David Nasseri

 My research interests include interdisciplinary studies like: the politics and ethics of a consumer society, economic and social sustainability, and multi-stakeholder conflict resolution of environmental based themes. I am especially interested participatory research methods that aim to empower the historically disenfranchised and techniques of scientific communication, narratives and story telling for conveying findings.

I am from Fair Oaks, California. During my childhood, I spent time in nature exploring the wilderness and American river which ran adjacent to my home. I loved going for walks with my dogs while seeing otters, deer, coyotes, salmon, hawks, skunks, racoons, and the occasional mountain lion! I believe that this upbringing helped me to develop a strong connection to the natural world.

Later on, I graduated with a degree in Political Science and a minor in Economics, and worked as a Public Service Aide with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC); this agency was tasked with providing and regulating water, wastewater, and power for the greater San Francisco area. I worked with the Government Relations/External Affairs division, which was tasked with communicating the mayor’s water policy to the public. One of the main projects was to create a master list of all environmental Senate and Assembly bills, and this is where I became aware of crucial environmental challenges facing the city.

After this experience, I moved to the island of Hawaii to study organic farming systems through the Hawaiian Organic Farming Association (HOFA) and Willing Workers on Organic Farms (WWOOF) programs. In Maui, a friend and I constructed a small farm consisting of many arable crops and tropical fruits using a greenhouse, driplines, compost, and mulch. We used many organic farming methods, applying both practical indigenous knowledge, and theories from permaculture/bio-dynamic farming - both of us enjoyed earning profit doing something we loved! 

With a desire to continue learning and exploring, I moved to Taiwan (a democratic island nation 90 miles off South East China). Here, after a series of teaching stints, I eventually became a Business English Consultant, for the Taiwanese External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), an economic trade-promotion organization. It was a fascinating experience, and it was fun helping to build economic partnerships with Eastern and Western organisations.

Now, I live in Edinburgh, Scotland where I have completed a Master’s degree in Soils and Sustainability, and am lecturing at SRUC. I have also achieved accrediation in Scotland for Mediation and Facillitation, completed a PgCert in Teaching and Higher Education, and have gained Fellowship in the Higher Education Academy.

Teaching is focused around environmental, economic, and sociological impacts of environmental resource management - a heavy emphasis is on interdisciplinary components related to these themes and the intersection of politics, economics and history.  Modules have been designed and delivered in environmental economics, rural development, sustainability, climate change, land management systems, and environmental mediation and conflict resolution.  I also have experience supervising undergraduate and postgraduate research dissertations in related fields. 

I have experience creating and teaching lessons (both practical and subject based) designed to improve English speaking, writing and listening skills; a key emphasis was placed on conveying cultural norms of native English speaking countries for the main purpose of strengthening economic ties between Western and South East Asian countries (Phillipines, Taiwan, Malaysia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Singapore). 

I also have experience providing in-house business training to postgraduate students with a focus on achieving government-sponsored targets related to building economic trade relations with Western English speaking companies. This also involved assisting in research and recruitment of summer internships for placement in US, UK and other Western companies.