2023-24 President's Scholars

Quinn Dougherty

Oscar Perlaza President’s Scholar

Major: Mechanical Engineering

College of Engineering

Activities: Member, Tau Beta Pi; Engineering intern, Motivo

One Word to Describe CPP: “Supportive. Between the Disability Resource Center, the Veterans Resource Center and the Maximizing Engineering Potential programs, I feel like Cal Poly Pomona invests in my success.”

After Quinn’s military aviator career was cut short by an injury, he realized that a large part of his love of flying came from his interest in engineering. Overcoming self-doubts about pursuing a rigorous academic program, he earned two associate degrees with a high GPA before transferring to Cal Poly Pomona and earned placement on the President and Dean’s honor lists. “My experience in aviation taught me how capable I can be in a technical field where I feel engaged.” Quinn feels that his unique background as a nontraditional student allows him to bring a different persepctive to his program. Space exploration, especially the search for life in our solar system, is one of his engineering career goals. Outside of his studies, Quinn enjoys repairing and making things as well as fostering dogs, mastering rope dart (a performance flow art based on martial arts weapon performed with an LED dart or one lit on fire) and going to concerts with his wife and friends.