Researchers

Research Interests

I'm interested in the ways Right Livelihood Laureates and other changemakers have been successful in creating social transformation and large scale ecosystem regeneration. Examples of this research include exploring the virtue of right livelihood, effectiveness of transnational alternative policy groups and epistemic communities, solutions for scaling up agroecology and sustainable agriculture, and community-based research partnerships.

Biography, Education and Training

Dave Shaw is the Coordinator of the Right Livelihood Center at UC Santa Cruz, the Global Secretariat of the Right Livelihood College, and a Ph.D. student in Environmental Studies. 

Honors, Awards and Grants

• "Cultures of Sustainability & Social Justice", Co-PI with Nancy Chen, UC Office of the President, Innovative Learning & Teaching Initiative, 2016, $88,000.
• "Conference of North American Right Livelihood Laureates," UC Santa Cruz Foundation, Board Opportunity Fund, 2018, $15,000.
• "Right Livelihood College at UC Santa Cruz: Linking students with ‘Alternative Nobel’ laureates," Student Fee Advisory Committee, 2019, $5,500. 
• Global Food Initiative Fellow, UC Office of the President, 2020, $3,000.
• Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) course development with Matt Sparke, UCSC Global Engagement, 2021.

Selected Publications

• Banerjee, Swati, Dave Shaw, and Matthew Sparke. 2023. “Collaborative Online International Learning, Social Innovation and Global Health: Cosmopolitical COVID Lessons as Global Citizenship Education.” Globalisation, Societies and Education 0 (0): 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767724.2023.2209585.  
• Shaw, David, Juanita Brown, and David Isaacs. 2020. “The World Cafe." In The Collaborative Change Library: Your Guide to Transforming Organization, Revitalizing Communities, and Developing Human Potential, edited by Steve Cady, Carol Gorelick, and C.T. Forde-Stigler. myLibrary Publishing. https://app.mylibrary.world/Collaborative_Change_Library/WorldCafe
• Howard, Phil, Tim Galarneau, Jan Perez, and David Shaw. 2005. “Integrating Open Space Technology and Dynamic Facilitation.” Participatory Learning and Action 53: 68–73.   

Selected Presentations

• Bioneers Community Conversations (Bioneers Conference 2011-Present)
• Learning as if Whole Systems Mattered: Permaculture in Schools and Universities (Ecological Farming Conference, 2015)

Teaching Interests

Students and student organizations do amazing things when in a supportive environment with strategic mentoring. My courses, student organization advising, and public programs cultivate a field of curiosity, inspiration, open-mindedness, and intellectual courage rooted in the belief that a better world is possible. I take a long-term interest in the lives of the students I have the privilege to learn with and from.