Tom Dawson

Tom Dawson is a Professorial Research Fellow in the School of History at the University of St Andrews. His research focuses on coastal heritage, community archaeology, and heritage management, with a strong emphasis on climate change impacts. He has held roles as a Commissioner of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland and Vice President of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland until 2018. Dawson teaches archaeology and integrates filmmaking into public history modules, enabling students to produce documentaries instead of traditional dissertations.

• Affiliations: School of History, University of St Andrews
• Key Projects: Scotland’s Coastal Heritage at Risk Project (SCH@RP), Community Coastal Zone Surveys
• Grants: Projects funded by Historic Scotland, The Heritage Lottery Fund, and the Arts and Humanities Research Council

His research interests include coastal erosion, public engagement, and the intersection of archaeology with climate change. Notable publications address heritage preservation under environmental threats and policy guidelines for heritage management. Dawson has received awards for community archaeology and innovative public presentations of archaeological work.

• Awards: British Archaeological Awards (2014, 2018), Green Gown Award (2021)

He advises PhD students Nicole Grinnan and Amanda Woods. His work often involves interdisciplinary collaborations, such as the ‘Unpath’d Waters’ project exploring marine collections in the UK, and the Fife Cultural Coastal Zone initiative.