Dawn A. Murray, PhD, is a Professor in the Environmental Studies Department at Antioch University. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses covering diverse topics including conservation biology, earth systems, climate change, and marine science. Dawn is the Director of the BS in Environmental Studies, Sustainability, and Sciences Program. In addition, she is an advisor in the MS ES Conservation Biology concentration. Her research focuses on participatory conservation and co-designing methods that equitably integrate communities and stakeholders in conservation solutions.
Dawn is passionate about protecting global ecosystems and promoting local conservation initiatives for a sustainable future. She honors local and Indigenous Ecological Knowledge when co-designing conservation projects, including documenting the effects of climate change in rural areas. In addition, Dawn takes students on short, ecocultural trips, most recently to Galapagos and Bhutan, for experiential learning in the field with service components. Dawn is an advisor for the Tribal Trust Foundation, a non-profit working with Indigenous groups globally. She is the former Chair of the Undergraduate Studies Department at Antioch Santa Barbara and oversaw the interdisciplinary liberal studies curriculum while teaching natural history, marine biology, environmental justice, and field courses.
Dawn received her PhD in Ocean Sciences from the University of California, Santa Cruz, examining the effects of climate change on intertidal plant and animal communities. Dawn worked at the Monterey Bay Aquarium while researching deep-sea habitats of jellies using remotely operated submersibles for her Master of Science degree. Additionally, she co-created a citizen science program for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Society, LiMPETS, and serves as an advisor today. Dawn was recently a science curriculum reviewer for the UC Climate Stewards Handbook. Her collaborative book on Indigenous Monpa Plant Medicine will be published soon. She has numerous publications and international conference presentations and has been invited to consult as an ecologist, educator, and reviewer for many panels.
