Wendy Wintersteen, interim dean of Iowa State University's College of Agriculture and interim director of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station since August 2005, will permanently serve in these positions effective Jan. 1, 2006. 

Wintersteen was selected from a field of five finalists identified through a nationwide search.  Labh Hira, dean of the College of Business, chaired the 20-member search committee.

"Dr. Wintersteen has been an exceptional faculty member and administrator in our College of Agriculture, and she will make an outstanding dean," said Iowa State University President Gregory Geoffroy.  "She is very knowledgeable about agriculture, and she has excellent relationships with people throughout the agricultural community.  We're extremely pleased that she has accepted this very important position for Iowa State University and for agriculture nationally." 

Wintersteen succeeds Catherine Woteki, who left ISU last July to become global director of scientific affairs for Mars Inc., McLean, Va.

Prior to becoming interim dean, Wintersteen was senior associate dean of the college and associate director of the experiment station from 2000 to 2005.  In other ISU positions (1979 to 2000), Wintersteen was entomology professor; director of extension to agriculture and natural resources; coordinator of pesticide management and pesticide applicator training programs; and extension associate in the entomology department and two extension area offices.  From 1989 to 1990, Wintersteen also was acting national pesticide education program leader for the USDA-Extension Service in Washington, D.C.

Wintersteen earned a bachelor of science degree in crop protection (1978) from Kansas State University, Manhattan; and a doctorate in entomology (1988) from Iowa State.