Outstanding Cal Poly public health faculty member and global health advocate among first Faculty Excellence Award honorees

(Press-News.org) Cal Poly Assistant Professor Joni Roberts has been chosen, with two additional university faculty members, as the first Cal Poly Faculty Excellence Award honorees.

The inaugural Faculty Excellence Award — an honor recognizing outstanding contributions in teaching, research and service — is administered by the Office of the Provost and funded by generous donor contributions. The award reflects Cal Poly’s commitment to academic excellence and its Learn by Doing philosophy. 

The first recipients of the Faculty Excellence Award are Roberts, who specializes in public health education; Phoenix (Dongfeng) Fang (computer science and software engineering); and Shannon Shoff (food science and nutrition).

Nominated by their respective college deans, these faculty members were selected for their significant contributions to their disciplines and their dedication to the Cal Poly community.

“This award celebrates the exceptional dedication and achievements of our faculty, who consistently go above and beyond to advance knowledge and foster student success,” said Dr. Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “Dr. Fang, Dr. Roberts, and Dr. Shoff’s innovative approach to teaching and impactful research exemplify Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing philosophy.” 

Roberts joined Cal Poly’s Kinesiology and Public Health Department faculty in 2019 as part of the university’s first campus-wide cluster hire of new teachers who enhance inclusive and equity-minded instructional strategies across the university.

A 2024 recent recipient of the 40 Under 40 Public Health Catalyst Award from the Boston Congress of Public Health (the publication previously known as the Harvard Public Health Review), Roberts has strived to address health and education disparities and advocate for equity.  

Roberts’ work has included research addressing a variety of public health topics, including: menstrual disparities such as period poverty (the inability to afford feminine hygiene products) in Uganda, which correlates to increased rates of infection that can lead to cervical cancer; the intersection of diet and culture in reducing obesity among African Americans, a community with higher obesity rates than other racial and ethnic groups in the U.S.; the potential problems associated with a new artificial intelligence tool created to diagnose sexual transmitted infections from self-taken photos (on which Roberts was quoted in the Los Angeles Times). 

Additionally, in a recent academic journal article co-authored with liberal studies Assistant Professor Amanda Frye, Roberts analyzed some of the challenges and successes they’ve had as Black educators in a predominantly white institution. Inspired by Lorgia Garcia Peña’s “Community as Rebellion: A Syllabus for Surviving Academia as a Woman of Color,” Frye and Roberts shared personal experiences and insights into how to be resilient, expressing the importance of cultivating friendship, fostering community, and challenging institutional norms for the betterment of Black women and faculty of color in academia. 

“I think it’s very common for women of color in higher education, especially Black women, to have to work twice as hard to show that we have merit and that we are capable of being here,” Roberts said. “In higher education, there's a lot of data that shows that we don’t usually get tenure, or there’s a glass ceiling. As I go through the tenure process at Cal Poly, it’s surreal and really humbling to see that so many people recognize the things that I'm doing. Words can't really express my excitement.” 

Roberts’ instruction spans the public health curriculum. Her specializations include sexual health, cultural competence/humility, interventions for obesity and multicultural and global health. 

“My students and I have done research, both nationally and internationally, on those who are marginalized or who have few resources,” Roberts said. “Culture is so integral to how I do my research and my teaching. I consider myself a global educator. I was born and raised in Jamaica, and because of that, I look at the U.S. through a different lens. Worldwide, culture really shapes the way people understand things, how they gain access and how they navigate life.” 

Roberts’ scholarship has involved more than 50 undergraduates, leading to many senior projects, presentations at professional conferences and peer-reviewed papers.

Additionally, Roberts has been a leader in university committees, mentorship programs and community outreach initiatives, including affinity groups that foster inclusion and connectivity on campus. Affinity group participants -- who include students, faculty and staff -- read books, engage in discussions and participate in social activities that promote community. Roberts helped to lead a technology transition at Cal Poly to support online learning during the initial period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Dr. Roberts’ work helps to better the lives of others and sparks inspirational positive impact,” said Dean Wendt, dean of the Bailey College of Science and Mathematics. “Her teaching, research, projects and public outreach efforts are truly remarkable and exemplary. Dr. Roberts is well deserving of university recognition as an accomplished Cal Poly faculty member whose efforts benefit student learning, and help to address disparities and uplift others.” 

Fang, an assistant professor of computer science and software engineering in the College of Engineering, specializes in cybersecurity and privacy. She emphasizes hands-on opportunities for students and addressing real-world cybersecurity challenges.  

Shoff is an assistant professor of food science and nutrition in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, specializing in early-life nutrition to improve early childhood health outcomes. Shoff’s expertise informs her innovative teaching, preparing students for impactful careers in health and nutrition.

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