California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Hansjörg Wyss was the founder and a major shareholder of Synthes, an international medical device company that specializes in developing, manufacturing and marketing of instruments, implants and biomaterials for the surgical fixation, correction and regeneration of the human skeleton and soft tissues. Mr. Wyss served as the chair of Synthes until the company was sold to Johnson & Johnson in 2012. Prior to founding Synthes, he served in management roles at several European corporations, including positions as director of Monsanto Europe SA, president and managing director of Schappe-Burlington AG and assistant to the president of Burlington International.
Mr. Wyss earned his master’s degree in civil and structural engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and his MBA from Harvard University. He holds several honorary degrees, including from the University of Basel in Switzerland (2004), Paracelsus Medical University in Salzburg, Austria (2005), Clemson University in South Carolina (2009), the University of Zürich in Switzerland (2013) and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland (2014).
Mr. Wyss developed a lifelong love for America’s open lands and a passion for discovery and innovation while climbing and hiking the Rocky Mountains as a young man. To help ensure that the iconic Western landscapes that inspired him are protected for everyone to experience and explore, he created the Wyss Foundation in 1998. The nonprofit organization is dedicated to supporting innovative, lasting solutions that improve lives, empower communities and strengthen connections to the land. Today, the Wyss Foundation’s philanthropy supports projects in areas from conservation and education to economic opportunity and social justice. Each philanthropic investment seeks to encourage new ideas and solutions that expand the reach of human possibility and compassion.
In 2000, Mr. Wyss purchased Halter Ranch in Paso Robles, California, which today spans more than 2,000 acres and produces 281 acres of Sustainability-in-Practice-Certified wine grapes, 15 acres of walnuts and 10 acres of olives. Halter Ranch and the Wyss Foundation made a gift to support the Cal Poly Scholarship for Black, Indigenous and People of Color in Wine and Viticulture for students in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences who are interested in a career in the wine industry. Mr. Wyss also has contributed to the Sustainable Energy Lab in the electrical engineering department and the Cal Poly Plant Conservatory.
In recognition of his longstanding career in the biomedical industry, his commitment to conservation and his generosity to Cal Poly’s students, the Board of Trustees of the California State University and California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo are proud to confer upon Hansjörg Wyss the honorary degree of Doctor of Science.