Ashiyan Ian (Ash) Rahmani Ph.D. (he/him)
Digital Media and International Development Faculty
Ash teaches, mainly upper-division and grad classes in, 'Digital Cultures', 'Qualitative Inquiry', 'New Media in the Digital Age', 'Communication Theory', 'Communication, Technology & Social Change', 'Digital Ethics', 'Persuasion in Media', 'New Media/New World' and, 'Critical Culture & Communication' as a Media & Peace Innovation Fellow at the UN-mandated University for Peace, and Lecturer in the Communications Departments at Cal State - East Bay & San Jose State Universities.
Ash completed his Ph.D., in Fall 2018, at the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM), in the interdisciplinary Communication & Information Sciences program, and taught, as an award-winning teacher of 'Communication for International Development' and 'Global Communication', in the School of Communications at UHM. His dissertation was on how women leaders in Fiji utilize mobile devices to interact with community radio, particularly in the context of increasing women's participation in government, as well as enhancing resiliency to extreme climate conditions. He was also affiliated, as a Doctoral Fellow, with the Pacific ICTD Collaborative, at UHM, and continues research in global digital media, & digital media pedagogies.
Ash has presented his work at the PTC, ICA, IAMCR, PPDD, DIPRC, ISA, ISS, and ABS conferences.
In the 13 years before moving to Hawaii in 2011, Ash taught, & worked with new media with non-profits, in the UK (2005-2010), China (1998-2005) & Mexico (2010/2011), & volunteering at an UN-affiliated NGO in NYC, in Summer 2009.
He was an affiliate scholar at the East-West Center in Honolulu (2011/2012) & Lecturer at Honolulu Community College (2012/2013).
Born & raised in the UK, of Persian ancestry, and a British, & US citizen (via my mom), Ash holds a PostGrad Diploma (matriculated as M.Sc. candidate) in Software Engineering from Oxford University, an M.A. in the Chinese Business World from the University of London(SOAS) & a B.Sc. in Int'l Politics & Computer Science from Keele University, UK.
Ash is a member of the Baha'i Faith, has been a volunteer in Oakland & Puerto Rico, and does online volunteer teaching in The Gambia & Mexico. Ash has also hosted the 'World Notes' world news & music radio show on KTUH.
Ash enjoys travel, singing, cooking, swimming, hiking, soccer, sci-fi/comedy & Latin dance, speaks some Persian, Mandarin Chinese & Spanish and his wife is from Mexico :)