Ashiyan Ian (Ash) Rahmani Ph.D. (he/him)
AI/Digital Media and Peace Innovation by SIDS - Communications Faculty
Ashiyan Ian (Ash) Rahmani, Ph.D. is an award-winning educator and researcher working at the intersection of digital media, artificial intelligence, and peace innovation. Since 2019, he has served as online communications faculty within the California State University system, teaching at CSU East Bay and San José State University, where his instruction and scholarship focus on online pedagogy, media theory, and the social implications of digital media technologies. Driven by a commitment to universal education and constructive resilience, Dr. Ash also serves as an online volunteer instructor for the MA in Media Studies program at the Bahá'í Institute for Higher Education (BIHE), supporting access to higher education in constructive resilience contexts.
His academic training spans leading institutions in both the UK and the US, shaping his interdisciplinary and globally grounded approach to communication studies. He earned his Ph.D. in Communication and Information Sciences from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. His doctoral field research in Fiji examined digital inclusion and participatory communication, exploring how media platforms can foster community development, social cohesion, and women's leadership in the Pacific. He also holds a Master of Arts from SOAS University of London, a Postgraduate Diploma in Software Engineering from the University of Oxford, and a Bachelor of Sciences from Keele University.
Bringing over 25 years of global professional experience spanning Europe, China, Mexico, and the Pacific, Dr. Ash has held several prominent roles bridging academia, international policy, and global education. He has served as a Digital Media & Peace Innovation Fellow at the UN-mandated University for Peace in Costa Rica, a Higher Education Ambassador with the Council on Foreign Relations, an Affiliate Scholar at the East-West Center in Honolulu, and a UN Office volunteer with the Baha'i International Community in New York. Complementing his formal appointments, he has actively contributed as an online volunteer educator with the Starfish Girls School in The Gambia and supported hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico, maintaining ongoing collaborations with both initiatives.
Ultimately, his work serves as a practical bridge to a more inclusive, participatory digital future for Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Born and raised in the UK, and growing up with summers with family in California, and of Persian descent, Dr. Ash is a dual British-U.S. citizen. He is also a husband and father, and his wife is from Mexico.
Contact: ashrahmani [at] gmail [dot] com