David Adams

David founded the Institute for Global Studies in 1999 to promote responsible study abroad and innovative research in ecology and the social sciences. He has taught and directed academic field studies and internships in seventeen countries for top universities including U.C. Santa Barbara and San Francisco State University. An ecological anthropologist, David received his doctorate from the University of Hawaii and holds master’s degrees in anthropology and religion. His research includes the relationship between religion and ecology, environmental ethics, and wilderness preservation.

An avid traveler, David has served as a captain in Alaska; cultural guide in Kyoto; and environmental lobbyist in DC.

David’s lectures challenge guests to look for culture where they see nature and nature where they see culture. When not studying and sharing exotic places and peoples, David’s personal travels take him in search of tropical birds on either side of the equator. His favorite destinations include Borneo’s Mt. Kinabalu, Ecuador’s Mindo Valley, and his hometown of Cass Lake, Minnesota on the Mississippi Flyway.

He is the author of two books. Season of the Loon explores the idea of wilderness from a cross-cultural perspective. It serves as the principle reader for a Minnesota State University course. Samsara is a Thailand-based “eco-thriller” based on a Buddhist monk’s life or death struggle to save the last forest in his province. It has been a featured title on Amazon and Audible.com.