Rachel Dawson, JD

Rachel Dawson, JD comes to OAMI from Precision Health at the University of Michigan, where she served as the Managing Director, working closely with the faculty co-directors to shape strategy, implement programs, and develop resources for researchers across campus.

Rachel began her career in higher education in 2002, serving as Assistant Director of Academic Success at DePaul University in Chicago and since has developed an extensive background in student services and success initiatives. She has held positions such as Assistant Dean of Career Services at Indiana University Maurer College of Law and Adjunct Instructor of Academic Success at John Marshall Law School at the University of Illinois at Chicago. In these roles, she has offered academic coaching to a diverse range of students, established mentoring and tutoring programs, and designed and taught a curriculum emphasizing academic skills development, critical thinking and problem-solving.

Rachel is actively involved in the U-M community as a leader, collaborator and DEI champion, for example, holding positions on the executive team of the Women of Color Task Force and having co-chaired the U-M Juneteenth Planning Committee. She has also contributed her expertise to various college/unit and university-level committees, including the Michigan Medicine Anti-Racism Oversight Committee, the U-M MLK Planning Committee, the Advancing Public Safety at the University of Michigan Task Force, and the U-M Police Department Oversight Committee.

Rachel holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a law degree from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law.