At Summer Springboard at Cal Poly, teens have the unique opportunity to take fascinating hands-on workshops with Cal Poly faculty.
Cal Poly has earned its recognition through its unique Learn by Doing philosophy.
Learn by Doing is a deliberate process whereby students acquire knowledge and skills through active engagement. Classes emphasize active-learning methods and include a high proportion of laboratory and field work. Activities both on and off campus provide opportunities to apply classroom theory to real-world solutions.
See below for more information on the instructors at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo:
Artificial Intelligence & Robotics
Bo Lui, Ph.D.
Dr. Bo Liu is an associate professor in BioResource and Agricultural Engineering Department at Cal Poly State University. He received his doctoral and master’s degree from the University of Missouri – Columbia. He teaches coursework in the areas of electronics, sensors, data acquisition systems, and robotics, and conducts research in artificial intelligence and mechatronics applications in agricultural production and processing. His research projects have been funded by private companies, state and federal agencies. He has been invited to present research projects at various universities, national and international conferences.
Biology & Medicine
Michele Roest, MS
Michele Roest is a lecturer in the Biological Sciences Department at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. Michele has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in biological sciences. She has been a curriculum developer for K-12 and college-level biology instructor for more than twenty years. Michele is passionate about biology and enjoys sharing her knowledge with others.
Civil Engineering
Eric Kaspar, Ph.D.
Eric P. Kasper received his Ph.D. at the University of California at Berkeley in 1997 and is a professor within the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department at California Polytechnic State University. In addition to teaching courses in structural engineering Professor Kasper has served for many years as a co-advisor to the nationally ranked Civil Engineering club on campus and also serves as co-advisor to the award winning Concrete Canoe and Steel Bridge teams. To bring real life experience and case studies to the classroom, Dr. Kasper also works as a consultant for companies throughout the world.
Graphic Design
Xiaoying Rong, Ph.D.
Dr. Xiaoying Rong’s main teaching activities include Interactive Product Development, Consumer Packaging, and Specialty Printing Technology courses at Cal Poly. She has been teaching in Graphic Communication Department since 2005. Her research interests include interactive product design, product development, disruptive technologies and specialty printing for marketing.
Mechnical Engineering
Ashraf Elbarbary, Ph.D.
Dr. Ashraf Elbarbary received his Masters degree in Aerospace Engineering and a PhD in Mechanical Design Engineering. His studies have focused on the field of control of mechanical vibrations of rotating shafts by using magnetic bearing. Dr. Elbarbary has worked on research projects in the following fields: propulsion systems for satellites, seawater desalination, and design of recycling machines for nonhazardous waste. He is currently a Scholar Visitor and Lecturer at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
Psychology of Social Media
Kevin Houser, Ph.D.
Kevin is a full time instructor in the philosophy department at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He received my Ph.D. in philosophy from Indiana University, Bloomington, November of 2015. His research interests include ethics/moral philosophy, empathy and moral emotions, epistemology, Kant’s ethics, and the work of Emmanuel Levinas.
Web Design
Bruno Ribeiro, MFA, MBA
Bruno Ribeiro teaches web design and digital typography at Cal Poly. He received my degree of Master of Fine Arts in design with a specialization in college and university teaching from The Ohio State University in the spring of 2012. As a researcher, his focus is on interaction and motion design.