UC Irvine Names Dean of Continuing Education

IRVINE, Calif. – March 7, 2000 – Gary W. Matkin, associate dean of University Extension at UC Berkeley, has been appointed dean of continuing education at UC Irvine. The appointment is effective March 1.

At UC Irvine Extension, Dr. Matkin, who has been managing university extension programs for nearly 30 years, will oversee continuing education and summer academic program development and coordination for about 2,400 courses that attract as many as 20,000 community members each year.

UCI Chancellor Ralph J. Cicerone said: "Gary Matkin's experience as a leader and innovator in continuing education programs, combined with his expertise in instructional technology, will be a tremendous asset as UC Irvine Extension expands its services to the community with new partnerships with businesses and organizations, online learning, off-campus classes and other lifelong learning programs that make continuing education more accessible to the people of Orange County."

"I'm delighted to come to UCI, which has an impressive combination of growth potential and a very solid organizational structure," Matkin said. "Like the campus itself, UC Irvine Extension is scheduled to grow dramatically, and I'm looking forward to being part of the expansion process." UC Irvine Extension offers nearly 40 certificate programs in fields ranging from software development engineering to screenwriting. A broad selection of courses is offered in business and management, information and engineering technologies, education, design, the arts and humanities and other fields.

The extension program also provides a number of services for businesses and working people in the community, including custom-designed on-site corporate education and training, a Microsoft-certified training course and a Leadership and Management Program for Technology Professionals (LAMP) for working professionals in high-tech industries.

UCI's Women's Opportunities Center operates under the auspices of UC Irvine Extension, providing career counseling, job-seekers' workshops, a resource library and other services that help women and men with personal and professional growth.

A satellite campus in north Orange County that offers evening and weekend classes for working adults helps bring continuing education closer to where people live and work. UC Irvine Extension also has a growing online learning program.

"With new instructional technology and delivery systems, we'll be able to serve people in the county any time, any place, providing access to learning at places and times convenient for them," Matkin said.

For more than 25 years, Matkin has managed every aspect of UC Berkeley's continuing education program, from budgets to program planning. As associate dean for academic affairs and technology initiatives since 1997, he has been responsible for new instructional technology, particularly distance and online learning.

Matkin is a research associate of the UC Center for Studies in Higher Education and the Institute of Urban and Regional Development. He is on the board of the University Continuing Education Association and serves as UC Berkeley's representative to the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges. He has published extensively on higher education administration, technology transfer and economic development, and has served as a consultant to colleges and universities throughout the nation.

Before his long career at UC Berkeley Extension, Matkin was a financial analyst for Kaiser Broadcasting Corp. and Kaiser Industries Corp. in Oakland. He received his doctorate and MBA from UC Berkeley and his bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of San Francisco. He also is a certified public accountant.