Jeffrey D. Armstrong
University President
Jeffrey D. Armstrong began his tenure as Cal Poly's ninth permanent president on February 1, 2011. Before joining Cal Poly, he served as dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and professor of Animal Science at Michigan State University, beginning in 2001. Armstrong was head of the Department of Animal Sciences at Purdue University from 1997 to 2001 and served in various positions at North Carolina State University from 1986 through 1997. Armstrong attended Murray State University in Kentucky, where he earned a bachelor's degree in agriculture in 1981. He earned both a master's (1984) and doctorate (1986) in physiology and endocrinology from North Carolina State University.
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Lynette Zelezny
Acting Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Dr. Lynnette Zelezny serves as acting provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, overseeing the university’s six colleges, Kennedy Library, academic programs, research and economic development, graduate education, financial aid, and enrollment services. She is president emerita of CSU Bakersfield, where she served from 2018 to 2023, following a distinguished 30-year tenure at Fresno State as provost and vice president for academic affairs and as an assistant professor of psychology. An environmental psychologist by training, Dr. Zelezny holds a Ph.D. in applied social psychology from Claremont Graduate University, an MBA with distinction from Fresno State’s Craig School of Business, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology from Cal Poly Humboldt (formerly Humboldt State).
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Allison Baird-James
Senior Vice President, Administration and Finance, Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Allison Baird-James oversees a broad portfolio that includes budget and fiscal management, facilities management, internal audit, housing operations, information technology, procurement, risk management, public safety and oversight of auxiliary operations. Baird-James has spent 14 years at UCLA, most recently serving for two years as interim vice chancellor and chief financial officer. Additionally, she served for 12 years as associate vice chancellor for business and finance solutions at UCLA, overseeing budget and fiscal management, insurance and risk management, procurement, tax, and business operations & systems. Prior to her work at UCLA, Baird-James spent 13 years at Stanford University, in a variety of university finance roles. Baird-James is a CSU alum, having earned a degree in business administration from Chico State. She is also a graduate of the executive program in management at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, and she completed the Leadership at Stanford Program.
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Kathryn Rummell
Acting Vice President, University Personnel and Chief Human Resources Officer
Kathryn Rummell is responsible for managing the division of University Personnel, which includes the Human Resources and Academic Personnel departments and the Civil Rights and Compliance Office. University Personnel engages as a partner across campus to best serve the university employees and community. Kathryn began her career at Cal Poly as an assistant professor in the English Department. She has served in a variety of leadership roles on campus including associate department chair, department chair, interim dean for the College of Liberal Arts, and associate vice provost for Academic Personnel. After earning a bachelor’s degree in English at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, Kathryn earned master’s and doctorate degrees in English at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Meggan Levitt
Vice President Information Technology and Chief Information Officer
Meggan Levitt is the Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at Cal Poly, where she leads the strategic use of technology to foster innovation and collaboration across the university. Previously, she was the Associate Chief Information Officer and Assistant Vice Provost at the University of California, Davis, with over 27 years of IT experience. Meggan holds a Ph.D. in Higher Educational Leadership from Mercer University, a Master of Education in Adult and Organizational Learning from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from Indiana University.
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Chris Murphy
Vice President, University Communications and Marketing
Chris Murphy leads the communications and public relations arm of Cal Poly and serves on the President's Leadership Council, Cal Poly Local Economic Development Committee, Cal Poly Inclusive Excellence Council, as well as chairing the Cal Poly Strategic Preparedness Committee. Prior to joining Cal Poly, Chris led the public relations and corporate communications function of TSFC, a large consumer-product food company, as well as SUPERVALU, a Fortune 50 Company. Murphy obtained his bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing and communications from USC.
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Cody VanDorn
CEO, Cal Poly Partners
As the CEO of Cal Poly Partners, Cody VanDorn is responsible for the day-to-day operation of its programs and services, and strategically working with the board of directors, university leadership, and student body to collectively enhance the Cal Poly experience. He holds a finance degree from Cal Poly and is a graduate from the Stanford Project Management program.
