CSU Trustees Appoint Jeffrey Armstrong as New President of Cal Poly

Jeffrey Armstrong

Jeffrey Armstrong

Dec. 15, 2010 - The California State University Board of Trustees today named Jeffrey D. Armstrong, dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and professor of Animal Science at Michigan State University, as president of California Polytechnic State University.

"Cal Poly has an excellent reputation for preparing the knowledge leaders that help to drive California's economy," said Armstrong. "I am honored to join such an outstanding university and excited about engaging students, faculty and alumni to build on its strong foundation and create opportunities for the future."

Armstrong was one of three finalists for the position who visited the campus during the last week of November and met with the trustees for a final interview Dec. 13. Armstrong will assume the Cal Poly presidency beginning Feb. 1, 2011. He succeeds Interim President Robert Glidden, who joined the campus in August following the retirement of President Warren J. Baker, who led the campus since 1979.

"Dr. Armstrong's outstanding academic credentials, leadership abilities and strong grounding in agriculture and science will be tremendous assets to the university and the community as it moves forward," said CSU Trustee Roberta Achtenberg, chair of the presidential search committee. "His reputation for teaching excellence and commitment to student-centered learning are the right complements to Cal Poly's learn-by-doing philosophy."

Armstrong has been in his current position at MSU since 2001 and previously served as head of the Department of Animal Sciences at Purdue University from 1997 to 2001. He served in various positions at North Carolina State University from 1986 through 1997.

Armstrong attended Murray State University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in agriculture in 1981. He received both a master’s and doctorate in physiology and endocrinology at NCSU. Armstrong was raised on a beef cattle, swine and tobacco farm in Western Kentucky.

During his tenure at MSU, Armstrong worked to increase minority student enrollment and faculty hiring and raised more than $200 million for the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Armstrong's recent research has focused on social responsibility in the food chain. He serves as chair of the United Egg Producers Animal Welfare Advisory Committee and advises McDonald's Corporation in animal welfare and broader issues related to corporate social responsibility. Armstrong also recently completed service on the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Seventh District Advisory Council.

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Cal Poly is a nationally ranked, four-year comprehensive public university located in San Luis Obispo, between San Francisco and Los Angeles on California's Central Coast. It is a distinctive learning community offering academically focused students a hands-on educational experience that prepares them for today's scientific and technical world.

The California State University is the largest system of senior higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, approximately 433,000 students year round and 44,000 faculty and staff. Since the system was created in 1961, it has awarded nearly 2.5 million degrees, about 90,000 annually. The CSU is renowned for the quality of its teaching and for the job-ready graduates it produces. A recent economic report found that the CSU supports more than 150,000 jobs statewide annually. The engine driving job creation is more than $17 billion in economic activity that directly results from CSU-related spending that generates $5.43 for every dollar the state invests. The mission of the CSU is to provide high-quality, affordable education to meet the ever-changing needs of the people of California. With its commitment to excellence, diversity and innovation, the CSU is the university system that is working for California.