Hi, I’m David.

I like to say I’ve been an instructional designer before I even knew that job title existed. As an undergrad at the University of Hawaii, I thought I was going to become an underwater archaeologist. Then I chased love to Washington, DC (it’s ok, we got married – it all worked out). So there I was, 22 years old, bachelor’s degree in hand, no water or shipwrecks in sight… I just needed a job. As fate would have it, the first job offered to me was at a little nonprofit called the Saylor Academy. They were creating free online university-level courses built with open educational resources (OER). So I figured if I can’t dive on shipwrecks, I might as well become a Saylor (sorry for the dad joke, I have two kids now).

After five years at Saylor, I had directly contributed to the build of 75 or so new courses, including a first-of-its-kind MOOC with NASA that I project managed, and formed partnerships with universities around the world who would award university credit to our students.

Over ten years later, this intersection of innovative instructional design and professional learning pathways has become the staple of my career.

In 2016, I decided to formalize the instructional design skills I learned on the job and get my Master’s in Learning Design & Technology. Since then, I’ve been working for universities in the U.S. and New Zealand, my new home.

At American University (AU), I led projects like EdSpace, a WordPress multisite available to faculty and students for open pedagogy projects like student-run course websites and ePortfolios; Open American, an OER grant program; and a Faculty Online Training Course. I was then hired by AU’s law school to lead their new Office of Online Learning where I defined what online learning would look like, helped launch a new degree program, managed an LMS migration, and led the school-wide transition to online teaching and learning during the coronavirus pandemic.

Of course, I didn’t do any of this alone. I’ve been able to accomplish a lot because people enjoy working me. That, above all, is my greatest strength. Colleagues have described me as trustworthy, reliable, and someone who’s never afraid to roll up his sleeves and figure out a problem collaboratively.

In 2022, my family and I relocated to New Zealand where I currently work at Lincoln University. In my short time here, I’ve continued my work of creating, managing, and teaching professional learning programs, pathways, and certifications for academic staff.

As a potential Director of Online Learning, Head of Professional Learning Pathways, or Senior Instructional Designer role, I bring a collaborative leadership style to any team. I look forward to connecting.