Ashley Dawson

Ashley Dawson is a Professor of Postcolonial Studies in the English Department at the College of Staten Island and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY). She is a leading scholar in climate justice, environmental humanities, and postcolonial theory. Her work bridges academic research with activist praxis, focusing on intersections between capitalism, colonialism, and ecological crises.

Education:

• BA, University of the South
• MA, University of Virginia
• PhD, Columbia University

Research Interests: Dawson’s work examines the political, economic, and cultural dimensions of environmental degradation. Key themes include decolonizing conservation, fossil fuel infrastructure critiques, and grassroots climate activism. She founded the CUNY Climate Action Lab and co-edits volumes on decolonizing ecological thought.

Activism: A prominent anti-pipeline activist with the No North Brooklyn Pipeline campaign and Public Power NY, Dawson links academic research to frontline movements advocating for renewable energy commons and environmental justice.