Pete Schwartz Current CV Resume

Peter V. Schwartz. For more information, please see Expanded CV

A Year in Africa/Nepal documented Sabbatical Trip Log: Sept 2022 – Sept 2023

1) Educational Preparation:

2) Employment History:

  • 2022-2023, On sabbatical visiting collaborators in Africa and Asia, see project description.
  • 2017-present Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Physics Department, Full Professor
  • 2007-2017 Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Physics Department, Associate Professor
  • 2006-2007 University of California at Berkeley Energy and Resources Group, Sabbatical study of Sustainability, Technology, and Policy
  • 2003-2007 Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Physics Department, Assistant Professor
  • 2000-2003 Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Physics Department, Lecturer
  • 1999-2000 Northwestern University, Post Doctoral Research Scientist
  • Summer 1998, 1999 Collaborative Research at Columbia University
  • 1998-1999 Colorado College, Physics Department, Visiting Assistant Professor
  • 1993-1998 Princeton Materials Institute, Princeton University, Ph.D. Graduate Student, Research and Teaching Assistant.
  • 1991-1993 Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Graduate Student, Research Assistant
  • 1989-1991 Bakersfield High School, Bakersfield, California, Physics Teacher
  • 1986-1989 United States Peace Corps, Fiji, South Pacific High School Science, Math Teacher; Science Head of Department

3) Teaching Related Activities

  • 11 different Courses taught at Cal Poly since Spring 2007 (directory)
  • Collaborated with the SUSTAIN Collaborative Learning Community Initiative
  • Founded and directed the Guateca Study Abroad Summer Program in Guatemala Summer 2011 and 2012

Contribution to the curriculum

  • Fall 2014 – present. Developed and implementing “Parallel Pedagogy” open online curriculum for PHYS-141, Introductory Mechanics, where students learn concepts simultaneously. Two publications in The Physics Teacher, indicate students have superior ability to apply concepts. This curriculum is made publicly available with three textbooks, ~100 interactive videos (with associated questions), tests, homework, and solutions, through my Parallel Pedagogy Support Website, an announcement in OpenStax, and an announcement in OERcommons.
  • Fall 2014 – present. Developed “flipped classroom” instruction for PHYS-141, with ~100 instructional videos on YouTube.
  • Spring 2012 – present. Developed open online “flipped” curriculum for Energy, Society, and the Environment (PSc-320, and PHYS-310), with ~50 videos (10 – 15 minutes) on YouTube. The curriculum (as for all my classes) is publicly available.
  • 2016. Developed labs for PHYS-132 (waves, optics, thermal), whereby most of the instructions are removed leaving room for student mistakes, exploration, and discussion.
  • SUSTAIN (2009 – 2015). Developed the SUSTAIN Initiative with an interdepartmental team of professors, students, and community volunteers. SUSTAIN is an interdisciplinary, activity-based, community-coordinated curriculum for 100 freshmen from all departments for winter and spring quarters.
  • 2010 – 2012. Designed (with students and partner community, San Pablo, Tacaná, Guatemala) and directed “Guateca” a 2-month collaborative, appropriate technology summer school in San Pablo. Three trips to San Pablo with a total of 37 Cal Poly students and approximately the same number of Guatemalan students.
  • 2007. Introduced two “Appropriate Technology” classes (UNIV-391, UNIV-392) for collaborative development with communities lacking economic resources.

Undergraduate Research and Senior Projects: 51 since 2000, 35 since 2007. Three Masters Thesis, For individual senior project titles and access, please see Expanded CV

