MATE 60th Anniversary Celebration
Origins of the Cal Poly MATE Department
In 1958, the School of Engineering produced a plan for additional majors. Richard C. (R.C.) Wiley was running the weld shop in Engineering at the time, and was asked by the Dean of the School of Engineering at the time to put together a metallurgy department. Despite lacking money and space, R.C. Wiley was able to start the department out of the weld shop and put together a fantastic proposal for the new major that was approved by Cal Poly as one of the best proposals of that year. He scrapped together some additional funds and began hiring professors, and was able to get the department up and running. The first class graduated in 1962, and was only 12 students. Over the years the department has grown larger while keeping it's culture of fostering close relationships between faculty and students.
Click the Image Below to see the Photo Album
Anniversary Merchandise Presale
R.C. Wiley Book
RC Wiley founded the Cal Poly Metallurgical Engineering Department in 1958 and was Dept Chair until his retirement in 1983. During his tenure, over 250 students graduated with Metallurgical Engineering degrees. This book commemorates R.C. Wiley and his contribution to the Materials Engineering Department.
MATE 60th Anniversary Celebratory Sweatshirts
Commemorate the 60th anniversary with a customized MATE sweatshirt. They come in gray and black and are sure to keep you warm. The sweatshirts will have the MATE logo on them as well.
MATE 60th Anniversary Celebratory Beer Glass
Strikingly attractive, the 16 ounce Craft Master One is a triple threat in glassware: ergonomic, sensory enhancing and versatile. It's a classic glass for everyday enjoyment. Designed to maximize and retain aromas, it’s tapered body and flared lip create an optimal drinking experience. It will feature the MATE's 60th Anniversary logo on the front and a spiral nucleation on the bottom. What is Nucleation? It's a feature added to glassware that provides a rich and complete sensory experience. By laser etching tiny grooves into the inside base of a glass, dissolved CO₂ has something to latch on to and form bubbles. This gentle agitation produces a steady stream of effervescent fizz that rises to the surface, carrying aroma-containing volatiles with it. We hope to have a mock up soon.
MATE 60th Anniversary Celebratory Tumbler
The Rastal Harmony Tumbler Glass is a fantastic stemless wine glass with a bowl of 13.5 ounce glass tapers to a smaller mouth which helps concentrate aromatics, making for a fuller, exceptional drinking experience. This will feature the MATE's 60th Anniversary logo. We hope to have a mock up soon.
60th Anniversary Events
Come and celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Materials Engineering Department with alumni, industry partners, alumni parents, student parents, faculty, staff, and students. The festivities will begin with the SLO Farmer’s Market and lead into several days of activities, which include lab tours, banquets, wine and beer tasting, opportunities to attend a MATE class, outdoor activities, a sculpture dedication to R.C. Wiley, the founder of the department, and so much more!
Day 1: Thursday, May 19th
Farmer's Market- Downtown SLO
Time: 6:00pm-9:00pm
Location: Downtown SLO
Open to: all
We will be meeting as a group at 6:30 at “BarrelHouse Brewering SLO – Taproot” located at 1033 Chorro St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 before everyone takes off and explores the Farmer’s Market on their own.
Day 2: Friday, May 20th
Explore the Materials Engineering Department
Time: 9:00am-12:00pm
Location: Materials Engineering (Building 41A)
Open to: All General Admission ticket holders
Details: Experience the Materials Engineering classrooms and laboratories to see where “Learn By Doing” happens. Observe a MATE 215 lab class and experience our student in actions. This class focuses on the processing structure-properties relationships of materials. See our newly installed upgrades in our Computational Analysis multimedia classroom. Learn about our current plans to upgrade labs in order to accommodate new equipment. Stop by the Materials Engineering Technical Conference to see the seniors presenting their senior projects. You will also get to mingle with students, student clubs, and faculty members.
Cal Poly Campus Tours
Time: 9:00am-10:30am
Location: Cal Poly Campus (meeting spot TBD)
Open to: First 25 to RSVP with General Admission tickets
Details: Take a quick overview tour of the Cal Poly campus at large and see all the changes that have taken place since you last visited.
MATE's 60th Anniversary Lunch Banquet
Time: 12:00pm-1:30pm
Location: Bldg. 197-107
Open to: All General Admission ticket holders
Details: Join us for a luncheon after all our morning activities with the Chair of Materials, the Dean of the College of Engineering and other guests from Cal Poly.
R.C. Wiley Dedication
Time: 2:00pm-2:30pm
Location: Building 41
Open to: All General Admission ticket holders, campus, and invited alumni
Details: Please join us for the official unveiling of the “Atom Shifter,” a sculpture Bob Adams and Steve Paterson helped build and fundraise with other alumni to honor the MATE Department’s first chair R.C. Wiley and the department's 60th Anniversary. The sculpture, which was installed near Building 41, depicts two common atomic arrangements of iron.
Class of 2020 Commencement Celebration
Time: 3:00pm-4:30pm
Location: TBD
Open to: 2020 graduates, family guests, MATE faculty and staff
Details: This event is for the graduates of 2020, their family guests, and the MATE Faculty and Staff. Unfortunately, due to COVID, the Class of 2020 did not get to have a Commencement Ceremony. So now we can all come together and celebrate this special occasion with a modified ceremony, light refreshments, and yard games.
Day 3: Saturday, May 21st
Hike Cal Poly Canyon
Time: 8:30am-10:00am
Location: Cal Poly's Design Village (Meet at K2 Parking lot)
Open to: All General Admission ticket holders
Details: Join Dr. Trevor Harding for a hike down Cal Poly Canyon to explore Cal Poly’s Canyon Design Village. It is a hamlet of unique and varied structures built over the decades by architecture students at California Polytechnic State University. Design Village is located on a quiet grassy hillside contoured by babbling creeks shaded by coast live oaks. The village is a short distance from the Cal Poly campus and creates a pleasant and interesting destination for a 2.5-mile hike with 300 feet of elevation gain.
SLO Botanical Garden Tour
Time: 9:00am-10:00am
Location: San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden
Open to: Paid RSVP ($10/person)
Details: Knowledgeable docents will lead your group on a fascinating tour through our two-acre Garden or our Sustainable Facilities. A visit to the Garden is an exceptional learning experience. Each trail within the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden is rich with botanical samplings of Mediterranean climate plants and offers countless opportunities for exploring natural wonders. There is a max of 80 attendants so RSVP quick if interested.
Liquid Gravity Luncheon
Time: 11:00am-2:00pm
Location: Liquid Gravity
Open to: All General Admission ticket holders
Details: Let’s celebrate together at the local brewery, Liquid Gravity. There will be live music from the local band, Brass Mash, food, yard games and more. We will be selling specialty cans of beer from Liquid Gravity featuring a special edition “MATE’s 60th Anniversary” label, in addition to Liquid Gravity’s beer selection.
MATE's 60th Anniversary Banquet Dinner
Time: 5:00pm-9:00pm
Location: The Embassy Suites
Open to: All General Admission ticket holders
Details: Wrap up the Materials Engineering’s 60th Anniversary with a dinner banquet at The Embassy Suites. You can anticipate dinner, drinks, a DJ, music, a photo booth, merchandise, and more, but most importantly great company. You don’t want to miss the last formal event of this epic anniversary celebration.
