Archives: News Posts & Features

Becoming a Financial Planner: Q&A with Finance Alum River Galland

River Galland (2024) is the first finance student to complete the CFP® exam after the financial management curriculum was registered with the CFP Board.

Trend Talk: New Finance Faculty Share Research, Teaching Insights

  The Finance Area recently welcomed four new faculty members, who bring a wealth of teaching experience to our classrooms, with expertise that covers real estate, mutual funds, risk management, household finance and more. We asked the new assistant professors about themselves, their approach to teaching and current trends related to their research. Here are… Read more »

Trading Markets for Missions: A Finance Graduate’s Peace Corps Journey

Benjamin Roe is working in Northern Albania as a youth development coordinator

Exploring Career Paths: How Alexandra Joelson Became an Equity Index Trader

Alexandra Joelson’s passion for finance was fueled by leading her team during the CFA Institute Research Challenge

Defying Expectations: From BS in Finance to MS in Bioinformatics at Yale

After pursuing her passion for math with a finance degree, Anaïs Lohier now wants to earn a master’s in science

Greetings From the Finance Chair

Dear Alumni and Friends of the Finance Area, Welcome to the 2025-26 finance newsletter. I am delighted to update you on our progress and our future plans. Over the last academic year, enrollment in finance concentration has continued to grow, and financial management (FM) and real estate finance (REF) remain the top concentrations at the… Read more »

Reducing the Plastic Load: Startup Sells Laundry Detergent and Dish Soap Dispensers

There are currently five machines operating — including one on campus — with hopes of manufacturing 100

Commencement 2025: In Photos

Students, their families and faculty celebrate during a commencement ceremony at the Spanos Stadium

Next Stop for Orfalea’s Academic Excellence Winner: Harvard Law School

Gabrielle Gutierrez, who worked with juvenile inmates through a program called Restorative Partners, now plans to pursue a legal career

From Concept to Craft: ITP Capstone Students Turn Classroom Learning into Real-World Manufacturing

Students brainstormed, designed and created future holiday gifts for the university in their ITP capstone class
1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
805-756-1111
Learn by DoingSM has been Cal Poly’s pedagogy since 1901
©2025 California Polytechnic State University