Harry Matthews finds it easy to reflect on the role creativity has played in his career.
In his dual role as a School of Medicine professor in biological chemistry and the director of Mediaworks -- the campus's instructional technology and digital media service unit -- Matthews says he has enjoyed "serving as a bridge between creative ideas and their technical application."
Matthews sees these forces as two interdependent halves of a greater whole. Put them together and you have innovative, effective education, he says.
During the last three of his 23 years at UC Davis, Matthews has overseen a broad range of digital media, photography, video production and Web development services. He also initiated the program ET Partners, which pairs technology-savvy students with faculty members to ease instructors' transitions into the world of educational technology.
Born in Kent, England, Matthews moved to Davis in 1980. His interest in educational technology was sparked by the discovery that computers made it possible for non-artists to create substantive images. After successfully using cartoon images to illustrate a difficult concept that students had previously struggled to understand, in 1996, he started exploring how to best supplement and even replace his traditional classroom lectures with a Web-based course. In the time that would have otherwise been spent lecturing, he broke up his class into small groups and had them work with clinicians on hypothetical clinical cases.
Matthews says this landmark teaching method changed his role as a lecturer. "I became much more a facilitator of student learning. The course was very student-centered, very active. Course evaluations improved, and exams and course grades were better."
Since then, Matthews has developed a series of 23 virtual lectures in molecular and cell biology, and has helped create 10 large general education courses in both online and traditional formats.
Aside from his pioneering contributions in the classroom, Matthews also was appointed first chair of the Academic Computing Coordinating Council in 1998. In this role, he oversaw campus technology milestones, such as the decision to offer free off-campus access to the campus network for students, faculty and staff members, and the development of the computer ownership expectation for incoming freshmen, implemented in fall 2001.
Matthews will retire this month but hopes to continue to challenge himself creatively and technically. First, he will build a home in his wife, Iris', native New Zealand. "My wife and I explored a lot of architectural books and decided to build on a ridge and then designed the floor plan ourselves," Matthews said.
He also plans to research his family tree, which will require some traveling. He has already booked his first big trip -- a train ride from Peking to Moscow. Matthews and Iris also plan to create a Web site documenting the process of retirement to help others.
Do you have any other creative hobbies?I make furniture. It started long ago when I was a student and couldn't afford a bookshelf. I made one, and eventually I made many of the items in our house, including a 5-and-a-half-foot table and eight chairs. I also made our bed. But I there's only so much furniture a house can hold!
What is your work philosophy? To involve people in decisions that affect them. I like to develop a consensus.
Who inspires you? Students do. I believe they really are here to learn.
If you could have three wishes, what would they be? For Iris and I to have good health for an extended length of time. Also, that education would become more student-centered and active. And to avoid any world upheavals in the next 30 years.
What do you do to unwind? Much of my home life involves family and friends. I have them all over the world, in England, New Zealand, the States, Japan and Australia. I spend quite a bit of time just keeping in touch. Iris and I both like hiking, especially in the Sierra. I like the element of exploration hiking affords. It's also a great place to get away from all the everyday things and really talk. I take a lot of photographs.
What's your favorite movie and why? Legally Blonde. It's fun.
And your guilty pleasure? Chocolate.
What is your favorite spot on campus? The magnolia tree outside Surge II. To me, it heralds the beginning of spring.
What would be your first act if you were president for a day? I would be very interested in preserving national parks and wilderness areas.
What advice do you have for people making big moves? I think you have to focus on the good things about the place you're in. There's good and bad elements to every country. For example, if I got too caught up in the fact that I can't catch a cricket match in the States, I'd be missing all the other great things here.