معرفی
Dawn Schrader serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at Cornell University's College of Arts and Sciences. She holds affiliations with the Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program and Psychology departments. Her work bridges communication studies, moral psychology, and technology ethics, focusing on how digital environments shape human development and ethical decision-making across the lifespan.
Dr. Schrader earned her EdD from Harvard University's Graduate School of Education in 1988 and a Master's Degree from The Ohio State University in 1982. Her educational background informs her interdisciplinary approach to understanding the complex interplay between technology, cognition, and moral development.
Schrader's research centers on the Action-Judgment-Awareness model, which examines how real-life choices (Action), cognitive frameworks (Judgment), and metacognitive awareness interact in moral contexts. She investigates privacy awareness, information sharing behaviors, and the ethical implications of emerging technologies including AI, robotics, and cybersecurity systems. Her work takes a lifespan developmental perspective, with particular emphasis on early adolescence through adulthood.
Analysis of her publications reveals consistent focus on technology ethics, particularly privacy issues and moral decision-making in digital environments. Her work spans from theoretical explorations of moral cognition to practical applications for ethical AI development and privacy-aware system design. Recent publications increasingly address social justice implications of technology, including inclusion of people of color in digital spaces and autonomy concerns in surveillance contexts.
- Faculty Fellow (2018) Cornell University, Court Kay Bauer Residence
Dr. Schrader teaches courses including COMM 4350: Communicating Leadership and Ethics, COMM 4300: Ethics in New Media, Technology, and Communication, and cross-listed courses like ASRC 1120/Wonder Women. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes creating supportive learning environments where students actively construct meaning through engagement with social psychological and socio-technical theories. She focuses on helping students connect theoretical concepts to real-world applications while fostering ethical reasoning and intellectual growth.
As part of Cornell's Department of Communication research ecosystem, Schrader contributes to the department's work in technology and social media research areas. Her scholarship intersects with the Citizens and Technology Lab (CAT Lab) and other research groups examining how communication processes and systems influence social structures in technologically-mediated environments.
