Dr David Simm, Course Leader: FD Development Geography

I am Course Director for Development Geography, and Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography in the Department of Geography. I joined the department in September 2001 from St Mary's University College in London, where I was a Lecturer in Physical Geography and also the Learning and Teaching Co-ordinator for the college.

I studied at Aberystwyth (BSc) and Exeter (PhD). My doctorate research concerned the study of patterns of flooding and overbank deposition on the floodplains of lowland rivers using sediment traps and radionuclides. I also have an interest in pedagogic research, in particular the teaching of research methods using problem-based learning. I was a co-recipient of the St Henry Walpole Prize for Excellence in Teaching (1999), in recognition for fieldwork teaching, at St Mary's University College.

I have served as a member of the British Society for Geomorphology's Executive Committee, as Editor of Geophemera, and also as Chair of the BSG's Education and Outreach Subcommittee. At BSU I co-ordinates the GE2027 River Catchment Dynamics and GE3004 River Management modules and, with Dr Rebecca Schaaf and Alan Marvell, run the GE3046 fieldtrip to Barcelona each year. With Dr Mark McGuinness, I also ran an innovative module involving group project work overseas in Boston, USA, that has been the subject of several published pedagaogic papers. Other modules include GE1010 Sustainable Development, GE2001 Global Environmental Issues and GE2032 Geographical Research Methods. I also oversee the running of the university's stream gauging station on campus.

I have been a member of the Higher Education Academy (formerly the ILTHE) since 2000, and became a Chartered Geographer in 2007.