Ian Gibson, Dean

Ian Gibson, J.D., is Dean of the Global Campus and an unwavering advocate for lifelong learning. With a focus on continuing, professional, online, and international education, he is dedicated to innovating and expanding SDSU's educational initiatives on a global scale.

Prior to his role at SDSU, Dean Gibson held the position of Associate Dean at the Division of Continuing Education at University of California Irvine (UCI). During his tenure, he oversaw a diverse range of self-supporting credit and non-credit programs, launched the New Venture Team, advanced productive international relationships, spearheaded the creation of the Career Advancement Network, and contributed significantly to UCI's impressive success in Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs), which surpassed 9 million enrollments worldwide. With a firm belief in the transformative power of education at scale, he is committed to shaping a future where learning opportunities are a boundless, affordable, and accessible catalyst for professional and personal development.

Before venturing into higher education as a teacher and administrator, Dean Gibson built a career in intellectual property law, handling litigation and transactional matters in areas such as copyright, trademark, contracts, and entertainment law. He fearlessly championed the rights of renowned illustrators, photographers, film production companies, and musicians, acquiring extensive legal expertise in various domains.

Dean Gibson's professional journey started in the film and television industry, where he established himself as a sought-after session musician and composer. His talents can be heard on an Emmy award-winning soundtrack, a globally broadcast live performance viewed by tens of millions, and film and television productions helmed by industry giants including Steven Spielberg and Jerry Bruckheimer. Not limited to traditional mediums, he has also contributed to award-winning video games for Electronic Arts and multimedia projects for Apple.

With his diverse background and unwavering commitment to lifelong learning, Dean Gibson is uniquely positioned to inspire and empower learners on a worldwide scale through the Global Campus. He earned a J.D. from Chapman University School of Law, a B.M. from the University of Southern California, and dozens of alternative digital credentials spanning the fields of Leadership, Design Thinking, Data Science, A.I., Futures Thinking, and more.