After Humboldt, Dawn worked as a wildlife biologist for the Hoopa Valley Tribe.

  For her thesis, Dawn used radio telemetry to track the movements and document habitat selection of Pileated Woodpeckers on the Hoopa Valley Reservation. This work is significant because the species is generally associated with old trees and thus may be responsive to timber management practices, the species is very important culturally for the Hupa, and because almost no research has been conducted on pileateds in California. She hopes to be able to identify forest stands and tree or snag structures important for this species, to inform future forest management and ensure the persistence of this vital species on the landscape.