What does it take to turn a crisis into an opportunity for community resilience and meaningful careers? In this episode of The Future of Work podcast, our host Dr. Salvatrice Cummo, talks with Pasadena City College’s Dean of Business and Enrollment Management, Mathew Barboza, to discuss the rapid launch and far-reaching impact of the college’s Wildland Fire Academy. Sparked by the urgent needs following the Eaton fire, this program trains and empowers students to become skilled wildland firefighters—meeting a critical demand as California’s fire season becomes a year-round reality. Tune in as we explore what it takes to adapt education for real-world challenges, hear the inspiring stories of students called to serve, and learn how innovative training is shaping the future workforce and helping rebuild lives and communities in the Altadena and Los Angeles Region. You’ll learn: Why short-term, high-impact training programs are critical for workforce readiness and regional recoveryThe importance of timing academies to synchronize with hiring cycles for organizations like U.S. Forest Service and Cal FireWhy up-to-date equipment, strong advisory committees, and close industry alignment matter for effective workforce educationThe role that accessible, responsive higher education can play in both immediate disaster response and building long-term resilience About the guest: Mathew Barboza attended Cal Poly Pomona and earned his bachelor’s degree in communication arts and later attended Cal State Fullerton to earn a master’s degree in communication arts. After graduating, Barboza started a graphic design career in the advertising and marketing field, working on such global brands as Coca-Cola, Ray Ban, Bebe, Oakley, and BCBG. After 15 years in the advertising industry, Barboza made the leap to education, where he began teaching for Moreno Valley College, within the Riverside Community College system. He taught at MVC for 19 years across several FSA’s (faculty service areas) including computer science, computer information systems, graphic design, digital art, and game design. While teaching, he became interested in a management position and was hired as the Dean of CTE (Career and Technical Education) at CMC (Copper Mountain College), located in Joshua Tree, California. Copper Mountain College is one of the smallest California Community Colleges in the state, which allowed him to become deeply involved in many aspects of his CTE Dean role. While at Copper Mountain College, Barboza was approached by CMC’s Fire Technology faculty, asking him to support a new WFA (Wildland Fire Academy). As a team, the Fire Technology faculty and Mathew Barboza created and supported CMC’s very first WFA, which is still being offered today. After a few years at CMC, Barboza applied to colleges closer to his home and was hired by PCC (Pasadena City College) as the Dean of Business and Enrollment Management in 2022. While working at PCC, Dean Barboza was contacted by his former Fire Technology faculty from CMC, informing him of the fact that PCC is within the Verdugo Corridor, which meant that this Firefighter/Faculty cadre would follow him to PCC if he agreed to start a WFA there. Agreeing to this, the Fire team and Dean Barboza launched PCC’s first 8-week WFA academy in 2025. Last year’s WFA boasted a full cohort of 40 students, which was limited by the classroom size. This year, PCC’s WFA was able to move to a larger classroom, allowing the enrollment of 60 students into cohort #2. Because of our alignment with USDA FS (United States Department of Agriculture Service Forest Service) we were invited to train at MRCA (Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority) located in the Malibu Hills, where PCC currently conducts field training. Engage with us: LinkedIn, Instagram & Facebook: @PasadenaCityCollegeEWD Join our newsletter for more on this topic: ewdpulse.com Visit: PCC EWD website More from Dean Barboza & The Wildland Fire Academy at PCC: Visit - WIldland Fire Academy Certification Dean Barboza: mbarboza3@pasadena.edu or 626-585-7684 LinkedIn - @mathewbarboza Full-time faculty Lead Captain Frank Brambilla: fbrambila2@pasadena.edu or 626-585-7647 Partner with us! Contact our host Salvatrice Cummo directly: scummo@pasadena.edu Find the transcript of this episode here Please rate us and leave us your thoughts and comments on Apple Podcasts - we’d love to hear from you!