Denise Isom
Interim Vice President, Diversity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer (CDO)
Dr. Denise Isom, chair of the Ethnic Studies Department, serves as the Interim Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer. Dr. Isom returns to lead OUDI after having previously served as the office’s interim Assistant Director and interim Director. Her scholarship and research agenda centers on racialized gender identity and has been published in numerous books and academic journals and she is the co-author of the forthcoming book “Multicultural Psychology: Self, Society, and Social Change." Isom is widely recognized for her many contributions to the university’s diversity, equity and inclusion work over the years, including having received the 2020 Martin Luther King Legacy Award this past February. Isom received her doctorate from Loyola University in Chicago in socio-cultural anthropology of education, and holds a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, a bachelor's of science degree in engineering and a bachelor's of arts degree in African American studies from the University of California at Davis.
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Terrance Harris
Vice President, Strategic Enrollment Management
Terrance Harris serves as the Vice President for Strategic Enrollment Management. He has spent most of his entire professional career in the enrollment space serving in roles in recruitment, as well as managing admissions advising and operations, data management, communications and enrollment development. Outside of his professional experience, Harris has coached high school basketball for 20 years and mentored hundreds of students as they navigated through this critical portion of their lives. His spouse and 3 young daughters are the inspiration for all that he does. Harris earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Cal Poly.
Jennifer Haft
Chief of Staff
Jennifer Haft oversees the daily operations of the President’s Office, which includes the office of Student Ombuds Services. In this role, she supports President Armstrong as a strategic advisor and works collaboratively with the senior leadership of the university to advance priorities and initiatives. She provides leadership for the president’s administrative staff as well as the units reporting to the president, including: University Events, Economic Development, and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) coordinator. She also serves as President Armstrongʼs point of contact with Cal Polyʼs Academic Senate, Associated Students, Inc., and other internal and external stakeholders. Jen was previously Assistant Vice President for Operations, Administration & Finance, and she served as Chief of Staff and Director of Presidential Operations at Texas A&M University-San Antonio (A&M-SA). Jen holds a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Communication and a master’s degree in Business Administration, both from Ohio University.
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Matthew Weinstein
Vice President of University Development Alumni Engagement
CEO of the Cal Poly Foundation
Weinstein brings more than 25 years of experience in higher education development to his new role. He has spent nearly a decade in senior-level positions at Carnegie Mellon. Previously, he was at the University of Pittsburgh, where he served as senior executive director of advancement for the Swanson School of Engineering. Weinstein will oversee a division that focuses on fostering strong relationships with internal and external partners to enhance support for Cal Poly. UDAE establishes and implements an overall advancement program, including coordinating fundraising, donor relations, gift processing, trust and endowment management, training and systems support for the donor database, and Cal Poly Foundation support and administration.
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Jessica Darin
Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Advocacy
Jessica Darin leads the proposed integration of Cal Poly and Cal Maritime, acting as a central point of oversight for several such projects at various stages of development. She also leads strategic planning, advocacy (federal, state, and community relations), and economic development efforts to align with the university’s mission and goals. Most recently, Jessica served as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives at the CSU Chancellor's Office on a two-year interim assignment. Before that, she was Chief of Staff to Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong for six years and spent three years as Deputy Chief of Staff for CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White, focusing on policy initiatives and strategic communication. Earlier, she worked for seven years at the Chancellor’s Office at UC Riverside. Jessica earned her bachelor's degree in English from UC Riverside and a master's degree in management from the University of Redlands.
Robin Webb
University Counsel
Robin Webb joined the Office of General Counsel in 2017 and previously served in a similar role at CSU San Bernardino. She also serves as resource attorney for first amendment, FMLA and residency. Before joining the CSU, Webb was a partner in the Irvine law firm of Grant, Genovese & Baratta where she was a trial attorney and insurance coverage counsel in many different types of civil litigation matters. Webb also served as a settlement officer for the Los Angeles County Superior Court and as a mediator in various jurisdictions. Webb earned a juris doctorate and a bachelor’s degree from USC.