May 18, 2004

Instructional Technology Expert Presents Public Lecture

Eileen Conrad

Richard N. Katz, a leading expert on the use of information technology in higher education, will present a free public lecture at UC Santa Barbara May 25 at 4 p.m. in Corwin Pavilion.

Titled "E-volution of Higher Education: Reflections on Higher Education and Instructional Technology," the lecture will provide an historical overview of the shift from personalized tutorship to itinerant experts to industrial-style instruction dispatched in lecture halls.

Future mega-trends in instructional delivery where technology fosters mass personalization tailored to different learning styles with embedded intelligence and continuous availability will be presented.

Katz is vice-president of EDUCAUSE, an international nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of information technology. He is also founding director of the EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research (ECAR), which produces higher quality information and applied research to support senior decision-makers in higher education.

ECAR seeks to understand the role of information technology in colleges and universities and fosters informed institutional decision making on information technology applications and use.

It does this by analyzing data collected through a network of scholars, analysts, researchers, and practitioners focusing on issues of critical importance to higher education.

Katz is the author, co-author or editor of six books and more than 36 articles and monographs on a variety of management and technology topics. His book, Dancing with the Devil, was selected as one of the 10 most important education-related books of 1999 by Lingua Franca.

Before joining EDUCAUSE, Katz held a variety of management and executive positions at the University of California. As executive director of business planning and practices, he was responsible for the design and implementation of many of the UC system's strategic management initiatives. At UC, Katz was awarded several prizes and awards for innovative management and leadership.

The lecture is sponsored by the UCSB Office of Information Technology.

About UC Santa Barbara

The University of California, Santa Barbara is a leading research institution that also provides a comprehensive liberal arts learning experience. Our academic community of faculty, students, and staff is characterized by a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration that is responsive to the needs of our multicultural and global society. All of this takes place within a living and learning environment like no other, as we draw inspiration from the beauty and resources of our extraordinary location at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.