Career Services Advisory Council (CSAC)

Dean, Emeritus of Cal Poly’s College of Science and Mathematics

Phil Bailey is dean emeritus of Cal Poly’s College of Science and Mathematics and professor emeritus in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department. He is currently Director of the Frost Fund, a program developed with a $110M donation to Cal Poly’s College of Science and Mathematics for the support of undergraduate research and academic program excellence.  He joined Cal Poly’s faculty in 1969 after earning BS and Ph.D. degrees in chemistry from the University of Texas (Austin) and Purdue University respectively. He became associate dean in 1973, dean in 1983 and was Interim Vice-President for Academic Affairs in 1989-90 and Interim Provost for three months in spring and summer of 2015.  

Dr. Bailey and his wife Dr. Christina Bailey (Professor and Chair Emeritus of Cal Poly’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry) are co-authors of a number of books including Organic Chemistry, A Brief Survey of Concepts and Applications (Prentice Hall, 6th Edition; English, Spanish, Japanese, Korean).

Dr. Bailey has assumed major leadership roles in several facilities projects including Faculty Offices East, the Baker Center for Science and Mathematics, acquisition of the Cal Poly Pier to support the Center for Coastal Marine Sciences and the currently under construction William and Linda Frost Center for Research and Innovation.

President of Belami Ecommerce

Bio coming soon.

Director, Talent Programs

Since joining Apple in 1999, Audra has served in key roles that fuel Apple’s talent pipeline. She built Apple’s Finance Development and recruiting programs, IS&T's Development Program, and Launch@Apple, a program for first generation college students. Most recently, she has been involved with starting talent programs for Real Estate & Development and Apple TV Production Finance.

Prior to her tenure with Apple, Audra held positions with Cummins Inc. in HR, Labor Relations, and International HR. Audra holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Northwestern University and a Master of Arts degree in Labor & Industrial Relations from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Vice President of Business Development, Mayfield

Gamiel is the Chief Commercial Officer for Mayfield Fund, which is an early stage venture capital firm based in California for over 50 years. Gamiel and his team support market adoption and funding support for the entire portfolio of Mayfield's investments that includes investments in Enterprise IT, SaaS, Consumer, Human and Planet Health startup companies. Gamiel has a formalized rubric to support early Product Market Fit for startup companies.

Associate Director of Corporate Relations, UC Irvine - Bren School of Information & Computer Science

Jason King is the Associate Director of Corporate Relations at UC Irvine - Bren School of Information & Computer Science. He has previously worked for companies in the energy management and energy solutions industries, focusing on various technologies including Fuel Cells, EV Charging Stations, HVAC, Solar, Micro-Grids, and Battery Storage Systems. A graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Jason holds degrees in Communications Business. He also holds various certifications in energy and sustainability. Currently, Jason is the Vice-President of the Cal Poly Orange County Alumni Chapter. Additionally, he is the Co-Founder and President of the Young Professionals In Energy (YPE)- Orange County Chapter. Focusing on “Future Forward Thinkers”. In his free time, Jason is an avid surfer, sailor, mountain biker, and all around outdoor enthusiast. He also regularly volunteers with various non-profit and outreach organizations focused on helping disadvantaged individuals and communities. 

Principal at McKenzie Intermediate School in Guadalupe

Alex Jáuregui is a Principal at Kermit McKenzie Intermediate School in Guadalupe, CA. Alex graduated from UCSB with a BA in History, received his teaching credential from Cal Poly and later received his Masters in Educational Leadership. His focus as an educator has been to ensure all doors are open for all students. He believes all students can succeed and its our job to help ensure it. Alex currently resides in Santa Maria with his wife Janet and his 4 children.

Vice President, Network Management, Regal Medical Group

Sabrina Linnemann is Vice President of Network Management for Regal Medical Group, one of the largest physician networks in Southern California. In this position, she is responsible for oversight, management and strategic growth of the primary care physician network in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, representing nearly 1200 primary care physicians. Regal Medical Group provides healthcare for over 600,000 insured members in Southern California through a network of physicians, hospitals, urgent care centers, and ancillary healthcare services.

Prior to working for Regal, Sabrina was the Director of Operations for Concentra, the nation’s largest occupational medicine and urgent care provider. In that position, she was responsible for all aspects of operations in the Southern California and Hawaii regions, which served 1600+ patients per day and generated over $45M of revenue annually. She credits Concentra’s emphasis on professional development through leadership training as instrumental in preparing her for a position of greater responsibility.