  • 2023: 3 senior projects: two on Insulated Solar Electric Cooking, one on building with mycelium.
  • 2022: 7 senior projects and a masters thesis on Insulated Solar Electric Cooking, 2 of which are ME group senior projects.
  • 2021: 1 Masters Thesis and 4 senior projects: 1 on Parallel Pedagogy, Physics Education Research. 3 on Insulated Solar Electric Cooking – 1 of which is a ME group senior project.
  • 2020: 3 senior projects: 3 on Insulated Solar Electric Cooking
  • 2019: 5 senior projects: Three are ME group senior projects related to Insulated Solar Electric Cooking and Solar Electric Cooling. Two are related to solar electric cooking. Three weeks spent in Ghana with four research students, founding a company to produce solar electric cooking, summarized in this video.
  • 2018: 1 senior project (on energy policy), considerable student research in developing diode heating, working with many research students and a Malawi NGO.
  • 2017: 4 senior projects in Energy Efficiency, Insulation, and Direct Consumption of Photovoltaic Electricity for Cooking and Ice Production. 17 students and 3 professors.
  • 2016: 4 senior projects in Direct Consumption of Photovoltaic Electricity: Summer Research: 18 students, 4 professors and 4 companies work together to study alternative photovoltaic implementation, 4 students go to Uganda with AidAfrica to implement PV stoves.
  • 2015: 2 senior projects: 1 in ME (solar concentrators), 1 in Physics Education Research, Summer Research: 3 students (ME, EE, and ME grad student) develop Photovoltaic Cooking
  • 2014: 0 senior project: Summer Research: 3 Physics majors and 3 ME majors: alternative solar concentrator with inexpensive tracking
  • 2013: 3 senior projects and 1 ME masters thesis: thermal storage capacity for improved solar concentrator
  • 2012: 0 senior projects: 3 physics majors and 6 other students develop inexpensive solar concentrator
  • 2011: 2 senior projects: 1 Life Cycle Analysis, 1 Thermal Modeling
  • 2010: 3 senior projects: 3 Urban Solar Concentrators
  • 2009: 2 senior projects: 1 Solar Concentrators, 1 Electric Car Analysis
  • 2008: 4 senior projects: 1 Electric Car Analysis, 2 energy modeling, 1 Nanotechnology
  • 2006: 2 senior projects: 1 AFM-based lithography; 1 biological surfaces
  • 2005: 8 senior projects: 4 DNA guided self-assembly; 2 AFM-based lithography; 2 molecular surface order
  • 2004: 5 senior projects: 2 DNA guided self assembly; 3 AFM-based lithography
  • 2003: 1 senior project: AFM based lithography, 1 masters thesis: Plasma Physics
  • 2002: 1 senior project: DNA guided self-assembly

Each Senior Project is identified in Expanded CV

4) Scholarship (asterisk * indicates Cal Poly Student) Unless otherwise stated, I supervised the research and writing.

a. Peer-Reviewed Publications:

Princeton University (Graduate Study)

  • Structure and Growth of 4-Methyl-4’-mercaptobiphenyl Monolayers on Au(111): A Surface Diffraction Study T.Y.B. Leung, P. Schwartz, G. Scoles, F. Schreiber, and A. Ulman, Surface Science 2000, 458, 34-52
  • Growth Kinetics of Decane Thiol Monolayers Self-Assembled on Au(111) By Molecular Beam Deposition: An Atomic Beam Diffraction Study P. Schwartz, F. Schreiber, P. Eisenberger and G. Scoles, Surface Science 1999, 423, 208-224
  • Adsorption Mechanisms, Structures and Growth Regimes of an Archetypal Self-Assembling System: Decanethiol on Au(111) F. Schreiber, A. Eberhardt, T.Y.B. Leung, P. Schwartz, S.M. Wetterer, D.J. Lavrich, L. Berman, P. Fenter, P. Eisenberger, G. Scoles, Phys. Rev. B. 1998, 57, 12476
  • Chain Length Dependence of the Striped Phases of Alkanethiol Monolayers Self‑Assembled on Au(111) An atomic beam diffraction study. N. Camillone III, T.Y.B. Leung, P. Schwartz, P. Eisenberger and G. Scoles. Langmuir 1996, 12, 2737-2746
  • New Monolayer Phases of N-Alkane Thiols Self-Assembled on Au(111): Preparation, Surface Characterization and Imaging N. Camillone III, P. Eisenberger, T.Y.B. Leung, P. Schwartz, G. Scoles, G.E. Poirier and M.J. Tarlov. J. Chem Phys. 1994, 101, 11031

Book (Editing and Chapter Contribution)

