Wesley Dean was educated at Texas A&M University (MA in philosophy 1989) and at the University of Alberta (PhD. In Sociology 2002). He has been on the faculty at Texas A&M University in the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Texas A&M Health Science Center in the School of Rural Public Health. His public service includes a position as a Senior Analyst, US Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, and as the National Program Leader for Sociology at the US Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

While in public service, he served on several national committees:

• Sustainable Ag. Research and Education Program Administrative Council
• Interdepartmental Agricultural Biotechnology Steering Committee with representation from USDA, the US Food and Drug Administration, & the US Environmental Protection Agency
• USDA Food and Nutrition Service, USDA Economic Research Service, & U.S. Census Working Group
• Gene Drive Engagement Group (USDA, Gates Foundation, the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health and other international agencies and foundations)
• Interagency Local and Regional Food Working Group (USDA)

While at the USDA, he developed and oversaw a series of evaluations of food assistance programs. These include two evaluations mandated by the US Congress including the first official food security study of the territory of Puerto Rico and the evaluation of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training Program Pilot Projects. He also designed the first official food security survey that will provide data at the county level. This survey is being implemented in six persistent poverty counties:

• https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/05/10/2022-09954/submission-for-omb-review-comment-request
• https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/expanding-opportunities-and-reducing-barriers-work-final-summary-report-evaluation-usdas
• https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/fr-1-021623

At USDA, he also managed several grant programs including the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, and he created and ran the Social Implications of Emerging Agricultural Technologies grant program:

• https://www.sare.org/
• https://www.nifa.usda.gov/social-implications-food-agriculture-technologies

His research has focused on the social and moral determinants of health at the intersection of human and animal agriculture. This includes projects on antimicrobial decision making in the U.S. cattle feeding industry and food and mouth disease management. His most recent work on agricultural production examines salmon production in Norway. Currently, his primary interest lies with household food security and food access. Recent work in that area has focused on household and community food security and food consumption in Central Texas and the colonias of South Texas. He uses a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods.