In 2006, we conducted a search for an external department head. We saw quite a number of candidates, but one of them was head and shoulders (and torso) above all of the rest, Ignatios Vakalis. We made the obvious and correct decision, and every year since then has confirmed our confidence and admiration for him.
This was a good year for us. Last year’s hires (Shinjiro Sueda and Davide Falessi) both are fantastic, and we also made two new hires (Lubomir Stanchev and Bruce DeBruhl). The Data Science minor / joint program with Statistics is coming along and looks very promising. Chris Lupo was on Sabbatical.
We’ve had two new deans since 2006, I believe; when Peter Lee left, we got Mohammad Noori. Noori left in 2010, and Erling Smith served as interim dean for a year while we conducted another search. We hired Deb Larson the next year, and she’s been here since then.
Bill Durgin was with us for a while, and then he wasn’t. Erstwhile Cal Poly administrator Robert Koob Served for … a year? … and was, I believe, widely admired in much the same way that Gerry Brown is–he was honest, not overly concerned with his upward career trajectory, and tried to do the best for the university.
When he stepped down, Kathleen Enz Finken was hired, and she’s been here ever since.
Warren Baker, Cal Poly president for many many years (30? 40?) stepped down about three years ago, and we hired Jeffrey Armstrong.