The goal of the Strawberry Center at Cal Poly is to increase the sustainability of the California strawberry industry through research and education that addresses industry needs. Formed in 2013 as a partnership between the California Strawberry Commission (CSC) and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the Center began with the hiring of a director, plant pathologist, research associate and admin coordinator. In the span of five years, the Center expanded its research reach to three main programs: plant pathology, entomology and automation.

In its first eight years, the Center secured over $2.5M in extramural funding and over $1.3M in gifts to conduct 149 projects. Cal Poly’s Learn-By-Doing philosophy fits seamlessly with the Center’s mission. As of July 2022, more than 110 students received industry-related work experience; 40 landed paid internships; 32 senior projects and 15 Master's theses were mentored by Center staff.