
When outside of the pod, Dr. Dave is also known as David Van Nuys, Ph.D.
He is Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Sonoma State University and served as that department's Chair for seven years. The department has a longstanding reputation for its commitment to humanistic, transpersonal, and existential approaches to psychology. He has also taught psychology at the University of Montana, the University of Michigan, and the University of New Hampshire. He has served as a dissertation advisor for doctoral students at Saybrook Institute and the Institute for Integral Studies, among others.
David also runs a market research consulting business (www.e-focusgroups.com) which has served a distinguished list of clients, including The New York Times, Apple Computer, IBM, Hewllet Packard, and QuickenLoans, among others. He is on the board of directors of the Qualitative Research Consultants Association and is technical features editor for that organization's magazine, Views. He has also served on the board of the Humanistic Psychology Division of the American Psychological Association.
David received his doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Michigan and has worked as a licensed psychotherapist in both California and New Hampshire. He has led personal growth workshops at various growth centers around the U.S. and Ireland and most recently has been co-leading groups with Dr. Ron Alexander in such locales as Kauai, Mallorca, and Switzerland. Click here for info on their most recent workshop in the Swiss Alps which took place September 2005. It was a wonderful experience for all. Next Fall, we will do a week-long workshop in Tuscany! (at the beautiful Ebbio Retreat Center). So please contact David if you are interested in being notified about this.
David has written scores of articles and reviews for a variety of professional and popular publications. At one time, he wrote a nationally syndicated newspaper column. In 2001, he co-authored the book, This is the Zodiac speaking: Into the mind of a serial killer, in which he profiles the murderer in this famous, unsolved case. HBO picked up an option on the book with the idea of possibly using it as the basis for a mini-series
David has always been a person with wide ranging hobbies and passions, the latest of which is Podcasting, which he sees as The Next Big Thing. Over the years he has been involved in ham radio, sport judo, freight train hopping, folk guitar, recorder, piano, didjeridu, sky diving, flying sailplanes, windsurfing, mountain biking, road cycling, motorcycles, cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, and Tai Chi.