Ethan Orr became dean of the Don B. Huntley College of Agriculture in 2025, bringing a wealth of experience in agriculture technology, public service and building connections between the public and private sectors.
He came to Cal Poly Pomona from the University of Arizona where he served as the Assistant Vice President for Government and Public Policy, Executive Director of the Natural Resources Users Law and Policy Center, the Associate Director of Agriculture and Natural Resources for the Arizona Cooperative Extension, and an Associate Professor in agriculture technology.
As a faculty member, he was the primary investigator on over $84 million in grants. This included establishing an Agriculture Apprenticeship Program working with over 100 farms to provide experiential learning for the next generation of agricultural leaders and creating a $64 million statewide irrigation efficiency program. His university partnerships included agricultural literacy programs that reached over 100,000 K-12 students annually.
In addition to teaching in the School of Government for over two decades, Dr. Orr secured millions in funding for the university’s bio-medical campus and the establishment of its college of veterinary medicine. He also served in the Arizona state legislature, and has extensive professional experience working in non-profits, municipal government, and the private sector.
Orr also served in the Arizona state legislature, and has extensive professional experience working in non-profits, municipal government and the private sector.
Selected Publications:
- With E.A. Elsadek, D.M. Elshika, A. Awad, Y. Alhaj Hamoud, A. Elsheikha, … & A. Elbeltagi, “Projection of Climate Change Impacts on Rice Water Footprint Under Arid Climate Conditions Based on Cmip6,” Irrigation Science, 2025
- With E. Greene, “Increasing Legislative Support and Funding of Cooperative Extension Through Active Agent Leadership,” Journal of National Association of County Agriculture Agents 17(1) June 2024 (ISSN 2158-9429)
- With D.E. Elshikha, S. Attalah, K. Thorp, E. Bautista, D. Hunsaker, … & G.W. Wall, “Optimizing Agricultural Water Management: Evaluating OpenET Estimates and the WINDS Irrigation Model with Applied Water Data and Soil Moisture Measurements,” WaterSciCon24, 2024
- With C. McKenzie, “Central Arizona Project-Supplied Irrigation District Futures: Some Policy Issues in Arizona’s Pinal Active Management Area,” The Water Report 241, March 2024
- With D. Elsikha, D. Sanyal & R. Mason, “Surviving These Drying Times: The Role of a Desert Agriculture Extension Agent,” Journal of National Association of County Agriculture Agents 16(2), December 2023 (ISSN 2158-9429)
- With C. McKenzie, “Conjunctive Use-Based Notions of the Feasibility, and Futures, Central Arizona Project Supplied Irrigation Districts: Fallowing-Coupled Water Conservation,” Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law, Winter 2023
- With D.E.M. Elshikha, P.M. Waller, D.J. Hunsaker, K.R. Thorp, G. Wang & K.L. Ogden, “Water Use, Growth, and Yield of Ratooned Guayule under Subsurface Drip and Furrow Irrigation in the US Southwest,” Water 15(19), 3412, 2023
Interviews:
- “LA County Fair Opening Day,” KCAL News, May 2, 2025
- “Professor and Former Arizona State Lawmaker Named New Ag Dean,” CPP News, Feb. 21, 2025
- “Slowing The Flow: Desert Water Makeover,” The Furrow, Feb. 1, 2025
- “This desert plant can be used to make rubber and grows with little water,” KJZZ Radio, Sept. 22, 2023
- “UA program to help farmers conserve water through irrigation systems, crop selection,” KJZZ Radio, Aug. 2, 2023
Op-Ed:
- With Mark Stegeman, “This is not the way to keep University of Arizona spending in check,” The Arizona Republic, June 21, 2024
Education:
B.A., History and Political Science, M.P.A., University of Arizona
Ph.D., Behavioral Health Arizona State University