Jeffrey D. Armstrong began his tenure as Cal Poly's ninth permanent president on February 1, 2011, with a determination to enhance the University's renowned Learn by Doing teaching approach.

Dr. Armstrong brings to Cal Poly a blend of experience as an honored teacher, respected researcher, and experienced administrator. At Cal Poly, he has focused on ways to improve graduation rates. To further bolster student success, he has sought to expand university-industry partnerships to attract more applied research to the campus, thus increasing professional development experiences for faculty in order to enrich classroom instruction.

As a first-generation college graduate, Dr. Armstrong is particularly passionate about nurturing a campus climate that embraces inclusion and diversity. "To succeed in our increasingly multicultural society," Dr. Armstrong says, "our students need to experience the world as it really is."

As a member of the Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF) executive committee, Dr. Armstrong joins a dedicated coalition of senior business and higher education executives committed to advancing innovative solutions to U.S. education and workforce challenges.