 Dawson also held the position of Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University and is Professor Emerita of Psychology at University of Washington.She is a Fellow of the American Psychological Society, American Psychological Association, and the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.Dawson received her Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from the University of Washington in 1974 and her Ph.D. in developmental psychology and child clinical psychology from the University of Washington in 1979.