Recent News

Archaeology and Geography Club lecture

Apr 24, 2024

Thursday May 23, 11:10-12:00 Building 10 Room 222

Mapping the Past: The Importance of GIS in Cultural Resources Management and Archaeological Research

By Cal Poly Alumni, Zoe Levit and John Vilarino. Free and Open to All

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Mapping the Amazon's Forest-Agriculture Interface

Apr 2, 2024

Dr. Andrew Fricker and some of his GIS undergraduate students and colleagues have been hand-digitizing geographic boundaries of oil palm and cacao plantations in Ucayali, Peru and Para, Brazil in support of SERVIR Amazonia goals. These data sets, supported by training documentation describing methodologies, have been published in the Harvard Dataverse in ways that make them available to local land managers, farmers and scientists to create a more transparent supply chain, preserve biodiversity and reduce additional deforestation.

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Archaeology Club Visits Vandenberg Air Force Base

Jan 31, 2024

Cal Poly’s Archaeology Club visited Vandenberg Air Force Base for their second trip of the school year! Students drove a little over an hour to the base before getting a tour of four amazing archaeological sites on this remarkable stretch of coast. Accompanied by the former and current base archaeologists, the club first visited a 9,000 year old shell midden site to observe the impacts of coastal erosion. The next stop took students to a beautiful Chumash rock art site situated more than 1,500 feet in elevation, where indigenous Californians have been painting for thousands of years. After driving back down through the base’s hilly landscape, the club observed a fascinating 11,000 year old site, the oldest on mainland California and one of its most unique. Lastly, students were able to explore one of the five Chumash village sites contained on the Vandenberg base, finding shell and stone remains from the land's original inhabitants. The club’s visit to Vandenberg Air Force Base was a huge success, and with plans to have another field trip in Spring quarter, please reach out to club president, Alex Amundsen at acamunds@calpoly.edu if you are interested in joining!

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Dr. Paul Gellert talk

Jan 30, 2024

Thursday, February 1, 2024 from 4:10-6:00 PM at the Christopher Cohan Center 006-0124 (PAC -Philips Hall). This event is presented by CLA Doyle Speaker Funds and is co-sponsored by the Social Sciences Department.

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2024 Career Expo

Jan 23, 2024

Time to grasp the opportunity to jumpstart your career in the field of Social Sciences! Join us on January 30th from 10 am to 2 pm to build bridges with professionals who share the same interests as you and learn about what job opportunities your degree can take you.

Bring your polished resume and bright self to the Performing Arts Center on January 30th from 10 am to 2 pm to talk with companies, such as Albion Environmental, Lumina Alliance, and many more.

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Archaeology Club Visits Carizzo Plains Painted Rock

Nov 15, 2023

Archaeology Club Takes First Field Trip of 2023-2024 to Painted Rock on Carrizo Plain

Cal Poly’s Archaeology Club visited Carrizo Plains Painted Rock for the first trip of the 2023-2024 school year! This was the club’s second time venturing out to Painted Rock, which is about an hour and a half east of San Luis Obispo. Students drove through the expansive, rural landscape spotting cattle, deer, and even some foxes before arriving at the monument. After a brief 0.5 mile hike from the rest stop, students arrived at the rock and were awed by its presence among the rolling hills. The club was captivated by the Chumash rock art motifs around the rock’s interior, while layers of historical graffiti dating back to 1885 could also be observed. The club’s return to Painted Rock on Carrizo Plain was a huge success, and with plans to have more field trips throughout the year, please reach out to club president, Alex Amundsen at acamunds@calpoly.edu if you are interested in joining!