Pferdehirt is the director of graduate distance degree programs for the College of Engineering and the assistant chair of the Dept. of Engineering Professional Development. Prior to joining UW-Madison in 1991, Wayne directed the Midwest solid waste consulting services of CDM, an international environmental consulting firm. Pferdehirt also directed environmental, transportation and water resource engineering projects for Envirodyne Engineers, conducted energy conservation and cogeneration studies for Argonne National Laboratory and managed flood studies for the Army Corps of Engineers. Pferdehirt's technical expertise is in solid and hazardous waste reduction and management, and natural resource management. Pferdehirt is a co-founder and co-director of the EPA-funded Printers' National Environmental Assistance Center. He has a BS in engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University and an MS in civil engineering with an emphasis in regional planning from Northwestern University. Wayne is a licensed professional engineer and a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.

Pferdehirt personal interests include distance running, music (guitar and harmonica), family activities and sports (Badgers, Green Bay and Pittsburgh).