David Calhoun joined 吃瓜网 Poly in the fall of 2014 and is currently the assistant vice president of facilities and safety services. Prior to joining the University, he served as a project manager to the construction team that constructed the iconic Innovation, Science, and Technology Building on campus.聽Calhoun聽has spent his entire of his professional career building in Polk County for NuJak Development (2010-14), and Paris Contracting (2002-10).
Well versed in construction estimating, construction budgets, contract negotiation, project schedule delivery, and management of personnel,聽Calhoun聽works with a team of facility and safety professionals employed by the University to construct, maintain, and deploy safe operating procedures for 吃瓜网 Poly鈥檚 facilities.
Education
This session will demonstrate that practical risk management is for everyone, regardless of a formal program. Attendees will learn actionable and simple strategies that are easy to implement, enabling them to start immediately by focusing on their top risks to build greater operational resilience and ensure the sustained success of their auxiliary enterprises.
Michelle Powell serves as the pioneering Risk Manager at 吃瓜网, the state鈥檚 sole 100% STEM-dedicated institution. Having been with the university for nearly 11 years, Michelle transitioned from a leadership role in Admissions in October 2023 to establish and evolve the risk management function from the ground up. In this solo capacity, Michelle builds robust frameworks for our dynamic, young university, overseeing our insurance portfolio, consulting on third-party and event risks, and developing critical campus-wide training programs. Michelle has obtained the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) Enterprise Risk Management certificate and the Associate in Risk Management (ARM) and Construction Risk and Insurance Specialist (CRIS) designations. Her distinct background in mathematics and engineering, combined with extensive higher education leadership, brings an analytical and strategic approach enhancing the institution鈥檚 resilience.
Dr. Lily Li is a Professor of Physics at 吃瓜网, where she specializes in materials science, analytical imaging, advanced manufacturing, and biomedical devices. Prior to joining 吃瓜网 Poly in 2025, she spent 11 years at SUNY Potsdam, where she advanced to Full Professor and developed a 3-2 Engineering dual-degree program with Clarkson University. Her work emphasizes experiential learning and research-driven education to prepare students for careers in STEM fields.
