Growing up in rural Northern Ireland, I spent many days in and around the woods and streams of the Sperrins, exploring, fishing, and getting myself lost. Weekends would find me on the sandy beaches or rocky headlands of the north coast, studying dunes and tide pools and wondering at the world beyond our shores. My fascination with the natural world eventually took me travelling throughout Europe, and later, Canada, which is now my home. TestimonialsDavid is exceptional is his desire to interact with students in a manner that helps them realize that he genuinely cares about them as individuals as well as about their academic success. A credit to the profession. Dr. Sharon Murray, Professor, Department of Education, St. Thomas University
Besides being very personable and friendly, Dave is enthusiastic, energetic, very knowledgeable, and extremely passionate toward his work. In working with young students and staff, he has a magical way of interacting with them and engages them in meaningful, informative, and memorable activities. An inspiration to the school community with his knowledge of and enthusiasm for nature. Greg Moffitt, Principal, Garden Creek Elementary School I found David to be an extremely dependable, resourceful and tireless colleague and a valuable source of enrichment opportunities for our students. A truly special individual and an obvious standout among the many teachers I've worked with. Chris Piers, Science teacher, Devon Middle School Dave has helped the Centre increase its ability to represent complex issues to audiences from farmers to doctoral students. He has worked on a number of projects that have integrated his skills as a scientist, musician, and graphic designer—in each of these contexts, Dave has woven together visual elements with content in such a way as to bring our science into the realm of art. His desire to make a positive contribution to society allows me to leave projects in his capable hands with complete confidence that he will carry out any task with integrity and honesty. Dr. Shawn Dalton, Director, Environment and Sustainable Development Research Centre Dave is passionate about science and science education. He likes variety. He likes challenges, and he succeeds regardless of the challenges put before him. He is comfortable dealing with professors and Deans in a university setting, but he is just as comfortable making deals at the lumber or garden supply store for his projects. Dave gets things done efficiently, without fuss, and with a quiet diplomacy that few possess. I always enjoy our interactions and I feel like I come away from them having learned something. Dr. Tom Beckley, Professor, Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, University of New Brunswick This course was fantastic! Hana and Dave are so enthusiastic about science and always showed interest in what we were doing. They are the best profs I'd ever had in university. They really made my Bamfield experience remarkable. I'm glad I had them with me here. Dave can always make complicated things easy to understand. Could not ask for better teachers. They are the best. Comments from Science and the Sea undergraduate students, Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre Bridgette and Dave were both phenomenal interactive instructors. It was the most fun I've had learning thus far. Great experience. Even when weather kept us from going out on our [field] trip we were kept active and involved. Very informative. Great teachers. Comments from Marine Field Skills undergraduate students, Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre Dave did a phenomenal job at teaching. A strength of the course and of Dave is that they are geared to help us succeed. Excellent lecturer, so friendly and clearly cares very much about his students. He promotes a safe and fun learning environment and is always willing to meet to help on projects and concepts. Dave was very approachable and his material was clear and well organized. I really enjoyed his style of teaching! Dave was good at giving a balanced view of contentious issues, and presenting scientific information without bias. Also good at breaking down complicated topics to communicate with non–science students. Taught me about the importance of communication in science which I think a lot of academics really are missing. A lovely person, cares a lot about the students. Great at giving feedback and answering questions. 10/10 would recommend. Dave has an obvious skill for presenting and explaining material and is very passionate about the subject matter. Top notch. I'm very happy to have taken his class. Dave has the vibe of a gentle giant. One of the best professors I have ever had. Dave is a great teacher. He is passionate about the course material which definitely engages students in participating and paying attention to class. He uses a good mix of theory and experience to present the course material that definitely helps in understanding. I am a not science major, and I found the course very interesting for the topics but most of all the way he teaches. Comments from EOS 350 Understanding the Oceans undergraduate students, University of Victoria |
Curriculum VitaeMy CV can be downloaded here. Learning Networks
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