Celebrating Ten Years of Teaching

“To be a teacher in the right sense is to be a learner. I am not a teacher, only a fellow student.” — Søren Kierkegaard Inspired by the quote above (which is the anchor of my teaching philosophy), I have been learning while teaching for a decade. Ten years ago today — on Monday, June 18, 2007 — I began my career in academia when I started teaching COM 120, Effective Persuasive Writing online at what was then called Axia College (University of Phoenix‘s online junior college). It’s hard to believe that much time has passed; it feels like just yesterday when I began…

Read More

Presenting “Strengthen Your Social Media Marketing with Live Streaming Video”

On Saturday, February 11, 2017 at the Flora Grand Hotel in Dubai I joined two colleagues from American University in the Emirates (AUE) — Dr. Konrad Gunesch and Dr. Paul Mears — at the 6th International Conference on New Challenges in Management and Business. The Conference addressed a range of critically important issues and themes relating to the management and business. At the conference, in addition to enjoying learning about the research of fellow academics and researchers from all around the world, I presented my proposed paper, “Strengthen Your Social Media Marketing with Live Streaming Video.” The abstract from my paper follows:…

Read More

Recap: Inaugural “My Friends Your Friends” in Dubai

“Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.” — Helen Keller Here’s my video wrap-up of Raj Kotecha‘s successful “My Friends Your Friends” networking event on March 1st at Dusty’s Dubai. “My Friends Your Friends,” is a social gathering where everyone is connected through mutual friends. Attendees are invited by the hosts (of which I was one), who will ensure you have a great time and get the most value from attending. Hosts are responsible for bringing along friends with an eclectic mix of stories, interests and goals. The hosts will ensure you always know…

Read More

Boldly Going: Being an Extra on Star Trek Beyond

On October 15, 2015 I boldly went… onto the set of Star Trek Beyond. I first learned about the opportunity in August 2015 from the Facebook page of the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi. After auditioning, I was invited to act as an extra on the final day of filming at the Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. The production had been previously filming around Dubai in Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) and Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) (where some set shots were captured). First I had to get fitted for a costume.  The outfit they had planned included an alien head, but the headpiece was too tight. So we tried Costume #866:…

Read More

Meeting a Reader of My edX Book in Dubai

Delighted to have met Mohammed Alsiddiq, a founding partner of Eight Creative Technology, in Dubai on Thursday, July 28, 2016. This was the first time I have met a reader of my book, edX E-Learning Course Development, and by coincidence he also lives in the United Arab Emirates! Founded in 2015 and based in Twofour54 Abu Dhabi, Eight Creative Technology is Khalifa Fund‘s first initiative focused on digital innovation. Their services include ‪digital‬ ‪strategy‬, platform development,‪ social media‬, business ‪applications,‬ and ‪ecommerce‬. They collaborate with industry leaders to deliver a broad range of ‪training‬ programs and‪ workshops‬ in areas of digital ‪marketing‬, social…

Read More