David B. Glover, PhD
Independent Researcher / Adjunct Faculty / Scholar-Practitioner
I research how disciplined practice trains perception. I work with universities, research centers, doctoral students, and practitioner communities to turn embodied expertise into rigorous scholarship and applied insight.
My work bridges scholarly theory and practitioner-based inquiry, drawing on ecological approaches to learning to understand adaptation, perceptual refinement, and adaptive expertise in complex, real-world environments. Rather than separating theory and practice, I treat practice as inquiry and theory as a means of clarifying, testing, and refining what practice makes possible.
Research
I am available for commissioned research, applied consultancy, and visiting scholar appointments at the intersection of ecological learning, embodied practice, and qualitative inquiry. Recent peer-reviewed work spans self-defense pedagogy, movement science, and high-stakes learning environments.
Teaching
I teach qualitative research methods, ecological approaches to perception and learning, and martial arts as research sites and practices for personal transformation. I am open to invited adjunct positions, guest lectures, and curriculum design conversations with interdisciplinary graduate programs.
Doctoral Coaching
Many PhD students develop projects that are conceptually ambitious yet difficult to realize within conventional academic expectations and support structures. Throughout the year, I work with a limited number of doctoral students on conceptually ambitious dissertations. Coaching is offered on a limited, application-based basis.
Currently
Teaching:
- PSY 791 Research Colloquium — California Institute for Human Science, Spring, 2026
- TSD 6135 Martial Arts as Transformation — California Institute of Integral Studies, Fall 2026.
Recent Publications: Three co-authored peer-reviewed papers in 2026 on asymmetrical self-defense and ecological psychology; pedagogical design and psychological safety; and biotensegrity in cross-cultural martial arts learning.
Available for: commissioned research engagements, consultancy in learning design and high-stakes training environments, visiting scholar appointments, and invited graduate-level teaching for the 2026–2027 academic year.