  • About my house: Ten Years with a Bucket of Shit, and My Efforts to Live Consistent with My Values. This was Chapter 8 in Driving to Net Zero, Stories of Hope for a Carbon-Free Future, a book about environmentally progressive homes Edited by David Hrivnak.
  • What Does it Mean to Open Education? Perspectives on Using OER from the Field at a U. S. Public University, L. Vanasupa, A. Wiley, L. Schlemer, D. Ospina, P. Schwartz, D. Wilhelm, C. Waitinas, K. Hall; Chapter in P. Blessinger and T. J. Bliss (Eds), Open Education: International Perspectives in Higher Education, Cambridge, UK: OpenBook Publishers, Dec. 2016. I significantly contributed to the discussions and writing. Abstract. Complete book can be downloaded for free here.
  • The Co-Created Guatemalan Field School: Carbon Reduction with Appropriate Technology, Peter V. Schwartz, invited talk and contributed chapter in Physics of Sustainable Energy, American Institute of Physics Press, College Park, MD, edited by D. Hafemeister, B. Levi, and P. Schwartz, 2011, I researched and wrote this chapter alone.

White Papers (articles)

Educational Materials

  • ~ 300 videos accessible from my YouTube Channel
    • Introductory Mechanics, Energy Technologies and Society, Permaculture, and Bicycle advocacy
    • 900 subscribers as of Sept, 2021
  • Support resources for Parallel Pedagogy, Intro Mechanics that include two textbooks, and ~ 100 videos, hosted on above YouTube channel

Thesis

  • Growth Kinetics of Decane Thiol Monolayers Self-Assembled on Au (111) by Molecular Beam Deposition: An Atomic Beam Diffraction Study P. Schwartz Ph.D. Thesis, Princeton University, 1998
  • A Remotely Controllable Poloidally Scanning Soft X-ray Detector P. Schwartz, B.Sc. Thesis. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1986

b. Presentations since 2006 I give talks regarding Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, Development Efforts, Appropriate Technology between one and four times each month locally for community groups and as guest lecture in other classes on campus. These are not listed.

Selected Contributed External Presentations (* indicates student. Boldface is Presenter) unless otherwise stated, I am the only presenter

  • Nov. 25, 2021, Direct Drive Solar, Solar Electric Cooking, and the Global Learning Community, University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica, Abstract, Slides
  • Oct. 2, 3, 2021, Climate Solutions NOW! 3 Presentations:
    • What Causes the Climate to Change?
    • Where are we going? Possibilities for a Carbon-Free Energy Landscape
    • Cooking: The Energy-Health Challenge for the Global Poor
  • July 31, 2021, Parallel Pedagogy: 7 Years and 1000 Students Later, Pete Schwartz, Jennifer Klay, Owen Staveland*, Invited talk at the AAPT Virtual 2021 Summer Meeting, video
  • June 10, 2021, Insulated Solar Electric Cooking with Thermal Storage, Engineers Without Borders, Sweden, video
  • January, 2021, Global Learning Community for ISEC Development & Dissemination, ETHOS 2021 Grace Gius*, Olivia Hansel*
  • January, 2021, Insulated Solar Electric Cooking: Progress for ETHOS 2021. video
  • Oct. 4, 2020, Solar Electric Cooking: Starting Businesses with the Global Learning Community, International Physics Webinar (Virtual, Via FaceBook, Bangladesh) Flyer
  • July, 2020, American Association of Physics Teachers, Virtual, Smooth Transition to Concept-Focused Mechanics, Covering Concepts in Parallel, Peter Schwartz, Jennifer Klay, Owen Staveland,* Dean Stocker, video
  • July, 2019, American Association of Physics Teachers, Provo, Utah, Parallel Pedagogy: Teaching Mechanics Concepts Simultaneously, Owen Staveland,* D. Stoker, P. Schwartz
  • Jan, 2019, ETHOS conference for improved cookstoves, Seattle, Insulated Solar-Electric Cooking, year IV: Progress in California, Uganda, Malawi, Grace Guis*, P. Schwartz Presentation Slides
  • January, 2018, ETHOS conference for improved cookstoves, Seattle, Insulated Solar Electric Cooking: Third Year Update, P. Keller, P. Schwartz
  • December 15, 2017, MIT Alumni Webinar: Innovations Behind the Meter: Energy Efficiency and Innovations in the Home and Workplace.
  • October, 2017, American Solar Energy Society meeting, Denver, Co, Insulated Solar Electric Cooking: Tomorrow’s Clean, Affordable, Replacement for Burning Biomass.
  • October, 2017, American Solar Energy Society meeting, Denver, Co, My House: Innovations in our Domestic Environment
  • Jan, 2017, ETHOS conference for improved cookstoves, Seattle, Insulated Solar-Electric Cooking and Preliminary Implementation of Prototypes in Uganda, P. Keller, P. Schwartz
  • Oct. 5, 2016, Cal Poly Appropriate Technology Projects for SLO Green Building Alliance
  • July 20, 2016, AAPT Physics Teachers Conference, Sacramento, Focusing on Concepts by Covering them Simultaneously? Abstract
  • March 24, 2016, “Good Morning SLO” address to the SLO Chamber of Commerce on the future of Solar Electricity
  • April 19, 2016, UC Santa Barbara Service Learning Class, Appropriate Technology and Efforts at Cal Poly
  • Jan 31, 2016, ETHOS conference for improved cookstoves, Seattle, Wa, Solar Electric Cooking Coming Soon?, P. Schwartz, D. Mast,* N. Hayes*, J. Sekerak* see presentation slides
  • July, 18, 2015 Regional Conference, Solar Cookers International; Sacramento, Ca, Photovoltaic Solar Cooking, P. Schwartz, D. Mast,* J. Sekerak*, N. Hayes* See video
  • July, 18, 2015 Regional Conference, Solar Cookers International; Sacramento, California, “Dual Mirror, Parabolic Cookers”, D. Mast,* J. Sekerak*, P. Schwartz. See video
  • July, 18, 2015 Regional Conference, Solar Cookers International; Sacramento, California, “Standardized Testing and Consumer Review”, J. Sekerak*, D. Mast,* P. Schwartz. See video
  • July 15, 2015 Permaculture Design Course invited talk, Casitas Family Farm, Santa Barbara, California, “Permaculture Practice inside of Mainstream Society”
  • Aug. 1, 2014 Permaculture Design Course invited talk, Casitas Family Farm, Santa Barabara, California, “Permaculture Practice inside of Mainstream Society”
  • July 18, 2014 International Conference, Solar Cookers International; Sacramento, California, “Building the Scheffler Concentrators at Cal Poly”
  • June 25 – July 8, 2013 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic guest instructor for Practivistas collaborative appropriate technology summer field school.
  • May 5, 2014, Mini Maker Faire, our solar concentrators are covered by the Tribune
  • April 27, 2014, Cal Poly Earth Day Solar Concentrator Demonstration T. Murphy, P. Schwartz.
  • March, 2014 four-class course “Dealing with Climate Change” for Life Long Learners on the Central Coast for about 50 people, P. Schwartz, D.Hafemeister, R. Weymann, D. Camp, S. Hurt, J. Lindsey, L. Pitelka, off campus at PG&E by Diablo Canyon
  • Nov. 2, 2012 California APS invited talk, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, CA, “Energy, Sustainability, Collaboration: Learning it, Teaching it, and Living it – At Cal Poly, in Guatemala, and at Home”
  • Aug. 31, 2012 Universidad, San Carlos, Guatemala City, Guatemala, “Appropriate Technology, and Guateca, the collaborative summer program in San Pablo,… and you”
  • January 23, 2014, Cal Poly Veritas Forum for Faith, Science, Altruism, I presented the atheist perspective to ~1000 people from Cal Poly’s community
  • June 18 – July 1, 2012 Quail Springs Permaculture Community co-instructor for a two-week permaculture design workshop, specializing in solar power and holistic residential renovation.
  • Nov. 25, 2008. Presentation Addressing the Organization of American States, Washington, DC: Cal Poly Appropriate Technology.
  • Aug. 16, 2007. Community Environmental Council, Santa Barbara, “Economic Analysis for Transition to Carbon Neutrality by 2033 for Santa Barbara County”

