[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 11136-11137]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO WARREN BAKER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. KEVIN McCARTHY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 17, 2010

  Mr. McCARTHY of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor 
Warren J. Baker, an educational leader from San Luis Obispo, 
California, which I represent, on his retirement after nearly a half 
century of service to higher education, including the past 31 years as 
the President of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis 
Obispo, Cal Poly.
  A geotechnical engineer by training, Warren has had many experiences 
that helped enhance his leadership abilities before joining Cal Poly as 
President, including teaching at

[[Page 11137]]

the University of Detroit as a Chrysler Professor, and later serving as 
Dean of the College of Engineering and Vice President for Academic 
Affairs.
  Warren became the Cal Poly President in 1979. Throughout his tenure, 
he initiated many improvements at the University, raising Cal Poly's 
profile, particularly in the fields of Architecture, Agriculture and 
Engineering. Under Warren's leadership, the educational opportunities 
of students significantly expanded with the addition of 20 new majors 
and 72 minors and 15 new master's degree programs. In addition, over 
this period Cal Poly established the Irrigation Training and Research 
Center, the Environmental Biotechnology Institute, the Dairy Products 
Technology Center, the Collaborative Agent Design Research Center, and 
the Brock Institute for Agricultural Communication. Throughout his 
tenure, Warren and his team found creative ways to support student 
success, including funding $1 billion in state-of-the art laboratories, 
buildings and other facilities establishing Cal Poly as one of the 
nation's premier comprehensive polytechnic universities.
  Always seeking to provide for Cal Poly's future, Warren's leadership 
of the University's first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign was 
the most successful in the history of the California State University 
system. Cal Poly has the largest endowment among the CSU's 23 campuses. 
He also created the President's Cabinet where leaders from industry, 
government, and community act as an advisory board to help the 
University determine strategic educational and financial plans.
  Perhaps Warren's most enduring contribution to Cal Poly's excellence 
has been his steadfast support for--and careful nurturing of--the 
University's renowned ``learn-by-doing'' educational experience, which 
attracts students from all around the country. This learning approach 
requires students to apply classroom theory to real-world problems. 
Employers from a broad array of America's most prestigious companies 
aggressively recruit Cal Poly students because they graduate with real-
world experience and can contribute innovative solutions to complex 
problems.
  It's no wonder that under Warren's leadership Cal Poly has been 
recognized as one of the best public universities in the United States 
for 17 consecutive years by U.S. News and World Report.
  Educational advancement is a central priority for Warren, even in his 
private life. He is one of the longest serving members of the 
California Council for Science and Technology. He also co-chairs the 
Business Higher Education Forum's Science Technology Engineering and 
Mathematics (STEM) initiative that is responsible for two significant 
reports on K-12 science and math education. Additionally, Warren co-
chairs a California STEM education planning initiative and is a member 
of the Board of Governors of the U.S.-Mexico Science Foundation, which 
promotes programs in technology, research, science, math and 
engineering education for both countries. President Ronald Reagan 
appointed him to serve on the National Science Board and the U.S. 
Agency for International Development Board for International Food and 
Agricultural Development.
  Dedicated to serving his community, Warren's leadership at California 
Polytechnic State University will be sorely missed and difficult to 
replace, but his well-deserved retirement will give him the ability to 
spend more time with his wife Carly Fitzsimons Baker, their family and 
their friends. Warren's level of dedication to higher education 
continues to be exemplified through his commitment to remain active at 
Cal Poly and in the California State University System. I commend his 
service in San Luis Obispo, and I know that Warren will enjoy this next 
chapter of his life.

                          ____________________