Dr. Wendy Wintersteen

Wendy Wintersteen served as the 16th president of Iowa State University from Nov. 20, 2017 until her retirement on Jan. 2, 2026. She spent her entire 46-year career at Iowa State, starting in 1979 as an Extension associate in integrated pest management. In 1988, she earned her Ph.D. in entomology and then joined the ISU faculty, advancing through the faculty ranks and into administrative leadership roles. Her positions included coordinator of pesticide management and applicator training programs, director of Extension to Agriculture and Natural Resources, senior associate dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and associate director of the Agricultural Experiment Station. In 2006, she was selected to lead the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Iowa State Agricultural Experiment Station. In 2017, Dr. Wintersteen was unanimously selected by the Iowa Board of Regents as the 16th president – the first woman and first alumna to lead Iowa State University.