Retirement
ME Department says goodbye to retiring faculty and staff
D
uring his nearly four decades at Cal Poly, Jim Gerhardt witnessed many changes — including several he helped institute. “In 37 years, he’s seen so many changes, I can’t even think about it,” said Department Chair Jim Widmann. “It’s hard to fathom what our program would be without him. He has kept our laboratories running.”
Jim Gerhardt
Gerhardt, an electrical mechanical technician, is one of several faculty and staff members who retired from the department in the past year.
Larry Coolidge — “Larry has served our department as our ‘IT magician’ for 21 years,” Widmann said. The technical support coordinator identified cost-effective solutions that led to numerous upgrades of department computing equipment. And he provided extensive after-hours assistance to faculty and students. “Most of us will think of Larry for his incredible dedication to our educational mission,” Widmann said.
Vera Flores — Over nearly two decades, Flores served multiple administrative roles at Cal Poly, most recently as assistant to the chair.
The longest serving of the retirees, Gerhardt was instrumental, Widmann said, in planning Building 192 and establishing the AERO Hangar and Mustang ’60 machine shops while also helping the department focus on safety issues. “Our safety record is incredible thanks to him,” Widmann said. Lee McFarland — McFarland, who taught in both the Mechanical Engineering and Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering departments, came to Cal Poly in 1999 after retiring from his first career at 3M. “Lee has really had a special place in his heart for educating the next generation of engineers,” Widmann said. “His career design experience from a company famous for making ingenious discoveries has always helped him inspire and energize student innovation at Cal Poly.”
Larry Coolidge
Vera Flores
“She has served as the face of the department and saw our department grow 50 percent during her time here,” Widmann said.
While department chairs rotated through her tenure, Widmann said, Flores was a consistent presence. Flores also served as a representative for the California State University Employees Union. “And I think we can all thank her for her efforts in calling out the parking problems on campus,” Widmann said. Scott Patton — A lecturer for 17 years, Patton was “incredibly knowledgeable about fluids,” Widmann said.
Lee McFarland
McFarland said advising senior projects has been a highlight of his teaching career, and his favorite part of the job has been the students – many of whom have stayed in touch even after graduation.
Soon after announcing his retirement, Patton sold his home and moved to Oregon to be near his granddaughter. n Scott Patton SUMMER 2021 | 13
