UC San Diego
Extension Career and Education Showcase
Free Public Event Helps San Diego Connect to Rapidly Changing World
August 27, 2007
By Henry DeVries
Local economies are being forced by global realities and market opportunities to adapt or suffer the consequences. How will that impact the careers of the San Diego workforce?
“Reaping the Benefits of a Rapidly Changing World” will be the theme of the UC San Diego Extension Career & Education Showcase. This free event will take place from 4 to 7 pm Thursday, September 6 in Atkinson Hall at the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2) complex on the UC San Diego main campus. Parking is available in designated lots on Voight Drive near Calit2.
Attendees will be informed of industry changes and career opportunities through informative workshops and panel discussions, the latest trends from professional association executives, and the chance to consult with career services experts. UC San Diego Extension representatives will be on hand to provide information on over 600 courses offered every quarter.
One of the highlights of the showcase will be a high-tech presentation on Calit2’s Sony SXRD 4K projector – the world's first to project video at four times the resolution of high-definition TV. Calit2 will demonstrate why 4K and its other new display technologies will be critical to understanding scientific data -- and the future of the movie industry.
“The impact of daily shifts in technology and global developments on civic, company and personal decisions can be tremendous,” says UC San Diego Extension Dean Mary Walshok. “One of the reasons lifelong learning has become so critical is the acceleration of scientific and technological progress coupled with a globalizing economy.”
The event also will showcase what’s new at UC San Diego Extension’s Defense Technology program, which serves the nearly $18 billion annual San Diego defense industry. Due to industry demand, the defense tech program will start offering intensive course formats beginning in fall that will take three days to complete as opposed to nine weeks.
The Defense Technology program, called the finest continuing education program for the defense industry West of the Mississippi, works with the university’s globally renowned Jacobs School of Engineering to provide advanced technical training to the government, military and industry personnel who work in support of the men and women in the nation’s high-tech armed forces.
Representatives from health and life sciences programs will highlight the Clinical Trials Program, which just celebrated its 10th anniversary. Designed in partnership with leaders in the pharmaceutical and biomedical research industry, the UC San Diego Extension clinical trials certificate programs continue to provide leading-edge practical education, preparing a highly trained and globally competitive workforce for the local, national, and international biotech communities. New courses, created in response to new FDA regulations and industry standards, will be discussed at the event
In response to a new trend in international travel that links service work with destinations in developing countries, UC San Diego Extension will officially announce its new Center for Global Volunteer Service during the showcase. In addition to traditional courses offered on campus, two online courses will be accessible to anyone worldwide with internet access.
Additionally, showcase attendees may learn about class offerings such as HR Leadership, Data Mining and Six Sigma. The Digital Arts Center will demonstrate how to develop expertise in the fields of Visual Communication, Graphic Arts, Web Design and Multimedia.
This event is made possible by the generous support of Sony Electronics, Bristol Farms, Cox Communications and Gen-Probe.
Please register early to reserve a space. Free parking is available. Food and refreshments will be served, and attendees can enter to win a free class. To register, and for more information, visit extension.ucsd.edu/showcase or call 858-534-3400.
Media Contact: Henry DeVries, 619-540-3031 or 858-534-9955