Suggestions
David Atkinson, BEng, PhD, FIET, FHEA, FRSA
Engineer, Entrepreneurial Executive, and Lecturer
David Atkinson is a multifaceted professional with extensive experience in academia, coaching, and mentoring. He holds a PhD and several prestigious fellowships, including FIET (Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology), FHEA (Fellow of the Higher Education Academy), and FRSA (Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts).1
Professional Background
Dr. Atkinson currently serves as a Mentor/Coach (Volunteer) at Yorkshire Accord Coaching & Mentoring Partnership, a role he has held since January 2023.1 In this capacity, he likely provides guidance and support to individuals seeking personal and professional development.
Academic Career: Alongside his coaching activities, David Atkinson is a part-time lecturer in Business and Management at York St John University, a position he has held since January 2018.13 In this role, he teaches a broad range of subjects at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.3
Entrepreneurship: Dr. Atkinson is also noted as a Co-Founder, though the specific venture is not mentioned in the provided information.1
Expertise and Contributions
David Atkinson appears to be actively involved in the coaching and mentoring community. He has participated in events such as #CoachFest23, where he likely shared his expertise and insights with other professionals in the field.2
His LinkedIn profile (username: davidatkinsonphd) showcases his diverse background and professional achievements.1 The combination of his academic credentials, practical experience, and volunteer work in coaching and mentoring suggests that David Atkinson is a well-rounded professional committed to helping others develop their potential.
Highlights
Working on a new #rabitmetaphor (...thinking aloud about the growth in academic papers published in the last decade, for example see link in comments to The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) blog)
Oh! To be a rabbit!
Much social science is like the creation of a rabbit warren. Seemingly random and ad hoc tunnels excavated in the earth that resists the least—rabbits are not powerful tunnellers. But have you seen the damage a rabbit warren can do to a flood defence earth bank?
The earth—the foundation of a defended flood plain—is eroded by countless tunnels to the point of collapse. And as the flood waters rise, it does so. The flood defence, carefully constructed to provide a haven of usable space, collapses and the space is submerged under a deluge of flood water, damaging that which was previously protected.
As the rabbits of social science scholars dig the conceptual tunnels of their knowledge into the data of our existence— #publishorperish —they unwittingly damage the fabric of the society we have carefully built to support ourselves. While we marvel at the outputs of these prodigious beings, and build policies to support or capitalise on their progress, we fail to see the damage being done.
The rabbit, as it digs, fails to comprehend what lies beyond their tunnel, beyond the earth that surrounds it. And we watch on and marvel at these incredible, yet naïve little creatures, as the flood water inexorably rises.