Selected External Poster Presentations:

  • March 4, 2020, Young Energy Researcher’s Conference, Austria. Solar Electric Cooking in Ghana, Grace Gius*, Pete Schwartz
  • July, 2019, American Association of Physics Teachers, Provo, Utah, Causal Statements Improve Concept Application, Owen Staveland,* S. Vokos, P. Schwartz
  • November, 2017, C3E Women in Clean Energy Symposium, MIT, Cambridge, Ma, hosted by MIT and US Department of Energy. Madison Fleming*, Madeline Larkin*, Ian Stone*, P. Schwartz, Efficient Solar Electric Cookstoves for the Developing World. Awarded First Prize in Poster Presentations.
  • October, 2017, American Solar Energy Society meeting, Denver, Co, Madison Fleming*, Madeline Larkin*, Ian Stone*, P. Schwartz, Efficient Solar Electric Cookstoves for the Developing World.
  • October, 2017, American Solar Energy Society meeting, Denver, Co, Joshua Dimaggio*, Hunter Herrin,* P. Schwartz, Nathan Heston, Making Ice with Sunlight, Peltier Coolers and Passive Thermal Energy Storage.
  • October, 2017, American Solar Energy Society meeting, Denver, Co, Adeel Ali*, Nick Crawford*, Tyler Batchelder*, Orion Zorich*, P. Schwartz, Nathan Heston, Using Photovoltaic Power in a Low-Cost Thermoelectric Cooling Refrigerator.
  • October, 2017, American Solar Energy Society meeting, Denver, Co, P. Schwartz, Scavenging Free Electricity With Thermal Loads and Load Defecting with Direct DC.

Selected Cal Poly and Local Presentations:

  • CSU Student Research Competition Presentation for ISEC. Jon P. Christian Abraham*, Martin Osei*, Grace Gius*, Olivia Hansel*, Marcorios Bekheit*, Feb. 20, 2021
  • Invited Speaker – EWB Winter Showcase, Jan. 25, 2020, “What is your Development Model?”
  • Invited Speaker – Climate Action Rally, Cal Poly Dexter Lawn, Sept. 27, 2019. “Progressive Environmental Policy Increases Economic Vitality”
  • Invited Plenary speaker for Cal Poly’s first Development Showcase. Feb. 20, 2018. Pete Schwartz “Appropriate Technology: Cal Poly, Local Applications, Abroad.

c. Grants and Contracts:
External Grants

  • MECS (Modern Energy Cooking Services), UKAid, Thermal Storage with Phase Change Materials, P. Schwartz, $68,000 (8/20 – 3/22)
  • MECS (Modern Energy Cooking Services), UKAid, Thermal Storage with Phase Change Materials, P. Schwartz, $34,000 (8/19 – 2/20)
  • CA Office of Planning and Research: Education Learning Lab, The Mechanics of Inclusion and Inclusivity in Mechanics, S. Vokos (co-PI), $1.3M (7/19-6/22)
  • Aug. 2016 Contract grant to develop product from Rincon Vitova Insectiaries (coPI) $7,000
  • Feb. 2016 CSU Promising Practices (PI), $10,600
  • Sept 2011 Department of Energy, Solar Concentrator (PI) $20,000
  • July 2011 California Energy Commission, PIER Efficiency Program, Solar Concentrator Facility (coPI) $397,785; Terminated early because of pullout of corporate partner. We returned about 70% of the grant money.
  • Dec. 2010 Private Citizen: Donation to The Corporation for Guateca (PI) $10,000
  • June 2005 Petroleum Research Fund (PI) $50,000
  • Sept., 2002 Raytheon Research Support Grant. (PI) $20,000

