PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

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

Joni Roberts specializes in addressing health and education disparities and advocates for global health solutions

Outstanding Cal Poly public health faculty member and global health advocate among first Faculty Excellence Award honorees
2025-02-14
(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.

END

[Attachments] See images for this press release:
Outstanding Cal Poly public health faculty member and global health advocate among first Faculty Excellence Award honorees Outstanding Cal Poly public health faculty member and global health advocate among first Faculty Excellence Award honorees 2

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Trees might need our help to survive climate change, CSU study finds

Trees might need our help to survive climate change, CSU study finds
2025-02-14
A new Colorado State University study of the interior U.S. West has found that tree ranges are generally contracting in response to climate change but not expanding into cooler, wetter climates – suggesting that forests are not regenerating fast enough to keep pace with climate change, wildfire, insects and disease.  As the climate becomes too warm for trees in certain places, tree ranges have been expected to shift toward more ideal conditions. The study analyzed national forest inventory data for more than 25,000 plots in ...

Terabytes of data in a millimeter crystal

Terabytes of data in a millimeter crystal
2025-02-14
From punch card-operated looms in the 1800s to modern cellphones, if an object has an “on” and an “off” state, it can be used to store information. In a computer laptop, the binary ones and zeroes are transistors either running at low or high voltage. On a compact disc, the one is a spot where a tiny indented “pit” turns to a flat “land” or vice versa, while a zero is when there’s no change. Historically, the size of the object making the “ones” and “zeroes” has put a limit on the size of the storage device. But now, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular ...

New technology enhances gravitational-wave detection

New technology enhances gravitational-wave detection
2025-02-14
RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- In a paper published earlier this month in Physical Review Letters, a team of physicists led by Jonathan Richardson of the University of California, Riverside, showcases how new optical technology can extend the detection range of gravitational-wave observatories such as the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, or LIGO, and pave the way for future observatories.  Since 2015, observatories like LIGO have opened a new window on the universe. Plans for future upgrades to the 4-kilometer LIGO detectors and the construction of a next-generation 40-kilometer observatory, Cosmic Explorer, aim to push the gravitational-wave ...

Gene therapy for rare epilepsy shows promise in mice

2025-02-14
Dravet syndrome and other developmental epileptic encephalopathies are rare but devastating conditions that cause a host of symptoms in children, including seizures, intellectual disability, and even sudden death.  Most cases are caused by a genetic mutation; Dravet syndrome in particular is most often caused by variants in the sodium channel gene SCN1A. Recent research from Michigan Medicine takes aim at another variant in SCN1B, which causes an even more severe form of DEE.  Mice without the SCN1B gene experience seizures and 100 percent mortality just ...

Scientists use distant sensor to monitor American Samoa earthquake swarm

2025-02-14
In late July to October 2022, residents of the Manu’a Islands in American Samoa felt the earth shake several times a day, raising concerns of an imminent volcanic eruption or tsunami. An earthquake catalog for the area turned up nothing, because the islands lacked a seismic monitoring network that could measure the shaking and aid seismologists in their search for the source of the earthquake swarm. But the residents of the Taʻū, Ofu, and Olosega islands needed answers, so Clara Yoon of the ...

New study explains how antidepressants can protect against infections and sepsis

New study explains how antidepressants can protect against infections and sepsis
2025-02-14
LA JOLLA (February 14, 2025)—Antidepressants like Prozac are commonly prescribed to treat mental health disorders, but new research suggests they could also protect against serious infections and life-threatening sepsis. Scientists at the Salk Institute have now uncovered how the drugs are able to regulate the immune system and defend against infectious disease—insights that could lead to a new generation of life-saving treatments and enhance global preparedness for future pandemics. The Salk study follows recent findings that users of selective ...

Research reveals how Earth got its ice caps

2025-02-14
University of Leeds news Embargoed until 14 February 2025 (19:00 GMT) --- The cool conditions which have allowed ice caps to form on Earth are rare events in the planet’s history and require many complex processes working at once, according to new research. A team of scientists led by the University of Leeds investigated why Earth has existed in what is known as a 'greenhouse' state without ice caps for much of its history, and why the conditions we are living in now are so rare. They found ...

