It is with great pleasure that we announce the appointment of Dr. Hugo O. Villar as the next Dean of UC San Diego Extension, effective July 1, 2021.
Dr. Villar holds a PhD and Master of Science in Physical Chemistry from Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina, and a Master in Business Administration with a concentration in Healthcare & Pharmaceutical Management from the University of Colorado. He has served as the Associate Dean for Professional and Continuing Education at UC San Diego Extension since 2017. Dr. Villar has a wide range of leadership experience in industry, research and continuing education, having joined Extension after a successful career as a researcher and executive in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries. His broad perspective and collaborative approach to education have led him to positions of steadily increasing responsibility at Extension, from his start as an academic director.
As a member of the senior management team for the past four years, Dr. Villar has built a deep understanding of Extension’s mission as a nexus between UC San Diego and the broader community that delivers exceptional and accessible education and outreach programs. In his current role, he oversees Professional and Continuing Education programs, the Center for Research and Evaluation, online learning operations, custom and corporate education programs, and self-supporting Master’s degree programs, with a budget of $25 million and a staff of 80 employees, including academic personnel. Dr. Villar has developed, implemented and evaluated new educational offerings focused on a wide array of audiences, with particular attention to accessibility and equity. Select programs addressed the career development needs of employees from local industries, and others focused on international, post-graduate and graduate students.
Dr. Villar has been a highly valued partner in UC San Diego’s strategic initiatives to build a portfolio of innovative educational programs for matriculated and non-matriculated students. His established collaborations with the academic divisions of the university have proven invaluable in our work to maintain educational continuity during the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to remote instruction. He has been an important partner in a recent Academic Affairs workgroup that established a series of concrete recommendations for further strengthening the ties between Extension and the rest of UC San Diego. Additionally, Dr. Villar has been engaged in inter-institutional partnerships to develop joint programs with other major universities, including UC campuses, as well as national and international peers. He also has represented Extension in UC systemwide discussions of Deans of Extension.
As Extension’s next Dean, Dr. Villar will provide leadership for the strategic direction and operations of Extension in developing and delivering continuing, professional and pre-college education in traditional and non-traditional classroom settings, including varied locations and modalities with the aim of increasing UC San Diego’s reach and community impact. This will involve oversight of academic and strategic planning, educational needs assessment and innovation, academic program quality and delivery to diverse audiences of non-matriculated and matriculated UC San Diego students. A major emphasis of his work will be the enhancement of campus and community partnerships encompassing the full spectrum of logistical and intellectual collaboration. He also will assume leadership of 200 full-time academic and staff personnel with an emphasis on access, equity, diversity and inclusion; assume responsibility for organizational and financial management; and oversee contract and grant management. Finally, he will lead a range of national and international university engagement activities, including many involving UCTV, a public-serving media outlet that features programming from throughout the University of California, to continue and increase the impact and quality of UC San Diego Extension.
We sincerely thank James Antony, Dean of the Graduate Division, for providing exceptional leadership as the chair of the search advisory committee, and for ensuring that all voices were heard during the search process. We are grateful to the members of the search advisory committee for their many hours of service and for their thoughtful contributions and insights. We also appreciate the wide-ranging input from the many members of the Extension and campus community who participated in the search process.
Please join us in warmly congratulating Dr. Villar on his appointment. His inclusive and thoughtful approach to leadership and deep insight into the Extension organization, including its mission in service to UC San Diego and the broader community, and his vision for the future, will serve Extension and our university well.
We also extend our sincere appreciation to Dean Mary Walshok for her nearly 50 years of service to UC San Diego and her visionary leadership as Associate Vice Chancellor (AVC) for Public Programs and founding Dean of Extension. She will continue her service as AVC for Public Programs in order to ensure a successful launch phase of the university’s new downtown center, anticipated to open this Fall.
