Agenda, New Faculty Foundations for Tenure-track Faculty, Aug. 13 & 14, 2026

Time 

Session 

Presenter(s) 

8:15–9 a.m.  

(45 min) 

Breakfast; Registration; Networking; I9 completion 

Campus Catering; HR & Payroll 

9–9:10 a.m. 

(10 min) 

Welcome to Cal Poly 

Simone Aloisio,  

Associate Vice Provost for Academic Personnel  

9:10–9:25 a.m. 

(15 min) 

Welcome to New Faculty Foundations 

Sarah Macdonald  

Interim Director, CTLT 

9:25-9:40 a.m. 

(15 min) 

Academic Personnel: Supporting Faculty Career Development and Professional Success 

Simone Aloisio,   

Associate Vice Provost for Academic Personnel  

9:40-10:05 a.m.  

(25 min)  

Interactive Activity to Prepare Questions for Today’s Faculty Panel 

Sarah Macdonald   

Interim Director, CTLT  

10:05–10:15 am 

(15 min) 

Break 

10:15-10:30 a.m. 

(15 min) 

Supporting Student Success 

Beya Makekau, Associate Vice President, Culture & Institutional Excellence 

10:30-11:15 a.m. 

(45 min) 

Student Voices, Student Experiences 

Moderated by Dawn Janke, Executive Director, Office of Writing and Learning 

Panel Members: 

• Moriah Riggs, Undergraduate, Sociology  

• Alicia Allison, Graduate Student, MPP, Political Science  

• Maya Yilmaz, Undergraduate, Biological Sciences  

• Daniel Herrera Vicioso, Undergraduate, Mechanical Engineering  

• Brodie Johnsen, Undergraduate, English

11:15 a.m.–12 p.m. 

(45 min) 

Student-Centered Active Learning Workshop 

Ariel Setniker 

12–1 p.m. 

(60 min) 

Lunch 

Campus Catering 

1–1:20 p.m. 

(20 min) 

Faculty Success 

Jennifer Teramoto Pedrotti, Associate Vice President for Culture and Faculty Success 

1:20–2:30 p.m. 

(70 min) 

Faculty Panel: Thriving at Cal Poly 

Moderated by Jennifer Teramoto Pedrotti, Associate Vice President for Culture and Faculty Success 

Panel Members: 

• Darrian Carroll, Assistant Professor, Communication Studies  

• Lauren Chan, Associate Professor, Biological Sciences  

• Miguel Pedroza, Associate Professor, Wine and Viticulture  

• David Lee Satterwhite, Assistant Professor, Engineering Technology  

• Thale Smith, Assistant Professor, Materials Engineering  

• Julie Vaisarova, Assistant Professor, Psychology and Child Development 

2:30—2:45 p.m. 

(15 min) 

Break  

2:45-3 p.m. 

(15 min) 

Culture and Institutional Excellence at Cal Poly 

Beya Makekau, Associate Vice President, Culture & Institutional Excellence 

3–3:30 p.m. 

(30 min) 

Building Community and Creating an Inclusive Learning Environment  

Sarah Macdonald, Interim Director, CTLT and Dr. Jennifer Teramoto Pedrotti, Associate Vice President for Culture and Faculty Success 

3:30-4:15 p.m. (45 min) 

Engaging Students from the Start 

Dianna Winslow, Assistant Director and Writing Instruction Specialist 

4:15–4:30 p.m. 

(15 min) 

Wrapping up Day 1 and outro to the social event 

Sarah Macdonald, Interim Director, CTLT 

4:30-6:30 p.m. 

New Faculty and Families Welcome BBQ 

Campus Catering