023

Carson Starkey

Sean Hillman

Jim Guthrie

John Edmisten

It was sad that we had to say goodbye to four people in the 15 year period between the 60th and 75th anniversaries of the department. Two were emeritus faculty members and two were first-year ARCE students.

John Edmisten was an ARCE graduate (Class of 1965) and taught in the department from 1968 – 1994. He even served as department head for a year and influenced and mentored a substantial number of students in his 26 year teaching career. John passed away in 2020 and left a legacy of two scholarships and an endowment to support the ARCE 371 (Structural Systems) course. The department named the John Edmisten Global Travel Scholarship in his honor.

Jim Guthrie joined the ARCE department faculty after a full career as a Principal in Forrell – Elsesser Structural Engineers. Jim joined the ARCE faculty in 2009, obtained tenure and promotion, and retired after seven years in the department. Jim was known for teaching the rigorous design labs to ARCE students, providing structures courses to CM and ARCH students and mentoring student teams for the AEI design competition. Sadly, Jim passed away in 2022.

Carson Starkey died tragically in an alcohol-related fraternity incident in Fall 2008 during his freshman year as an ARCE student. His parents, Scott and Julia Starkey started the Awake-Aware-Alive program to help prevent similar future incidents. They also started a scholarship awarded to ARCE freshmen in Carson’s name. The ARCE 106 Introduction to Building Structures course was dedicated in Carson’s honor. In 2018, Carson Starkey was awarded a posthumous Cal Poly degree and was inducted into the Order of the Engineer.

Sean Hillman also died in his first year in the ARCE program in a devastating bicycle collision in Spring 2023. Sean had already shown great potential as a scholar and leader having attained a small concrete research grant as a freshman. Sean was honored at the ARCH Design Village event where his teammates built the structure in Poly Canyon that they had designed. At the time of this writing, the pergola structure in the ARCE courtyard area is being designed as a student senior project. Sean’s classmates will construct this project and the department will dedicate it in Sean’s honor.

In the last 15 years we have welcomed a new grand entrance to Engineering West, a reminder that the department’s symbols, students, and staff have changed over time, but the core of this program has remained strong and vibrant.

My name is Ryan Scharf, I’m an ARCE student (2023+) and a marketing intern with the ARCE department at Cal Poly! If you were on campus from 2019-2024 you may recognize me for my work as a cameraman at SEAOC student chapter events and department wide ARCE events. I was featured on the front of the 2022 ARCE magazine for my leadership in the Center for Centering project, later to become my senior project with Olek Piechaczek (ARCE ‘23) and Lucas Brown (ARCE ‘22), where I was integral in developing the connections in the iconic dome structure. I was a part of the SESH trip to Pedernales, Ecuador to build an earthquake resilient bamboo community center in summer 2022. And I participated in the 2023 EERI conference where I helped build and shake a scale balsa wood tower. When I’m not stuck inside redoing statics I should’ve learned to do second year, I’m a big fan of the outdoors, I mountain bike, hike, camp, and climb. I have loved being in San Luis Obispo for the easy access to all these activities!

I am pleased to be able to present this book commemorating 75 years of excellence in Architectural Engineering education at Cal Poly! It is remarkable what scholarly, studious, and exuberant people have been a part of this program. After countless hours of sorting through photos and revising pages, I have seen the tremendous vibrance of the students who have passed through the halls of Engineering West. Although our publication only highlights some students and their participation in the program, it is my hope that we have conveyed the quality of the education afforded by the knowledgeable faculty and staff and the liveliness of the people who have , even if it only a fraction of what makes ARCE great!

Hi, my name is Calvin Vigeant. I am a fourth year ARCE (2024+) who got involved as a Marketing Intern for the department after traveling to Lithuania after my second year and photographing much of the trip. I came to Cal Poly in 2020 during COVID19 restrictions and online classes, so my studies in Lithuania gave me the opportunity I needed to meet my fellow ARCE’s and feel the immense community that we share in this department. I have also worked in the ARCE labs performing instrumentation and data acquisition for student projects and faculty research. Both jobs have allowed me to get to know the amazing students and professors who call Engineering West their academic home.

Professionally, I have interned at Studio Prime Engineering here in SLO for almost a year now, where I work primarily on residential construction and smaller to medium scale commercial and mixed-use buildings. There, my interest in timber construction continues to grow and the skills and intuition I have developed have helped me greatly with my academics and my ongoing senior project, the restoration of the Cantilever Deck in the Experimental Structures Laboratory in Poly Canyon. Outside of school and work, I love cooking and tending to my garden. I love the outdoors, where I do lots of hiking and rock climbing, and art, including photography and watercolors.

It has been an honor to work on this publication and to be able to see the depth and value of every student who calls themselves an ARCE.

“I am not interested in genius. I meet geniuses everyday. Genius is useless without heart. I am interested in heart.”

- George Hasslein