Dawn Sumner

Dawn Sumner is a Geobiologist who studies how Earth and life have co-evolved over billions of years. She completed degrees at the California Institute of Technology and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She has been a professor in Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of California, Davis for 28 years. She has been an author on more than 130 publications, and Dawn has been honored for her scientific research by several societies, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Dawn’s research has included studying how microbial communities live in Antarctica, and she uses that information to better model the evolution of early life on Earth and how the atmosphere got the oxygen we need to breath. She also participated in the NASA Mars Curiosity rover mission, helping the team look for evidence of ancient microbial life on Mars.

In addition to her science, Dawn prioritizes the human side of life in her interactions with others. She is dedicated to helping people of all backgrounds prepare for and succeed in scientific careers. Specifically, she makes time to listen to the problems individuals are facing and helps them find productive paths forward, whether the challenges originate from cultural barriers, harassment, mental health issues, other circumstances, or their interactions. Dawn uses what she has learned to try to make the university a more supportive environment for people who have traditionally been excluded from academia.

For her own wellbeing, Dawn participates in capoeira. This beautiful Afro-Brazilian art form provides intense physical interactions, improvisational music, and a strong community grounded in centuries of tradition.