Paige Dawson

Paige Dawson is a master’s student at San Diego State University. Prior to pursuing a master’s in Anthropology, Paige received a B.A. in Sustainability with a minor in Political Science at SDSU. With support from the National Science Foundation and the US NSF Moorea Coral Reef Long Term Ecological Research project, her research explores the socio-cultural and political dynamics of community-based marine management of a small-scale fishery in Moorea, French Polynesia. Providing an account of how management is put into practice, her research analyzes how different stakeholder groups tie together heterogeneous elements to compose their versions of “success” and “failure” in marine management under the marine management framework known as the Plan de Gestion de l’Espace Maritime.

Having a passion for sustainability from a young age, Paige also has extensive experience working in the environmental non-profit sector. From 2019-2020, she served with AmeriCorps as a Sustainability Outreach Coordinator with the Tennessee Environmental Council in Nashville, Tennessee. Paige also holds a position on the Board of Directors of The Sprout Experience, an environmental education non-profit organization focused on providing immersive learning experiences for K-12 students. She also works as the Internship Coordinator for the organization, working closely with undergraduate students pursuing a degree in the field of sustainability. Paige’s experience has allowed her to work with people from around the world, including scientists and members of the Maasai tribe participating in community-based carnivore conservation in Kenya, local Tennessee residents participating in environmental restoration projects during her service with AmeriCorps, scientists focusing on indigenous knowledge in Trinidad & Tobago, as well as fishers in a small-scale fishery during her master’s research in French Polynesia.