David MacFadyen

David MacFadyen is a Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), affiliated with the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures. His research focuses on East Slavic cultures, leveraging blockchain technology and AI to preserve and archive audio recordings. He has donated a two-million-composition collection to the Wende Museum, advancing initiatives for decentralized creative solutions in cultural preservation.

Education:

• BA/MA, University of London (School of Slavonic and East European Studies)
• PhD, UCLA (Slavic Languages and Literatures)

Research Interests: Professor MacFadyen’s work emphasizes tech-driven cultural preservation, including blockchain applications for trustless environments and AI metadata systems. He explores issues in digital rights management, music IP protection, and the historical context of Russia’s recording industry. His non-profit, Pacific Sound and Vision (PSV), provides technical and creative education to Eastern European musicians.

Awards:

• University of California Distinguished Teaching Award
• Eby Award for the Art of Teaching

Teaching & Advocacy: He teaches across Slavic Studies, Comparative Literature, and Musicology, covering medieval oral traditions to modern digital piracy. His work critiques Russia’s centralized suppression of artistic freedoms and promotes decentralized technologies to counteract such abuses.