Wash State Dean Tapped to Lead College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

The University of Maryland on Friday named Wendy Powers as dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, effective July 1. As dean, Powers will build on the college’s more than 150-year history to promote a culture of impactful scholarship and student success, advancing opportunities for interdisciplinary research and educational partnerships that support the university’s land-grant mission.

Powers will work with faculty, staff and students across the college to advance its strategic commitments to serve the public good, steward a healthy planet, feed and nourish communities and build a sustainable tomorrow, serving the state of Maryland and beyond. As dean, Powers will also serve as director of the Agricultural Experiment Station and University of Maryland Extension (UME). With four major program areas—Agriculture and Food Systems; Environment, Natural Resources and Sea Grant; 4-H Youth Development; and Family and Consumer Sciences—UME provides Maryland residents with grassroots-level support in their communities, on their fields and in their homes. UME has offices in every Maryland county and in Baltimore, and four research and education centers across the state.

“Dr. Powers possesses an exceptional track record in leading agricultural colleges to achieve remarkable success in fulfilling their core mission of serving communities,” said Senior Vice President and Provost Jennifer King Rice. “I am confident that her leadership will bring similar success to the University of Maryland, propelling the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources into its next phase of excellence.

Powers joins UMD from Washington State University (WSU), where she serves as the inaugural Cashup Davis Family Endowed Dean of the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences. In this role, Powers leads the college’s 13 departments and schools, serving more than 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students, and the WSU Extension, which has more than 40 offices and four research and extension centers across the state.

“I am thrilled to join the University of Maryland, one of the most prestigious land-grant research universities in the nation, to build upon more than a century of work to serve the public good,” said Powers. “I look forward to collaborating with communities on campus and beyond to build new and innovative opportunities for students, faculty and staff to the benefit of the people of Maryland and around the world.”

As dean, Powers led the development of a new vision for the college in support of its land-grant mission, emphasizing the university’s role in building a more resilient state and highlighting the college’s societal impacts. During her time at WSU, the college has consistently secured more than $20 million annually in gifts and foundation funds, and exceeded $100 million in grant expenditures for the first time. The college also raised its national ranking from No. 15 to No. 12.

Prior to WSU, Powers served as associate vice president for the Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of California, where she led academic, research and outreach programs, overseeing county-based cooperative extension outreach, 12 statewide programs and institutes, and nine research and extension centers across California.

Powers began her career at Iowa State University as an assistant professor and extension specialist. She then joined Michigan State University as a full professor in the departments of Animal Science, and Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, extension specialist, and director of environmental stewardship for animal agriculture in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. She was the first director of the Agriculture and Agribusiness Institute for Michigan State University Extension.

She has served in national leadership positions throughout her career, in professional societies, and on technical committees to develop policy guidance. Her scholarship is centered around reducing environmental impacts of the livestock industry.

Powers holds a B.S. in animal science from Cornell University, and an M.S. in dairy science and Ph.D. in animal science from the University of Florida.