For Joan Pinder (Chemistry '79), Cal Poly has shaped nearly every chapter of her life — from launching her career to inspiring generations of Mustangs in her own family. After years of volunteer leadership and service on the Cal Poly Alumni Association (CPAA) Board of Directors as the representative from the Bailey College of Science and Mathematics, Pinder will become the association's next president in July.

As president, Pinder hopes to strengthen connections among alumni, students and the university's colleges.

“I've found our alumni really care deeply about Cal Poly,” Pinder said. “I'd like to see more opportunities for students and alumni to get together on campus and talk about their experiences, such as what their careers looked like, how they got there and what kinds of jobs they had.”

Jennifer Fanning (Recreation Administration, ‘01), senior director of alumni engagement at Cal Poly, said she’s excited about the energy, insights and experience Pinder will bring to the role.

“She's really boots on the ground and is willing to roll up her sleeves and get to work,” Fanning said. “She leads by example and that’s exactly what you want in the president of a nonprofit board.”

Pinder’s love of Cal Poly helped inspire others in her family to be Mustangs as well. Her stepson, daughter, son-in-law and nephews all attended Cal Poly, and she has one granddaughter who graduated in June and another about to start in the fall.

Pinder has always been a hands-on learner, making a Cal Poly education the perfect fit for her.

“Growing up, I was a get-my-hands-dirty kind of kid,” she said. “I wanted to try it, do it, figure out how it worked. I looked at other students who had more theoretical knowledge, but they were reluctant to try anything. I was more of a dive-in-and-see-what-happens kind of person.”

A native of Orange County, Pinder came to Cal Poly as a home economics major before discovering a passion for chemistry through her interest in textiles and polymers. During a study-abroad program in Manchester, England her junior year she was able to enroll in a polymer and fiber science program which ultimately helped shape her senior project and career. 

While her first job after graduation was at a company that did polymers in industrial applications, she was soon recruited by a Silicon Valley startup in the computer disk drive industry, eventually serving as the executive director of IDEMA (International Disk Drive Equipment and Materials Association), a role that took her to Tokyo and Singapore to open international offices. 

Pinder has plenty of fond memories both on and off campus from her days as a student, from doing demonstrations in the chemistry lab during Poly Royal, to hiking up to the “P,” to going to the beach. She was also a member of the Alpha Phi sorority, which helped balance some of her time outside of the chemistry lab.

"They had just allowed sororities on campus,” she said. “We had parties but also did a lot of philanthropy. At the time, chemistry was a very male-dominated field, so being in a sorority and having a set of friendships was helpful. I liked the companionship and I felt like we were all very encouraging.”

As CPAA president, Pinder will be tasked with welcoming and keeping all Cal Poly alumni active and engaged, from new graduates to Cal Poly Maritime Academy alumni.

“I’m excited to bring everyone together," she said. “We all have a lot of similarities, and we’ll be trying to create more opportunities for joint events and encourage different groups to get together.”

She hopes to encourage all alumni, regardless of when they graduated or which campus they attended, to stay connected with Cal Poly, current students and one another. Keeping their contact information up to date ensures they can hear about opportunities to reconnect with the university and the Mustang community.

“Cal Poly would love to see you come back again and connect with a faculty member, connect with a club that you were a part of, connect with a sorority or fraternity,” she said. “Come back, see what we're doing, see what's changed, see what's the same and make some new friends, or meet some old friends.”

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