Member Biography


Dr. Bill Hendricks

Dr. Bill Hendricks is an Emeritus Professor with the College of Agriculture, Food, & Environmental Sciences at Cal Poly. He previously served as an Associate Dean for the College and as a Professor and Head of the Experience Industry Management Department (formerly Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration). His research interests include visitor experiences, recreation resource management, and destination stewardship. For more than two decades, Hendricks worked cooperatively with the U.S. Forest Service and California State Parks on a variety of outdoor recreation research projects. He has also conducted research for Visit California, CAL FIRE, and the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute. He is currently a Trustee of the California Foundation for Parks and Recreation. His contributions to the field have been recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the California Park and Recreation Society, District 8, and as an Honorary Lifetime Member of the Park Rangers Association of California. Among his other honors, Hendricks is a recipient of the Cal Poly Distinguished Faculty Service Learning Award, the College of Agriculture Faculty Teaching Excellence Award, the USFS Rocky Mountain Region Partners in Action Award, the U.S. Forest Service and International Journal of Wilderness Excellence in Wilderness Management Research Award, and the Cal Poly Distinguished Scholarship Award. [Updated July 2023]