Gary Metzker

Gary Metzker serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of English within Chapman University's Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. He concurrently holds a full-time lecturer position at California State University, Long Beach and adjunct roles at Mt. San Antonio College, Los Angeles Mission College, East Los Angeles College, Long Beach City College, Orange Coast College, Coastline Community College, Golden West College, El Camino College, and Moorpark College.

His academic credentials include a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Missouri (1976) and a Master's in Communications from California State University Fullerton (2013).

Metzker's professional expertise spans journalism practice and education, with emphasis on digital media production, news design innovation, and scholastic journalism mentorship. Drawing from 25 years of editorial experience at the Los Angeles Times—including roles as sports news editor, metro news editor, A1 editor, and Senior Editor—he integrates industry rigor into academic instruction. His current focus centers on developing student media through design leadership and high school journalism outreach programs.

His distinguished recognition includes four Pulitzer Prize-winning staff awards at the Los Angeles Times, 12 Los Angeles Press Club awards, and two Society for News Design Medals of Excellence. Recent honors highlight his educational impact: Associated College Press Pioneers of Journalism (2022), Journalism Education Association Friend of Scholastic Journalism (2021), California Journalism and Media Affiliates Champion of Journalism Education (2019), and California Journalism Education Coalition Journalism Educator of the Year (2013).

Metzker actively mentors student journalists as design adviser for Long Beach State's award-winning Daily 49er and Dig Magazine. As outreach chairman for Journalism and Public Relations, he partners with high school newspapers across Los Angeles and Orange counties and instructs at ACP's mid-summer journalism boot camp. He holds leadership positions on journalism boards at Mt. San Antonio College, El Camino College, Cerritos College, and the Southern California Journalism Education Association, and currently serves as president of the California College Media Association.