Ash is currently completing his Ph.D. (dissertation defended, and completing revisions in Fall 2018) at the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM), in the interdisciplinary Communication & Information Sciences program and an award-winning teacher of 'Communication for International Development' and 'Global Communication' in the School of Communications at UHM. His current research looks at the way in which women in rural communities in Fiji utilize mobile devices to interact with community radio, particularly in the context of increasing women's participation in governance, as well as enhancing resiliency to extreme climate conditions. He is also affiliated, as a Doctoral Fellow, with the Pacific Information and Communication Technology for Development Collaborative, at UHM. He will be teaching 'COMM425-Digital Cultures', as a Lecturer, at a University in the Bay Area, in Spring 2019.
In the 13 years before moving to Hawaii in 2011, Ash taught, and worked with ICTs with non-profits, in the UK (2005-2010), China (1998-2005) & Mexico (2010/2011).
He was an affiliate scholar at the East-West Center in Honolulu (2011/2012) and lecturer at Honolulu Community College (2012/2013).
Born and raised in the UK, of Persian ancestry, and now permanently US-based, Ash holds a Post-Graduate Diploma (matriculated as M.Sc. candidate) in Software Engineering from the University of Oxford, UK, an M.A. in the Chinese Business World from the University of London (SOAS), UK and a B.Sc. in International Politics & Computer Science from Keele University, UK.
Ash is engaged in community development, as a member and volunteer with the Baha'i Faith community, and has hosted the 'World Notes' world news and music radio show on KTUH.
Ash enjoys traveling, singing, cooking/being a foodie, water-sports, yoga, beach workouts, hiking/kayaking, capoeira, sci-fi/comedy, soccer, social media, volunteering and, dancing. He is an ENFP (Myers-Briggs).
