Dr. Wendy Wintersteen was selected by the Board of Regents Monday to serve as the next president of Iowa State University.

 

Wintersteen, 61, is the endowed dean of Iowa State's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the director of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station. She will take office November 20 as the first woman president of Iowa State.

 

"I want you to know that I look forward to working with all of you as we create an open, inclusive, and welcoming environment - where every student who works hard can achieve their full potential," Wintersteen said during the  presidential selection announcement .

 

During her 11 years as dean, undergraduate enrollment in the college has grown by 90%, making it the third largest undergraduate student body among the nation's agricultural colleges. The college's placement rate for recent graduates has consistently been 97% or higher. The college's Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative has prepared students who've started companies and created hundreds of jobs. For four of the last five years, Iowa State's agricultural programs have been ranked in the top ten among thousands of universities worldwide.

 

As dean, Wintersteen has helped raise more than $247 million in donor support, while faculty in the college successfully brought in more than $550 million in external funding. 

"The board was impressed by her vision for Iowa State's future," said Mike Richards, president of the Board of Regents.

 

Prior to becoming dean in 2006, Wintersteen served as the college's senior associate dean and associate director of the Agriculture Experiment Station. She has also served as professor of entomology, director of Extension to Agriculture and Natural Resources, and coordinator of pesticide management and pesticide applicator training programs. She started her Iowa State career as an extension specialist in the Davenport and Des Moines areas working with farmers on integrated pest management - applying a diverse set of pest control strategies to maximize effectiveness and minimize risk to the environment.

Wintersteen earned a bachelor of science in crop protection (1978) from Kansas State University and doctorate in entomology (1988) from Iowa State.

 

Given her background, Wintersteen embraces Iowa State's land-grant mission.

 

"My goal is that we will make Iowa State University the best land-grant university in the nation," Wintersteen said. "I look forward to working with Governor Kim Reynolds and the state legislature to communicate the important successes that occur every day, and the value of Iowa State University to our communities and to developing increased economic activity in this state."

 

Wintersteen addressed the entire university community for the first time yesterday.

 

"I have seen this university grow and thrive as a result of a steadfast commitment to educate, innovate, and improve quality of life across Iowa and the world," she said in her email to the university community.

 

"As one of the most student-centered, public research universities in the country, Iowa State is well-positioned to prepare students as productive global citizens while addressing grand research challenges."

 

With a career spanning 38 years at the university, Wintersteen is "forever true to Iowa State."