Cynthia Matzke

Cynthia is an ocean science communicator who implements a multifaceted approach to education and conservation by combining her passions and experiences in exploration, filmmaking and research. 
Ms. Matzke earned her master's in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She has over 20 years of experience teaching marine ecology and scuba diving courses to people across the globe.

 
As a seasoned television producer for local and national networks, she excels at digital storytelling. Cynthia has undertaken documenting remote ocean ecosystems from the polar regions to the gyres. Her goal in traveling to remote communities is to better understand how various cultures rely on ocean resources. She also works with the Marine Physical Lab at Scripps Oceanography on wave glider special projects.

In the classroom, Cynthia casts a wide net in course development and instruction, creating unique multidisciplinary curricula. Her teaching experience includes: UC San Diego Extension, Sally Ride Science, Los Angeles Unified through the Walter Munk Foundation for the Oceans, NewSchool of Architecture + Design, and the UCLA Ocean Discovery Center. She has mentored over two dozen students and early-career professionals in the last decade. In 2020 she launched a dynamic series of marine science classes and Virtual Field Trips engaging distance learners in ocean research. 

Cynthia is honored to be named an Explorers Club Fellow, joining a distinguished group of world-renown scientists, astronauts and explorers. She serves on the Executive Committee of the San Diego Chapter where she is designated Explorer at Large, with a portfolio that includes two gyre expeditions to study marine debris, Arctic dive explorations, and has also helped send landers to the deepest depths of the Mariana Trench.