Sabrina began her healthcare career in a less traditional path. She worked with her husband to start up his medical practice and learned the business from the ground up, to include all aspects of business operations, work flow development, facilities and leasing, and revenue cycle management. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Health Systems Management from Chapman University while working and caring for her three children. Her educational goals were hard fought as she balanced a young family and a growing medical practice with her desires for personal achievement. Her education was started and stopped several times along the way, but she persevered and ultimately completed her degree at Chapman. Sabrina’s desire to coach and mentor students is inspired by the non-traditional path she followed in pursuit of her educational and professional goals.

George is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Penserra, a boutique investment bank.

Developing innovative products/services, implementing precise solutions, and engaging in effective recruiting are at the forefront of George’s leadership focus. He leads the Executive Committee, which sets the firm’s strategic direction, working across all business lines to ensure Penserra is focused on its client’s most critical trading and investment objectives. George is also Chairman of the Board of Directors. Prior to founding Penserra, George spent fourteen years at Barclays Global Investors (BGI), which is now part of BlackRock, in various senior capacities including Head of Transition Management and Senior Portfolio Manager overseeing an international equity strategies team. Before working at BGI, he also worked for Baxter International and Conagra in finance roles.

George is very active with the local community. He is the treasurer and finance committee chair for Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area. George is also the former treasurer and current board advisor for Pangea Legal Services, a legal advocacy group for immigrant rights. He is also an investment committee member for the Community Foundation of Mendocino. In 2001, George established the Penserra Foundation, a nonprofit entity focused on working with communities and organizations to promote diversity, education, and the well-being of children. George is a California State University, Fullerton graduate with a BS in Finance. He is also a graduate of Columbia University with a MBA focus in securities analysis and a  graduate of University of California, Berkeley with a MBA focus in business strategy. Jorge is also an EMpower Top 100 Ethnic Minority Executive Role Model of 2020.

Human Resources Analyst, County of San Luis Obispo

Stephanie Nute is a Human Resources Analyst with the County of San Luis Obispo. In this role she partners with various County departments, including everything from internal support departments to the Library to outside partner agencies like the Regional Transit Authority and Air Pollution Control District, to provide a full range of Human Resources Support. Stephanie provides subject matter expertise in regard to recruitment and outreach efforts, succession planning, organizational development, compliance, career pathing, learning and development, and more. With a passion for recruitment and retention, Stephanie has been active in the County's efforts to modernize their approaches to attract the best talent, and support employees with learning and development opportunities. Additionally, Stephanie advocates for Family Friendly Workplaces, and has participated in events with the local city's Chamber of Commerce to promote programs and policies to support families. Stephanie is an alumni of Cal Poly's College of Liberal Arts with a degree in Psychology. Prior to joining the County in 2017, Stephanie spent 7 years in non-profit management, solidifying her dedication to public service and providing support to employees. Stephanie also holds a SHRM (Society for Human Resource's Management) Certified Professional certification. She is certified and conducts TalentSmart Emotional Intelligence courses and Clifton Strengths Finders trainings.

Business Ops and Strategy at Adobe, former Career Services Ambassador

Epsa Sharma is a 2020 graduate from the Orfalea College of Business, where she majored in Business Administration, concentrating in Information Systems & a minor in Media, Arts, Science, Technology & Society.

Her professional career after college include working as an Information Security Analyst at VMware, to Business Operations & Workforce Management at Walmart Connect. She is currently at Adobe, as a Business Operations & Strategy Analyst for the Adobe Cloud Technology Platform. As someone with a passion for building connections on a personal & professional front, the world of 'BizOps' world serves as the connective tissue of a Business, the true intersection of people, operations & systematic thinking.

Epsa's previous roles have focused on spearheading programs & strategies focused on employee growth & retention, in alignment with analyzing the analytical & financial sector of Workforce Management operations. Her most memorable corporate experience occurred at Walmart Connect, where she managed the Operative Planning of Contractor workers, launched University Recruiting strategy, implemented Recruitment Marketing & Branding across all sub-teams, & worked on Location Strategies to identify new office locations to match company growth.

At Adobe her role leverages her previous experiences, but is focused more on long term strategy & impact. She works cross-functionally to connect key partners to gather technical & business insights to build a story that resolves pain points faced by the company. Within her data storytelling, project/program management, Epsa aims to have a proactive & intentional Diversity, Equity & Inclusion focus.

In her free time, she enjoys hosting her podcast @ReimaginedPodcast, exploring the new restaurants, coffee shops & local concerts that San Francisco has to offer!

Former Vice President of Administrative Services, Northrup Grumman

Kraig graduated with a BS in Environmental Engineering from California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo and an MBA from UCLA. Kraig Scheyer retired from a 34 year career in the Aerospace Industry. His most recent position was with Northrop Grumman as Vice President of Administrative Services. He now is self employed making custom craftsman furniture and home restoration. He volunteers with Habitat for Humanity providing process improvement consulting and is on the board of a nonprofit.