Internal Grants

  • Summer 2021, Frost Summer Stipends (PI) $25,500
  • Summer 2020, Frost Summer Stipends (PI) $22,000
  • Summer 2019, Frost Summer Stipends (PI) $13,000
  • Summer 2018, Frost Summer Stipends (PI) $16,000
  • Summer 2017, Frost Summer Stipends (PI) $14,000
  • Summer 2016, COSAM internal grant for PV solar research (PI) $15,000
  • May 2016 CSU Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activities Grant (CoPI) $14,000, Open Proposal
  • March 2016 Two Baker/Koob grants to send a total of four students to Uganda (Faculty Manger) $10,000: #1, #2
  • Summer 2015, COSAM internal grant for development of PV solar cooking (PI) $5,000
  • Summer 2014, COSAM internal grant for development of concentrated solar cooking (PI) $16,000
  • October 2013, COSAM internal grant to purchase Solar Concentrator (PI) $4,000
  • Summer 2013, COSAM internal grant for development of concentrated solar cooking (PI) $1,900
  • Dec. 2010, COSAM internal grant to support student participation in development of Guatemala field school (PI) $2,500
  • Sept. 2008 Office of Naval Research Grant, C3RP project (PI) $44,382
  • Sept. 2008 Office of Naval Research, Grant, C3RP Honors (PI) $4,200
  • Sept. 2007 Office of Naval Research Grant, C3RP project (PI) $37,130
  • Jan. 2007 Office of Naval Research Grant, C3RP project (PI) $24,764
  • June 2005 Office of Naval Research Grant, C3RP project (PI) $40,935
  • April 2004 Office of Naval Research Grant, C3RP project (PI) $40,500
  • June 2003 Cal Poly Instrumentation, AFM upgrade (coPI) $32,000 With Derek Gragson (Chemistry)
  • Sept., 2003 Cal Poly Start Up Funding (PI) $14,000
  • Oct., 2002 Office of Naval Research Grant, C3RP project (PI) $27,000

d. Consulting Activities:

  • Public Consultant for Energy (2007 – present): I have been a renewable energy and sustainability advocate and consultant for the local community, Mayor Heidi Harmon, and greater California. Participation includes talks, technical support, publishing YouTube videos for energy-related material, and providing my house as a demonstration classroom for holistic renovation. Another example is a letter I wrote to our commissioners regarding oil trains, green innovation, and the California Economy.
  • San Luis Obispo City Planning Committee Bicycle Advocate (2013 – present) Promote bicycle safe city development, write to the local paper, attend most city council, planning task force and advocacy meetings as San Luis Obispo updates the general plan for Land Use and Circulation Elements (LUCE).
  • Bicycle advocacy includes partnership with San Luis Obispo Police Department whereby I alert the public and police with YouTube posting of videos representing threats to bicycle safety.
  • SLO MakerSpace (2013 – present) Founding Board member dedicated to technical creativity, community collaboration and education, opened January 2014.
  • Permaculture Curriculum Development (2008 – present) I am supporting the building of an education program for holistic design making use of local resources including Quail Springs Permaculture Design Community (near Ojai, CA), Co-Regenerate or CORE (group of recent Cal Poly graduates), SLO Permaculture, SUSTAIN, and the SLO Permaculture Design Team. Participation includes attending meetings and classes, giving presentations, and opening my house as a demonstration site
  • August 14, 2014, I organized and directed a three-day Permaculture kids camp taught by Cal Poly students at the Student Experimental Farm
  • Solar Cookers International, Standardized Testing and Consumer Review (summer 2015), I advised two students (Graduate Student in Mechanical Engineering John Sekerak and Undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering, Devin Mast) in designing an international testing facility for solar cookers for Solar Cookers International.

Patent Applications:

  • Add on water heater provisional, Provisional Patent 62394102, Filed Sept. 13, 2016, International Patent Application, filed Feb. 8, 2017. Abandonded
  • New Electric Switch, Provisional Patent 62274346, Filed January 3, 2016
  • Electrical Priority Switchboard, Provisional Patent 62217000, Filed Nov. 30 2015
  • High Efficiency Low Power Cooking/Heating, Provisional Patent US 62/217,000, Filed September 10, 2015. Abandoned
  • Improved Earth Anchor Method and Apparatus, Provisional Patent US 14/483,154, Filed September 11, 2014. Abandoned
  • Redirecting Energy With Simplified Tracking, Provisional Patent 61892937, filed Oct 18, 2013. Abandoned
  • Method and Apparatus for Securing a Child, Patent No. US 8,474,667 B2. PCT filed April 2009. Patent issued Jul 2, 2013, US6241136 B1 see video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N3CmczcyGA
  • Solar Concentrator with Simplified Tracking, PCT filed June, 2008, abandoned, 2012 for lack of industrial interest
  • Molecular Transport from an AFM Tip: a Quantitative Study of Dip-pen Nanolithography Filed June 4, 2001. Application No. 60/295,962. Published as US6737646 B2, patent has been allowed to expire.
  • Meniscus Force Nanografting: a New Molecular Lithography; Nanoscopic Patterning of DNA Filed October 20, 2000 Application No. 60/243,168. PCT Application: Monday Oct 22, 2001: “Nanolithography Methods and Products Therefor and Produced Thereof”. US20040131843 A1 assigned May 2, 2011

5. Service
Physics Department

  • Physics Sustainability Committee, Chair, 2017 – Present
  • Physics Student Advisor: 2012-present. Advising physics majors
  • Course and Curriculum Committee: 2012-2017
  • Regularly support physics department open house activities
  • GRE Preparation: In 2000 when I came to Cal Poly, I initiated the GRE mentored study program. I continued it until I left for sabbatical in 2006.

Cal Poly

  • Student Experimental Farm (SEF) Facilitator (2013 – 2019) – Supporting student activities at the farm. Consists of weekly meetings / work days with the SEF community. Provide connection between participants and Risk Management to ensure that all activities are allowed and supported.
  • Sustainability advocate and consultant. (2007 – present) – Promote and support Cal Poly’s efforts to be a leader in sustainable practices, infrastructure and education. Activities include participation on design committees and presentations.
    • Climate Solutions Now! virtual conference, October 2021.  Besides giving three presentations, I was responsible for inviting and managing the alternative energy string of presentations.
  • SUSTAIN (2009 – 2013) – Representing the physics department and supporting the collaborative teaching and learning effort.

Representing Cal Poly to the wider community

  • Through class projects, Cal Poly students have taught a 5 hour (over 5 weeks) to 10-15 Teach Elementary School children. Here is a story about one group.
  • Developing Country Outreach: 2008-present. Through the Appropriate Technology Classes, Guateca collaborative summer school (2010 – 2012), AidAfrica, and about 10 international collaborators (mostly Africa and India), we are building collaboration and shared technologies with developing countries.
  • SLO MakerSpace: Founding Board Member of the shared technology resource facility and center for technology education, as well as founding board member of the SLO Maker Academy education-focused nonprofit. Responsibilities include energy use, sustainability, liaison with Cal Poly, Education, and General Operations.
  • YouTube channel, discussed above.

Service-Learning Trips: Cal Poly International Connections and Student Experience

  • July 2016, Four Cal Poly students spend a month in Uganda with NGO Aid Africa to learn, participate in development efforts, and manufacture and implement Insulated Solar Electric Cookers. The trip was part of a publication and resulted in award-winning student presentations.
  • August 2019, Four Cal Poly students and I spend 2-3 weeks in Ghana in a small village building and implementing Insulated Solar Electric Cookers. I presented at (university) KNUST in Kumasi, and the trip experience was part of a publication.
  • November 2021. My daughter and I spent a week at the Source Farm, an EcoVillage in East Jamaica, a collaborator with our Insulated Solar Electric Cooking (ISEC) grant.  We built ISECs, and studied and supported efforts to produce and process local produce on a lush island that imports 70% of its food.  I presented at the University of West Indies, initiating university collaboration.

Community and Other Interests:
Outside interests include biology and the outdoors, sustainability and community building. I engage my two children in my fascination with cultures, energy and nature as well as my love of learning, movement, and community. My family shares in our experimentation of sustainability made public in this video, and actually, my Cal Poly research is more an outgrowth of our domestic sustainability efforts than the other way around. Languages spoken: Fijian, German, and Spanish.