Dawn Schrader (1958–2026) was a moral psychologist who studied the development of personal and professional moral reasoning, metacognitive reflection, and ethical action in the face of technological advancements in artificial intelligence and agentic systems, in contexts of life, education, and work. Her research focused on privacy awareness and personal information sharing that affects interpersonal relationships and personal and professional development. From 2025 to 2026, she served as Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Communication. She held field memberships in Communication, Cognitive Science, and Feminist, Gender & Sexuality Studies. Dawn received a Master of Arts degree in Education from The Ohio State University and a Doctor of Education degree from Harvard University.
In 1988, Dawn joined Cornell as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Education where she earned tenure and served as Director of Graduate Studies. When the Department of Education closed in 2011, she joined the Department of Communication where she taught popular classes in ethics, leadership, and technology. Her philosophy of teaching was grounded in the theoretical perspectives that permeated her research program: moral, intellectual, epistemological, social, and self-development in context.
Dawn was a two-time winner of the SUNY Chancellors Award for Excellence: teaching (2005) and service (2023). She was Faculty-in-Residence in Court-Kay-Bauer Hall on Cornell’s North Campus from 2019 to 2024. From 2022 to 2025, she served as the President of the Association for Moral Education.
