Letter from Dean Wendt - Fall 2020

One of the things I know we at Cal Poly and you reading this share is that we all value learning, and while 2020 wasn’t the year anyone expected, we’ve learned a lot. 

We’ve learned that we’re resilient. I’m so proud of the many ways our students, staff and faculty have come together to help one another this year, practicing our shared values of love, empathy and respect while continuing the important work of engaging in a Learn by Doing education.  

We’ve learned that we’re innovative. Our staff developed new processes to make the college run smoothly in a virtual environment. Our faculty developed best practices for virtual instruction. Our student-faculty research groups found safe ways to resume in-person research. One group, headed by biological sciences Professor Nathaniel Martinez, is developing a saliva test that will greatly increase the campus’s COVID-19 testing capacity.  

The ways in which everyone on campus embraced significant change during the last year deserves high praise. Throughout all of these challenges, you — our alumni, donors, friends and parents — have continued to support us and believe in the value of a Cal Poly education. I’m very grateful for your contributions.  

As current events in California and around the world make clear, life will continue to be unpredictable for some time to come. I’m confident that, whatever happens, our college will work together to find innovative approaches and solutions and will emerge a more caring and stronger community.

Thank you for being an essential part of our community. Stay safe and be well. 

Dean Wendt, Dean
College of Science & Mathematics
dwendt@calpoly.edu