Upon Dean Phil Bailey’s retirement after nearly half a century of working on campus, his successor has been announced and it’s one of Cal Poly’s very own.
Dean Wendt will be the the new dean of the College of Science and Mathematics starting July 1. Wendt graduated from Cal Poly with a bachelor’s degree in biology in 1993, and continued studying biology at Harvard for both his master’s and doctorate. In 2002 he returned to Cal Poly to teach.
Wendt was the associate dean of the College of Science and Mathematics from 2011 to 2014 and has been the dean of research since 2013. He also leads Cal Poly’s Center for Coastal Marine Sciences.
“I am deeply honored to serve as the next dean of Cal Poly’s College of Science and Mathematics,” Wendt said in a press release. “I look forward to working tirelessly on behalf of the staff, faculty, and students to achieve our collective vision and goals.”
Cal Poly Provost Kathleen Enz Finken, who announced Wendt’s new position, had high regards for his new role.
“Dean brings outstanding leadership skills and campus knowledge as well as a genuine love of Cal Poly and the College of Science and Mathematics,” Enz Finken said in a press release. “He credits his time as an undergraduate at Cal Poly as one of the most influential factors for his career path.”