Michael Mandelkern, Ph.D., Dean of Orange Coast College's Literature and Languages Division, was born in New York City but grew up in northern New Jersey.  He attended New York University's famed undergraduate film program, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1982.  He also attended Columbia University, graduating with a Master of Fine Arts degree in screenwriting and directing in 1984.

From 1986 to 1996 he taught English at various colleges in the City University of New York (CUNY) system.  He also enrolled at the CUNY Graduate Center in 1988 and was later awarded his Ph.D. in English from there in 1996.  His field of specialization was 18th-Century British Literature.

In June of 1997 he began working full-time at the Brooklyn campus of the College of New Rochelle, an institution that he had started working for as an adjunct faculty member a decade earlier.  In Brooklyn he served as chair of the Department of Letters, overseeing the disciplines of English, Communications, Foreign Languages and Speech.

Dr. Mandelkern was named Dean of the Literature and Languages Division at Orange Coast College in July of 2000.  He took on the additional responsibility of Dean of the Library and Media Services in January 2003.

He lives in Irvine with his wife, Dr. Myrna Rasmussen, a clinical psychologist and part-time instructor at Golden West College. They have two children: Neal, 11, and Nora, 7.”

In his spare time he enjoys screenwriting, reading western and mystery novels, and listening to R&B music.

He is deeply proud of his association with Orange Coast College and considers it an honor to interact with its many fine faculty and classified staff members as well as its wonderful student population.