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Campus: Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo -- July 03, 2001
Wehner to Lead Cal Poly Agriculture When Jen Appointment Final
David Wehner, an associate dean of Cal Poly's College of Agriculture,
has been named the interim dean pending Dean Joe Jen's expected confirmation
as U.S. undersecretary of agriculture for research, education and economics.
Jen's appointment is expected to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate by the
end of July.
Wehner would serve while Cal Poly conducts a national search to select
a new permanent dean. Wehner's appointment is through June 30, 2002, or
until a new dean is installed.
"We're fortunate to have an individual with Dave Wehner's administrative
abilities and grasp of our agriculture program available to lead the college
at this time," said Provost Paul Zingg. "Dave has proven he's
capable of providing the leadership necessary to keep the college moving
ahead in preparing students for the demands of a dynamic agriculture environment
in California."
Wehner has served as associate dean since 1997, responsible primarily
for the operation of the undergraduate program, including curriculum development,
student progress, advising and outreach. He has also worked with many
of the college's 11 departments on staffing, faculty evaluations and operation
issues and has directed the college's Multicultural Agriculture Program
Center.
Another of his responsibilities has been to oversee an initiative to introduce
agricultural topics into middle and high schools with large numbers of
underrepresented students.
Before his appointment as associate dean, Wehner served a year in a half-time
position as interim assistant dean, coordinating the college's graduate
program and aiding faculty members with research and public-service programs.
After teaching at the University of Illinois and University of Maryland,
Wehner joined the Cal Poly faculty in 1994 as head of the Environmental
Horticultural Science Department and a professor of turfgrass science.
He earned a doctorate in agronomy with a minor in biochemistry in 1979
from Penn State University, where he had earned his master's degree. As
an undergraduate he majored in chemistry at the University of Notre Dame. |