Cal Poly vice president loses battle with cancer

July 21, 2010

Sandra Garderbring Ogren, Cal Poly vice president for advancement, died Tuesday after a long bout with cancer.

Cal Poly President Warren Baker broke the news to the Cal Poly community in an email Tuesday morning:

“I am sorry to report the sad news that our dear friend and colleague Sandee Ogren passed away this morning. As many of you know, she had been suffering from a recurrence of cancer and was forced to retire this spring.

“I greatly respected Sandee’s wisdom, sound advice and tireless efforts on behalf of the University. She made extraordinary contributions during her tenure as Vice President for Advancement. She was certainly one of a kind in university advancement, a person with a keen sense of what is right and irrepressible charm and warmth. The structure for fund raising and friend raising she put in place will serve the University well for many decades. Sandee brought a new perspective to our work and was admired by all who came in contact with her. She will be missed.”

Ogren, 63,  came to Cal Poly in 2004 as an interim vice president before finally being appointed full-time by Baker in 2006. She retired last spring with the return of her cancer.

Prior to moving to California, Ogren served as a Minnesota Supreme Court Justice.