Pasadena
Star News
By:
Cynthia Kurtz
Posted:
9/10/2014
Nothing impacts a region’s economy
more than the quality of the educational systems that can satisfy a region’s
need for workers, interns and researchers. When it comes to education, the San
Gabriel Valley has an abundance of riches.
One example is the California State
Polytechnic University at Pomona better known as Cal Poly Pomona.
This year Cal Poly is celebrating
its 75th Anniversary. The University began as an all-male school on the winter
ranch home of cereal entrepreneur W. K. Kellogg.
Today the 1,438 acre campus is home
to a diverse population of 22,000 students who enjoy the benefits of a historic
campus, top ranked academic programs, and endless opportunities for involvement
in extra-curricular activities.
To give you an idea about what an important
and effective educational institution Cal Poly has become for the San Gabriel
Valley and California, a few facts:
One out of every 15 engineers in
California is a Cal Poly Pomona graduate.
One out of every five architects who
pass the California Architects License Exam is a Cal Poly Pomona graduate.
When ranked by the salary potential
of it graduates, Cal Poly Pomona ranks 13th among the nation’s universities
according to PayScale, a global compensation data leader. The median starting
salary of a Cal Poly alumnus is $48,500 and by mid-career that median salary
climbs to $93,000.
Cal Poly Pomona’s annual spending
generates a total impact of $319 million for our regional economy and
contributes nearly $916.5 million to the state’s economy.
Leading this prestigious university
since 2003 has been President Michael Ortiz.
President Ortiz is a lifelong educator whose expertise and commitment
have launched the university into a new era and generated a multitude of
achievements. These include being named:
1. One of the best universities in the west by
U.S. News and World Report in 2014,
2.
One of the 2014 best values in
higher education in the United States by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine;
and,
3.
One of the top 100 green campuses in
the United States by the Sierra Club.
Under President Ortiz’s leadership
the university increased graduation rates, constructed a new College of
Business Administration and a Veterans Resource Center, renovated an expanded
University library, and secured the largest cash gift awarded within the CSU
system - a $42 million donation from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
President Ortiz recently announced
his retirement. That is Cal Poly Pomona’s loss and the San Gabriel Valley’s
loss. The San Gabriel Valley is a better place to live and work because of
President Ortiz’s accomplishments at Cal Poly Pomona.
No comments:
Post a Comment