Experienced executive to lead technology-based learning initiatives
IRVINE, Calif. – September 28, 2012 – University of California, Irvine Extension, the continuing education arm of UC Irvine, has appointed Melissa Loble as associate dean, Distance Learning. In this role, she will provide leadership in curriculum development, instructional design, and the selection and utilization of underlying platforms and technologies.
“We’re very pleased to have Melissa continue the tradition of engaging and serving the campus and other strategically selected organizations with best-in-class distance learning development and delivery services, said Gary W. Matkin, Ph.D., dean, Continuing Education, Distance Learning and Summer Session. “Melissa brings a tremendous wealth of knowledge and experience in the areas of technology, higher education and distance learning. She will be an invaluable resource to campus leaders as they adopt technology-based initiatives.”
Loble joins UC Irvine with more than 15 years of experience managing distance education teams and initiatives. Previously, she was senior director of solutions engineering at Blackboard Inc. where she researched and developed solutions that engaged students in online spaces and through distance education programs. She has also served as director of instructional technology at Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Education & Psychology, where she developed and implemented new technological initiatives for instruction and administration. Loble was also a member of the University’s steering committee and served as a faculty member for nine years. She holds master’s degrees in business administration and educational policy from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles.
“I’m proud to join UC Irvine Extension and look forward to working collaboratively with my campus colleagues and the community,” said Loble. “I am excited to be a part of an organization with a long history of innovative instructional technology development, design, and delivery, and to have the opportunity to build upon that success.”
Loble succeeds Jia Frydenberg, Ph.D., an industry veteran who played a critical role in establishing UC Irvine’s Distance Learning Center in 2001. Today, the UC Irvine Distance Learning Center serves nearly 14,000 students in online classes each year.
For more information about online continuing education programs from UC Irvine Extension, please visit extension.uci.edu or call 949-824-5414.
About UCI Division of Continuing Education
The University of California, Irvine Division of Continuing Education (DCE) provides lifelong learning
opportunities to thousands of students worldwide each year – fulfilling the school’s
60-year curriculum platform to connect degree programs to the world of work and achievement after
graduation. The Division offers a broad range of certificate programs, specialized studies, and
sequential courses to local, regional and global markets through online, on-campus and on-site
delivery. A leader in the open education movement, the Division offers free
Massive
Online Open Courses (MOOCs) and content through the
UCI Open initiative.
For more information about UCI Division of Continuing Education, visit ce.uci.edu.
About the University of California, Irvine
Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities.
The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier
research, innovation, and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 36,000
students and offers 222 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most
economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing
$5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit
uci.edu.