Kraig also provides support to businesses in the areas of project management systems, project management of construction projects, travel, and environmental health and safety. Kraig has served as chair of the Cal Poly College of Engineering Dean’s Advisory Council and Is now representing Cal Poly on the California State University Alumni Council. He is also a member of the Cal Poly Alumni Association Board of Directors. In 2021 Kraig was nominated as an Honored Alumni and received the Distinguished Service Award from Cal Poly.

Superintendent of the Fillmore Unified School District

Christine Schieferle serves as the Superintendent of the Fillmore Unified
School District in Ventura County, California. She has a strong educational
background, holding a bachelor's degree in psychology from San Diego State
University and a master's degree in educational leadership from California
State University, Northridge. Throughout her career, Mrs. Schieferle has held
various teaching and administrative positions. Prior to becoming the
superintendent, she worked as the Deputy Superintendent of Educational
Services for the Santa Paula Unified School District. Additionally, she
served as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction at the Ventura County
Office of Education. In the Fillmore Unified School District, Mrs. Schieferle
has served as an Elementary Principal, Continuation High School Principal,
High School Assistant Principal, and Middle School Teacher. In each of these
roles, she has consistently demonstrated high expectations, compassion, and
dedication. She strongly believes in providing comprehensive support and
fostering strong collaboration and communication with students, families,
staff, and the community. Mrs. Schieferle is known for her advocacy for
students and strives to create collaborative and inclusive systems that
address the diverse needs of students, families, and staff within her
district. Her leadership approach emphasizes student success and well-being,
and she actively works to build a positive and supportive educational
environment.

Human Resources Manager, Cal Poly Corporation

Lauri Shiffrar is an experienced human resources (HR) professional with expertise in the private, non-profit, public and government sectors. She currently serves as a human resources manager with Cal Poly Corporation (CPC). Her key responsibilities in this role include employee relations, performance management and evaluation, learning and development and talent acquisition. Lauri enjoys engaging with the leadership team as a change-advocate, coaching managers and supervisors for the betterment of their teams, as well as guiding staff on finding the best role for their strengths. She thrives on finding creative solutions in the realm of human capital and management.

Prior to working at CPC, Lauri was an assessment analyst with the County of San Luis Obispo and the development coordinator for Marian Medical Center Foundation. She also previously worked in the wine and agriculture industries in Santa Barbara County.

A proud second-generation Cal Poly graduate, Lauri earned her Bachelor of Science in Economics from Cal Poly’s Orfalea College of Business. During her time as a Cal Poly student, she was president of the Economics Association and served on other committees. Lauri is a fifth-generation San Luis Obispo County native and enjoys spending time outdoors on the beautiful Central Coast.

Design Group Leader and Senior Mechanical Engineer, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Lynda Tesillo is a Design Group Leader and Senior Mechanical Engineer at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) working on modernizing and extending the life of the US nuclear stockpile. She attended California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, where she earned her BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Mechatronics. Lynda is very passionate about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) outreach and has been a strong advocate for women and minorities in STEM. She is active with various groups throughout LLNL including the Women’s Association and the Early Career Employees Group. She promotes LLNL's programs as often as she can to young students interested in STEM and strongly advocates for improving diversity in STEM fields.

Founder and President of Strategic Global Advisors, LLC

Cynthia Tusan, CFA is the Founder and President of Strategic Global Advisors, LLC, an employee-owned registered investment advisor based in Newport Beach, California. SGA manages approximately $3.2 billion in international, global and domestic equity strategies, primarily for institutional investors. Ms. Tusan’s investment career spans more than 20 years, including 16 years with Wells Fargo where she began in 1989 as a Senior Portfolio Manager. Ms. Tusan earned her BA in Economics from Bryn Mawr College and her MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA. She is a CFA charter holder and is a member of the CFA Society of Los Angeles and the CFA Society of Orange County.

Account Director, Cleanteach and Mobility, Antenna Group

Carlos Villacis is a seasoned communications and energy professional who supports Antenna's Cleantech and Mobility clients as Account Director. Prior to Antenna, Mr. Villacis spent nearly 5 years as a contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), culminating in his role as communications lead for DOE's sustainable transportation offices. Mr. Villacis has extensive experience in providing communications and analytical support for various public-sector, private-sector, and non-profit organizations, executing a myriad of successful campaigns concerning environmental sustainability (with an emphasis on clean energy). He earned a Master's degree in Environmental Policy from George Washington University, as well as a Bachelor's degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in Political Science.