President Jeffrey D. Armstrong
Jeffrey D. Armstrong began his tenure as Cal Poly's ninth permanent president on February 1, 2011. Prior to joining the Cal Poly family, he served as dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and professor of Animal Science at Michigan State University (MSU) beginning in 2001. Armstrong was head of the Department of Animal Sciences at Purdue University from 1997 to 2001. He served in various positions at North Carolina State University (NCSU) from 1986 through 1997.
Armstrong, who was raised on a beef cattle, swine and tobacco farm in Western Kentucky, attended Murray State University where he received a bachelor’s degree in agriculture in 1981. He received both a master’s (1984) and doctorate (1986) in physiology and endocrinology from NCSU.
The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) at MSU has a total budget of more than $290 million for more than 4,500 students. During Armstrong’s tenure, faculty general fund FTE increased 44 percent, overall grant activity increased 146 percent and annual development funds increased by more than 250 percent. More than $200 million (with over $60 million in endowments) has been raised during his tenure.
Through the efforts of Armstrong and other members of the administrative team, CANR undergraduate student minority population increased from 8.3 to 11.8 percent and minority faculty increased from 9.9 to 19 percent. In addition, annual revenue from off-campus credit instruction has increased more than 20 percent per year in each of the last six years.
As a faculty member at NCSU, Armstrong was engaged in the classroom, advising students, revising general university requirements and starting a Freshman College. He received numerous teaching awards at NCSU including the designation as Alumni Distinguished Professor for Undergraduate Teaching.
Armstrong’s laboratory-based research focused on nutrition and reproduction in bovine and porcine females and more recent work has been in social responsibility in the food chain. He has been a key participant in more than $9 million in grants and cooperative agreements. He has written or contributed to more than 45 scientific journal articles.
Armstrong also serves as chair of the United Egg Producers Animal Welfare Advisory Committee. He advises McDonald’s Corporation in animal welfare, as well as broader issues related to corporate social responsibility. He served as chair of the Board of Agriculture Assembly Farm Bill Committee and co-chair of CREATE-21 (Creating, Research, Extension and Teaching Excellence for the 21st century), and contributed to significant changes in the most recent Congressional Farm Bill. Armstrong also served on the USDA Agricultural Research, Extension, Education and Economics Advisory Committee and recently completed service on the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Seventh District Advisory Council.
He and his wife, Sharon, have two children. Jessica is a resident physician in obstetrics and gynecology and recently married Dean Gibbie, a third grade teacher. Zack is a finance major at MSU.