PULLMAN, Wash. — Wendy Powers will be the next dean of Washington State University’s agricultural college.

Currently associate vice president of agriculture and natural resources at the University of California, Powers’ appointment as the head of WSU’s College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resources begins on Aug. 15.

A priority will be finding resources for the college, including more facilities, expanding research programs and hiring more faculty and staff to support those programs, Powers told the Capital Press.

“Also increasing student enrollment, and really trying to get those numbers up there,” she said. “All of that with an effort towards trying to ensure WSU and the college are really present in every community across the state and making a difference in the lives of all the Washingtonians.”

Powers said she’s “eager” to meet farmers and ranchers and hear about their concerns and needs from the college.

“I think there’s a great future in agriculture,” she said. “We’ve seen through the pandemic how important local food production and food access is. I’m eager to work with them and advance that any way we can.”

Powers replaces former dean André-Denis Wright, who led the college from 2018 to 2021. Interim dean Rich Koenig has overseen CAHNRS since mid-2021.

“We applaud WSU for selecting an experienced leader who understands the land-grant mission and the importance of collaboration,” said Glen Squires, CEO of the Washington Grain Commission. “We look forward to working with Dr. Powers. We’ve had good working relationships with past deans, and we certainly believe we’ll be able to work well with Dr. Powers.”

During the hiring process, Powers’ extension experience stood out, Squires said. He said he was impressed by her ability to apply research in the countryside.

“We are pleased by the announcement of Dr. Powers’ selection as the next Dean of CAHNRS,” said Jon DeVaney, president of the Washington State Tree Fruit Association. “It is a testament to the shared commitment of WSU and its stakeholders to the mission of CAHNRS that we were able to recruit a candidate of Dr. Powers’ background and experience. We look forward to continuing the cooperative relationship we have enjoyed with Dr. Wright and Dr. Koenig in strengthening CAHNRS programs and the state’s agricultural sector.”

Powers stood out from the beginning during a “very broad national search” because of her breadth of leadership experience, WSU provost Elizabeth Chilton told the Capital Press.

Powers’ position at the University of California gives her “system-level experience,” Chilton said.

“Which, of course, for WSU, we have a footprint in every county,” Chilton said.

Finalists for the position spent two days at WSU, including visiting an extension site in Prosser. Powers reported back to Chilton what she’d heard and her ideas if offered the position.

“She is an amazing listener,” Chilton said. “I think what (farmers) are going to find is someone who really listens and takes seriously the land-grant mission to serve the communities and state of Washington, and will be really listening to them, as to how we can help meet those needs.”

Powers said she’s particularly excited to emphasize undergraduate and graduate education alongside WSU’s cooperative extension and agricultural experiment stations.

“WSU has an amazing reputation in research, cooperative extension and education,” she said. “I’m very excited about being part of that legacy.”

Powers holds a doctorate in animal science and a master’s degree in dairy science from the University of Florida, and a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Cornell University.

According to a WSU press release, as a scientist, Powers linked research discovery with outreach to the livestock industry, providing knowledge and tools to help producers reduce their environmental impacts while staying competitive and meeting growing consumer demand.

Powers has been associate vice president at UC since 2016. She previously worked at Iowa State University and Michigan State University.