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Ian Gibson, JD

Dean of Global Campus
San Diego State University

Ian Gibson, J.D., is Dean of the Global Campus at San Diego State University 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. SDSU Global Campus serves nearly 10,000 students a year through offering a large portfolio of degree, professional certificate, and English language programs locally, online, and overseas in-person across our Global Campus network.

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 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 soundtracks of award-winning video games for Electronic Arts and multimedia projects for Apple.

Dean Gibson earned a J.D. from Chapman University School of Law, a Bachelor of Music degree 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.

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