Recent News
Commencement Reception
May 5, 2016
Social Sciences will be having a reception immediately following the main Commencement ceremony on Sunday, June 12, 2016. The department reception will be held at the foot of the steps of the Kennedy Library starting at 11:45am. Awards will be given out and family and friends will have an opportunity to meet the faculty. Light refreshments and food will be served. Please join us in celebrating the Graduates for 2016!
Professor Ryan Alaniz to Attend White House Water Summit on March 22
Mar 21, 2016
Cal Poly Professor Ryan Alaniz will attend the White House Water Summit on Tuesday, March 22, in Washington, D.C. The event aims to raise awareness of priority water issues and potential solutions in the U.S. and catalyze ideas and actions to help build a sustainable and secure water future.
Cal Poly Professor’s Research Project Awarded Almost $750,000 National Science Foundation Award
Feb 17, 2016
Cal Poly social sciences Professor Coleen Carrigan is part of a team that has been awarded a $748,780 National Science Foundation grant to study women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and develop ways to broaden their participation in these fields.
Drought in California – Possible solutions
Jan 4, 2016
The west of the United States is literally being dried out by a hundred-year drought. California has been hit particularly badly. The precipitation and temperature measurements suggest that it is the most extreme phase of drought on record. The US weather agency, NOAA, is even speaking of the worst dry period in 1,200 years. What solutions are in sight?
Cal Poly Student’s Water Crisis Forecast Research Takes First at Competition
Jun 25, 2015
Cal Poly anthropology and geography student Mike Johnson took first place in the California Geographical Society’s Geosystems Award competition for his research project “Developing a Decision-Support System for Forecasting Future Water Availability in California.”
Cal Poly Alumna’s Undergraduate Research Awarded Top Honor at Social Sciences Conference
Jun 17, 2015
Cal Poly 2014 social sciences graduate Mikaela Vournas recently received the Charles McCall Best Undergraduate Paper Award at the 40th annual California State University (CSU) Social Science Student Symposium.
Cal Poly Students Take Top Honors at CSU Research Competition
May 26, 2015
Five Cal Poly students took top honors at the recent 2015 California State University (CSU) Research Competition held May 1-2 at CSU San Bernardino.
Natural History Museum Archaeologist to Discuss America’s Missions April 13 at Cal Poly
Mar 25, 2015
David Hurst Thomas, curator of anthropology at the American Museum of Natural History, will present “Reharvesting Ramona’s Garden: Romance and Reality in America’s Mythical Mission Past” at 6:30 p.m.Monday, April 13, in the Performing Arts Center Pavilion at Cal Poly.
Archaeologist to Discuss Dominican Submerged Caverns on Feb. 24
Feb 3, 2015
Archaeologist John Foster will present “Touching the Taino Underworld: Archaeological Explorations of Submerged Caverns in the Dominican Republic” at 7 p.m. Feb. 24, in Room 112 of the Business Building (No. 3), on campus.
Cal Poly to Host Screening of California’s Environmental History Documentary Oct. 23
Oct 3, 2014
Cal Poly will host a screening of the newly released documentary “Becoming California” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, in Spanos Theatre on campus. The screening will be followed by a question-and-answer session with Producer/Director Kit Tyler and Executive Producer Jeffrey White.