DR. BILL HENDRICKS NAMED INTERIM DEAN

Dr. Bill Hendricks was named interim dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES) in January 2024. He most recently served as an associate dean for CAFES from Aug. 2020 through Dec. 2022. As associate dean, he oversaw college operations and enrollment management.

Since joining Cal Poly in 1994, Hendricks has taught in the Recreation Administration Program and served as professor and first department head for the Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration Department. In 2016, he oversaw the transition of the Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration to the Experience Industry Management Department — making it one of the first of its kind in the country. In recent years, he has been a critical player in the development of a vision and launch of the Experience Innovation Lab within the college's Boswell Agricultural Technology Center housed in the Frost Center for Research and Innovation. He is the recipient of Cal Poly's Distinguished Scholarship award; Cal Poly’s Distinguished Faculty Service-Learning award; and the CAFES Faculty Teaching Excellence award. 

A former park ranger, Hendricks earned a doctorate in recreation and leisure from the University of Utah with an allied area in organizational communication and behavior. He earned his master’s in business and public administration from John F. Kennedy University with an emphasis in general management, and his bachelor’s degree in recreation administration specializing in park and natural resources from California State University, Chico.

Hendricks will continue in this role through Aug. 31, 2024, or until the permanent dean appointment is made, whichever is sooner.

 A national search for a permanent dean for the college is underway.