Faculty Look Back on Their College Experiences
This month Cal Poly looks back with the ‘Retro-spective' Exhibit Nov. 2 – Jan. 6 showcasing works by six Cal Poly alumni at the Commons in the Kennedy Library Galleria.
In celebration, our distinguished and influential BRAE faculty are allowing us to showcase their teaching philosophies and unique perspectives including an unauthorized not-so-distant look back on their undergraduate years….so lets connect with BRAE faculty ‘back in the day'.
| Mark Zohns, AE '81 (Cal Poly) |
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| Most memorable college experience: | Meeting Laurie, my-wife-to-be while attending UC Davis. Her mother was the graduate student secretary, so I was pre-approved! | |
| Current hobbies and interests: | Tractor Pull, construction of pull tractors-currently constructing a modified competition tractor powered by two GE turbines [combined hp ~ 2800hp] | |
| Ilhami Yildiz |  |
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| Most memorable college experience: | Loved each and every moment! My hobbies and interests are physical and human geography, photography, ethnic music and cultures. |
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| Current hobbies and interests: | Working towards zero fossil energy driven controlled environment. Another is the energy and water conserving renewable energy technologies in semi-arid regions. | |
| Gary Weisenberger, MA '73 (Cal Poly) |
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| Most memorable college experience: | Graduating with a higher GPA than my older sister, Diane, when she said, "Gary you won't ever graduate from college." | |
| Current hobbies and interests: | Motorsports... particularly tractor pulling. My favorite and most used word is "yea"- It frustrates my students because they don't know if I mean yes or no. |
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| Stuart Styles, AE '84 & MBA '88 (Cal Poly) |
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| Most memorable college experience: | The birth of my daughter, Melissa, during finals week in Winter 1981. The toughest part was asking Dr. Tina Bailey (chair of the Chemistry dept) for an early final. Melissa (KIN '05) has since graduated from Cal Poly and received a special service scholarship from the College of Science and Mathematics which was awarded to her by Tina's husband, Dean Phil Bailey. | |
| Current hobbies and interests: | Surfing is quickly passing golf as my favorite activity to unwind. My son, Brandon (AGB '08), and son-in-law, Andrew Loganbill (NRM '04), both surf and they don't seem to mind having the old guy tag along. I am still trying to learn the lingo and how to duck under a wave with a long board. | |
| Kerry Langford, AGSC '03 (Cal Poly) |
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| Most memorable college experience: | Graduating! I was a late bloomer. | |
| Current hobbies and interests: | Airplanes, western history, world agriculture. Current projects include minor repairs to shop one. | |
| Tom Mastin |
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| Most memorable college experience: | When my fellow students and I ridiculed our Fresno State Professor in an intro survey course for the ‘6X6 sand lot project' that ended up being the back-in-the-day ‘sand box town' that my now mature educated peers talk about every time we meet! | |
| Current hobbies and interests: | Claire my wife, Lynne and Sara my daughters, and I forgot-their-names family dogs keep me busy, off balance and entertained all the time. To let off steam I ‘play' basketball 2 to 3 times a week. | |
BRAE Faculty Members 'Back In The Day' Name all six faculty correctly and email us with the answer. Be one of the first ten correct responses and we will give you a BRAE Gear t-shirt (at no cost)! |
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FORWARD-THINKING IS SOMETHING Don Popham (AET '05) aspires to...
FORWARD-THINKING IS SOMETHING Don Popham (AET '05) aspires to, whether it's as a Cal Poly Facilities Planner/Estimator/Scheduler or as a mentor to current Cal Poly students.
This Yuba City native chose to enroll in the Agricultural Engineering Technology program after receiving guidance from a former Cal Poly graduate. While attending Yuba City Community College , Don took various welding and machinery courses so that he could become a certified welder and start his
own fabrication business. After a faculty member recommended Cal Poly's BRAE program as the “best department there,” Don decided to move toward his goal and apply to the University.
Don recalls his most memorable college experience as working with his classmates and fellow Ag Engineering Society members while building ring stands all summer, attending different events such as Farm City Nights, and working in Lab 3 till three in the morning. One incident in particular made him chuckle. Don remembers his classmate, Gene Rizzo, ordering an award for the annual banquet for Don making so many ring stands that summer. Rizzo unfortunately had Don's name engraved at the last minute and his name was misspelled on the award as “Don Poorham.” Dr. Mark Zohns refers to Don as “Don Poorham” to this day.
Since graduating, Don keeps up to date on current issues within the industry by reading professional journals, listening to podcasts, attending seminars on the physical planning industry, and through his membership to APPA (The Association of Physical Planned Administrators). Don has been working with Cal Poly Facilities since 1998 when he was a student assistant. For a brief while, Don ventured out into industry and worked at Hydrotech. While working 60-80 hour work weeks, Don decided that while his experience at Hydrotech was worthwhile, he would return to Cal Poly. Don finds his
job very fulfilling while allowing him flexibility in his schedule. Throughout his career, Don has sought challenges that allow him to
achieve his aspirations.
Through his daily interactions, Don acts as a mentor to many of the student assistants that work for Cal Poly's Facilities. He sincerely cares about the students and helps them with issues regarding registration or courses. “Students essentially pay our salaries and therefore we should treat them professionally.” Through his experiences Don has learned that “everyone will always be a teacher, whether it's in the public or private industry.”
So what is Don's advice to current and prospective students? Find a major “that you will be happy with and not something that will make you the most money… I tried civil engineering because the pay was attractive but it just wasn't my cup of tea .” Don believes the main key to success is happiness in your career and your personal life. While some things you learn in class will never be used again, you will find later in life that you can apply most of what you learned to everything you do. “Collegiate success is based on your passion for what you're doing.”
Currently, Don and his wife, Heidi (pictured), live in Atascadero, CA. They spend lots of their time helping the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences by attending various college events. When not busy working and supporting the university, Don enjoys reading fantasy novels, like The Lord of the Rings, and books that relate to his current occupation. We also found out that Don enjoys watching The Office because it oddly enough “relates to the real world and is very quirky.”
So who is the professor Don would want to be stranded on a desert island with? “I would choose Gary Weisenberger or Mark Zohns because they would probably be able to build something that could get us off of the island.”
problem solution and report format, design procedures and engineering fundamentals including site visits to facilities relating to career opportunities. 
than 600 people were welcomed by Dean David Wehner and Associate Dean Mary Pedersen at Chumash Auditorium. Students, families and counselors listened as experts gave a spirited overview of 
