Meet The Team
Emily McSwain (she/her)
President
Emily McSwain is a third-year Graphic Communication student concentrating in Design Reproduction Technology, and minoring in Child Development. She is from Mill Valley, California, and chose Graphic Communication at Cal Poly because she believes it is the perfect intersection between creative and technical disciplines. In the future, Emily hopes to work in desktop publishing or branding at a creative agency. In Emily’s free time, she loves cooking, reading, yoga, and practicing film photography. Her favorite activities in San Luis Obispo are hiking by the beach and trying new restaurants. As President, Emily project manages the team in the compilation, design, and production of the technical research journal. She leads team and general meetings, facilitates design critiques, and collaborates on projects with the team. TAGA has allowed Emily to step outside of her comfort zone and become a leader. She loves the bond that the executive board has developed together and is so proud of the hard work put into the journal.
Victoria Plumb (she/her)
Vice President
Victoria Plumb is a fourth-year Graphic Communication student concentrating in Design Reproduction Technology, and minoring in Psychology. She is from Los Angeles, California, and chose Graphic Communication because she wanted to pursue something where she could visually communicate her ideas. She also loved Cal Poly’s “learn by doing” philosophy and that students can start taking their major classes freshman year. In the future, she would love to work in visual communication or design for a mental health organization. In Victoria’s free time, she loves collecting and designing jewelry. As TAGA’s Vice President, Victoria helps the president project manage the different coordinator positions, as well as lead and summarize meetings. She has learned how to delegate responsibilities, set realistic goals and timelines, and is grateful for this incredible opportunity.
Kaylee Kitayama (she/her)
Design Coordinator
Kaylee Kitayama is a fourth-year Graphic Communication student, concentrating in UX/UI, and minoring in Computing for Interactive Art. She is from Beaverton, Oregon. Kaylee hopes to go into art direction or UX design for an animation studio or a creative agency in the future. Kaylee chose Graphic Communication because of the variety of fun classes and opportunities in the field. She has been able to get a well-rounded design foundation and has made so many amazing friends and connections along the way. In Kaylee’s free time, she enjoys spending time at Avila Beach and shopping locally at the farmers market every week. As TAGA’s design coordinator, Kaylee is in charge of all design-related operations for the technical journal. This includes everything from illustrating to creating the overall layout and typography. Kaylee has thoroughly enjoyed her time in TAGA so far and has loved getting to learn from and work alongside so many talented individuals.
Lindsay Hynes (she/her)
Marketing Coordinator
Lindsay Hynes is a third-year transfer student majoring in Graphic Communication with a concentration in Design Reproduction Technology. She is from Carlsbad, California, and aspires to go into marketing in real estate in the future. Lindsay transferred to Cal Poly because she enjoyed it’s “Learn By Doing” philosophy. Graphic Communication has helped Lindsay gather an understanding of the types of work she enjoys and can see herself doing in the future. Some of Lindsay’s favorite activities in San Luis Obispo are dancing at game days with the Cal Poly Dance Team and going to Shell Beach with friends. As the marketing coordinator, Lindsay schedules and designs TAGA’s social media posts and stories. She shares when meetings will be held, creative events, giveaways, and highlights our progress on the journal. TAGA has taught Lindsay that organization is key, setting deadlines is important, and having people around to hold each other accountable can be very helpful. Lindsay has enjoyed working with a group of passionate Graphic Communication students.
Ashley Hiraoka (she/her)
Digital Coordinator
Ashley Hiraoka is a third-year Graphic Communication student, concentrating in UX/UI. She is originally from Los Altos, California, and chose Graphic Communication at Cal Poly because she believes that it is the perfect combination of design and technology. She also enjoys learning about how her designs are brought to life through various printing processes. In the future, Ashley aspires to work in UX/UI, product design, or at a creative agency. In Ashley’s free time, she enjoys cooking, painting, and staying active, whether it be alpine skiing or running. As TAGA’s digital coordinator, Ashley is responsible for creating a website for the technical journal. This includes creating wireframes and prototypes, gathering content for the website, and trying to best convey the process of creating the technical journal through a digital format. Throughout her experience in TAGA, Ashley has loved getting to work with such talented individuals and getting to see the amazing work everyone produces. She is so grateful for this opportunity and is excited to share all of the team’s hard work.
Nicky Sandoz (he/him)
Production/AR Coordinator
Nicky Sandoz is a fourth-year Graphic Communication student concentrating in Management and is also minoring in Psychology. He is from Newport Beach, California, and fell in love with Cal Poly when he toured the campus his senior year in high school. He loves how interactive and hands-on Graphic Communication is, and believes that it is the best example of Cal Poly’s “Learn by Doing” philosophy. In the future, he hopes to get an MBA and help run a graphic arts/print business. In San Luis Obispo, Nicky loves driving to Avila Beach, camping on Cuesta Ridge, getting Scout Coffee, and eating at Pokerito. As the Production/AR coordinator, Nicky is responsible for arranging how the journal is presented virtually, as well as creating and coordinating the journal’s AR elements. So far, TAGA has taught Nicky a lot about working on a team remotely. He has also learned about how AR works and how to use it, and how to compile and assemble a technical journal.
Lilly Bras (she/her)
Research Coordinator
Lilly Bras is a second-year Graphic Communication student concentrating in UX/UI with a media arts minor. She is from Pleasanton, California, and chose Graphic Communication at Cal Poly because she loves design and it is the perfect location from her hometown. In the future, Lilly aspires to become a web and app designer or something related to film and video editing/animation. In San Luis Obispo, Lilly loves surfing, going to the beach, hiking, going downtown, and trying all of the amazing restaurants. As TAGA’s research coordinator, Lilly is responsible for receiving and editing all of the research papers that are featured in the journal. TAGA has taught Lilly about team-building skills, time management skills, and has allowed her to work for a professional team/club.
Dr. Ruoxi Rachel Ma (she/her)
Chapter Advisor
Dr. Ruoxi Rachel Ma is an assistant professor and the advisor of Cal Poly’s TAGA chapter. As a professor, she teaches Materials for Graphic Communication and Digital and Offset Printing Methods. Dr. Ma is from Xinjiang, China, and decided to come to Cal Poly because of its elite Graphic Communication program. She enjoys its state-of-the-art equipment, evolving curriculum, strong industry support, and most of all, the students, professors, and staff. In Dr. Ma’s free time, she enjoys hiking and going to the beach. She likes to explore hiking trails, especially the Bishop peak trail. She also loves going to a dog beach by Avila pier, where she can pet dogs and enjoy the fresh air. As the advisor of TAGA, her responsibility is to listen to her team members, facilitate open communication, and provide resources and support to areas of need. Her favorite part of TAGA is shadowing member meetings, where she can get to know more about each member and their passions, strengths, and needs. From being the advisor of TAGA, Dr. Ma has learned about project managing, marketing, and team building. She can’t wait to share the journal with students, colleagues, and professionals from the industry.
See what we've been up to!
During the 2020–2021 school year, the TAGA team was scattered across the West Coast. In order to remain connected while apart, we decided to safely pass around a point-and-shoot film camera. Analog photography was a way for us to unplug from digital devices and get to know our team members better. Below is a collection of photographs from the past several months.
