Larraine R. Matusak, PhD

Hall of Fame Class of 2006

With a PhD in higher education administration from the Fielding Institute, Larraine R. Matusak became an innovative scholar and practitioner of leadership who has held many leadership roles in the field of continuing education during her 35 years of work. 

Matusak developed the Adult Alternative baccalaureate degree at the University of Minnesota in 1971. As the first dean and developer of the College of Alternative Programs, she developed strategies to serve adult learners and the continuing education needs within the University of Evansville, Indiana. She was also the president of the Edison State College of New Jersey, a pioneering statewide institution for mid-career adults that doubled its size under her leadership.

As the developer of the Kellogg National Fellowship Program, she created the leadership grant-making area at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, where she served as a Program Officer. In this role, she led international grant making programs to provide resources for adult and continuing education programs and research. Here she developed new leadership concepts and university based programs on alternative learning strategies for adults. As one of the original Board members of the Council for Adult Experiential Learning (CAEL), Matusak trained thousands. She was both the founder and funder of the Kellogg Leadership Scholars Program (KLSP), which brings scholars and practitioners of leadership together. 

Currently, Matusak is a Senior Scholar at the James MacGregor Burns Academy of Leadership at the University of Maryland. She has also served as trustee of the Leadership Institute, Los Angeles, California, and graduate advisor and mentor for the Fielding Institute of Graduate Studies in Santa Barbara, California. She also serves as a consultant to many academic institutions with an interest in designing leadership programs, including Michigan State University, the University of Georgia (Community Leadership Program) and Franklin College. 
Her many publications include Finding Your Voice: Learning to Lead…Anywhere You Want To Make a Difference (Jossey Bass Publishers, 1996).  

In 1996, Matusak was the recipient of the International Morris T. Keeton Award for her contributions to adult learning and leadership. She has also received the Outstanding American Educator award from the Medical College of Augusta, Georgia and several Honorary Doctorates from outstanding universities.