Dr. Ashiyan Ian Rahmani (Ash) is a communications faculty member, primarily online, in the California State University system in the San Francisco Bay Area, specializing in digital media, international development, and IR/peace innovation, since Jan. 2019. He holds a Ph.D. in interdisciplinary Communication and Information Sciences (2018) from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, a Master's, in the Chinese Business World (1998) from SOAS, London, a Postgraduate Diploma, in Software Engineering, (2013, matriculated into M.Sc., but started the Ph.D.) from Kellogg College, Oxford University, and a Bachelor's, in International Politics and Computer Science, from Keele University, UK (1996). Dr. Ash's research has included exploring gender equality processes using radio and mobile devices, digital media pedagogy, and peace innovation through digital media paradigmatic frameworks. He is an award-winning teacher, whose teaching ranges from 'Qualitative research methods', to 'Digital Cultures', to 'Communication, technology, and social change'. Born and raised in the UK, and a dual British & US citizen (via his mom), of Persian descent, he has over 25 years of university teaching and digital media/publishing experience including in China, the UK, Hawai'i, and Mexico. Most recently, he has been an Affiliate Scholar at the East-West Center, Honolulu (2011), a Digital Media and Peace Innovation Fellow at the UN-mandated University for Peace, Costa Rica (2023), and a Higher Education Ambassador with the Council on Foreign Relations, USA (2023/24) and from Fall 2024 an online volunteer Affiliated Global Faculty teaching with the newly created MA in Media Studies at the Baha'i Institute for Higher Education (BIHE). He is a member of the Baha'i Faith and enjoys swimming, singing (including in choirs), walking/hiking, travel, International cooking, reading, engaging conversations, good coffee, and family time. His wife is from Mexico, and they have one son.
