Project Directors
Stacie Nicole Smith
Ms. Smith is a Senior Associate and directs the Workable Peace project at the Consensus Building Institute, where she has worked since 1999. Prior to working at CBI, Ms. Smith taught integrated English and Social Studies in an alternative public school in New York City, where she integrated issues of group identity, intergroup conflict, human rights and social justice. Ms. Smith has a life-long commitment to progressive and student-centered education, especially linking the classroom to students' own lives. She has extensive experience in developing social studies curriculum materials for adolescents at a wide range of academic ability levels.
Ms. Smith completed her Masters in the Teaching of Social Studies at Teachers' College, Columbia University in 1996. She earned a BA with honors in American Social and Political theory at Brown University, where she also interned with the Coalition of Essential Schools.
David M. Fairman
Project co-Director David Fairman is also a Managing Director at the Consensus Building Institute. He specializes in the development of training and educational programs on intergroup conflict, environment and development issues, designed for schools, public and non-profit organizations. In addition to co-directing the Workable Peace Project, Dr. Fairman mediates public disputes on environment and land use, economic development plans and projects, and group conflicts at the community level.
Prior to joining CBI, Dr. Fairman worked as an international development consultant and researcher, environmental conflict mediator and foreign policy analyst. He received his Ph.D. in political science from MIT, and his BA in History and Literature from Harvard College.