Kessler Named Associate Dean

Lisa Kessler

Lisa Kessler was appointed as associate dean of the College of Agriculture after holding the post in an interim capacity for more than two years.

Kessler has served as the interim associate dean since July 2013.  Her duties have included managing the dean’s office and college staff; overseeing personnel issues; managing facilities and space; and overseeing enrollment, curriculum and semester conversion.

Kessler came to Cal Poly Pomona in 2007 as an assistant professor in the Department of Human Nutrition and Food Science. She taught undergraduate courses, including two service-learning courses annually, and advised students. She was the principal investigator for the $248,000 Estudiante de Dietetica grant which created coursework for Dietetic students to become culturally competent to serve the Hispanic community.

In 2009, she was named director of the Didactic Program in Dietetics, overseeing the program’s curriculum and advising students regarding dietetic internships. Kessler was promoted to associate professor in 2011. She was the College of Agriculture’s Teacher of the Year in 2010 and the Advisor of the Year for 2013.

Prior to coming to Cal Poly Pomona, Kessler spent 10 years overseas, teaching or consulting in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Cyprus and Austria. She also held positions at Chaffey College; Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health; the University of Texas; Prince George’s Community College and Morgan State University in Maryland.

Kessler earned her bachelor’s degree with a concentration in biology from Muhlenberg College; a master’s degree in public health with a concentration in nutrition from the University of North Carolina; and a doctorate in public health with a concentration in maternal and child health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Hygiene and Public Health.

She also is registered dietitian and a certified ServSafe manager.

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