Does planetary evolution favor human-like life? Study ups odds we’re not alone

Does planetary evolution favor human-like life? Study ups odds we’re not alone
2025-02-14
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Humanity may not be extraordinary but rather the natural evolutionary outcome for our planet and likely others, according to a new model for how intelligent life developed on Earth. The model, which upends the decades-old “hard steps” theory that intelligent life was an incredibly improbable event, suggests that maybe it wasn't all that hard or improbable. A team of researchers at Penn State, who led the work, said the new interpretation of humanity’s origin increases the probability ...

Clearing the way for faster and more cost-effective separations

Clearing the way for faster and more cost-effective separations
2025-02-14
CLEVELAND—The process of separating useful molecules from mixtures of other substances accounts for 15% of the nation’s energy, emits 100 million tons of carbon dioxide and costs $4 billion annually. Commercial manufacturers produce columns of porous materials to separate potential new drugs developed by the pharmaceutical industry, for example, and also for energy and chemical production, environmental science and making foods and beverages. But in a new study, researchers at Case Western Reserve University have found these ...

Researchers develop a five-minute quality test for sustainable cement industry materials

Researchers develop a five-minute quality test for sustainable cement industry materials
2025-02-14
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new test developed at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign can predict the performance of a new type of cementitious construction material in five minutes — a significant improvement over the current industry standard method, which takes seven or more days to complete. This development is poised to advance the use of next-generation resources called supplementary cementitious materials — or SCMs — by speeding up the quality-check process before leaving the production floor. Due ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Study finds knowledge of genetics and genomic medicine crucial for mental health providers to deliver informed, personalized care

Hypersonic simulation in 3D exposes new disturbances

Your neighborhood may affect your risk of dementia

Early signs of heart problems linked to smaller brain volumes

Research finds potential “molecular mimics” behind COVID-induced autoimmune disease

Pennington Biomedical researchers identify neurons in brain that regulate energy levels and body temperature

Cleaning microplastics

MD Anderson names Jeffrey E. Lee, M.D., Chief Medical Executive

Sensor technology uses nature’s blueprint and machinery to monitor metabolism in body

Chan Zuckerberg Initiative announces new biohub to develop breakthrough imaging technologies to observe cells in action

Encryption breakthrough lays groundwork for privacy-preserving AI models

Top global award for young technologists goes to researcher who advanced AI with high-performance computers

How did the large brain evolve?

Rare disease drug nitisinone makes human blood deadly to mosquitoes

Mini rolling robot takes virtual biopsies

Researchers design tools to develop vaccines more efficiently for African swine fever virus (ASFV)

How survivors spanned the globe after Earth’s biggest mass extinction

Even in egalitarian Sweden, a "culture of silence" may prevent university staff and students from reporting sexual harassment

Data from the Healthy Minds Study of 140 college campuses in the US suggests that religiousness may be protective against symptoms of depression in students, although less so in sexual minorities

Idaho National Laboratory seeks sponsor for innovation incubator to support technology commercialization

Ochsner Health celebrates team members recognized as Louisiana State Nurses Association 40 Under 40 honorees

Study explores how time-restricted eating affects weight loss

Ochsner Health named 2025 Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award winner

Researchers have discovered a new mechanism for rapid liver regeneration triggered by glutamate

Scientists discover why obesity takes away the pleasure of eating

How cells respond to stress is more nuanced than previously believed

A new method to recycle fluoride from long-lived PFAS chemicals

A breakthrough moment: McMaster researchers discover new class of antibiotics

The devastating human impact on biodiversity

Calorie-free sweeteners can disrupt the brain’s appetite signals

[Press-News.org] Outstanding Cal Poly public health faculty member and global health advocate among first Faculty Excellence Award honorees
Joni Roberts specializes in addressing health and education disparities and advocates for global health solutions