David Gossen began his professional career as a lawyer in Victoria and the Lower Mainland, operating his own high volume practice engaged in litigation and corporate/commercial law during the 1980s. In 2001, he earned a Ph.D. degree in history from UBC. His field of study focuses on the production and reception of meta-narrative literature as signifiers of collective identity and transmitter of popular memory, particularly in relation to major wars of the 20th century. He currently teaches a wide range of courses at both UBC and SFU centered around international relations, society, culture and war.

 

In 2015, he became a creative advisor at BCCC. In his spare time, he is an avid outdoorsman who likes nothing better than to spend a sunny afternoon at a mountain lake fishing with his son. He also enjoys engaging in a wide variety of sports activities, and played competitive tennis in his younger years. He currently lives in the city of Vancouver with his wife Kayoko, who he has been married to for the past 25 years. They have a 16 year old son who is an aspiring artist.