Faculty/Staff Directory
Dr. Dawn Sherry
478.471.2751
Chair, Natural Sciences
| Office Hours: | Mon-Thurs 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Fri 9:00 a.m.-noon |
| Locations: (Campus & Office) |
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| Biography: | Dr. Dawn A. Sherry is Professor of Biology and Chair of the Department of Natural Sciences at Middle Georgia State University. She specializes in avian ecology, native plant–pollinator interactions, and STEM education, and has secured more than $466,000 in external funding to support undergraduate research and program development. |
| Teaching and Research Interests: | My teaching and research interests focus on giving students meaningful, hands-on experiences in science and helping them see how science connects to the world beyond the classroom. I am particularly interested in undergraduate research, experiential learning, and outreach activities that support student success and workforce preparation. As Department Chair, I have emphasized undergraduate research as an important part of teaching and mentoring. I worked with faculty in the Department of Natural Sciences to create the MGA STEMposium, an annual event that allows students to present research across STEM disciplines. This event helps students develop research, communication, and professional skills and encourages participation from students who may be new to research. I am also interested in building STEM pipelines through K–12 outreach. The Department hosts the Middle Georgia Regional Science Olympiad, which brings up to 23 high school teams to campus each year for science and engineering competitions. For the past three years, we have hosted the Mary Persons High School BioBlitz, a full-day program that brings high school students to campus to participate in hands-on biology lab activities. These experiences introduce students to scientific inquiry and college-level learning environments. From 1997 to present, my research has focused on the avian ecology of wading birds. More recently, I have overseen student work in plant-pollinator interactions, and foraging ecology of migratory birds. My students are also utilizing trail cameras to survey and assess movement patterns of campus wildlife. Overall, my teaching and research interests center on combining classroom learning, research, and outreach to help students develop strong scientific skills and a clear sense of how science is used in real-world settings. |
| Courses: | BIOL 1001, 1002, 1005, 2107, 2108, 2998, 2999, 3350, 3520, 4120, 4894 SCIE 2999, 2998, 4200 |
| Education: (All institutions attended and degrees or credentials earned) | Dr. Dawn A. Sherry Chair, Department Natural Sciences Professor of Biology B.S. Biology Education, Indiana University of Pennsylvania M.S. Biology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania Ph.D. Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University |
| CV: | -Provides academic and administrative leadership for the Department of Natural Sciences, overseeing the B.S. in Biology program and Regents’ Engineering Pathway. -Manages departmental budgets, supervises faculty and staff across multiple campuses, and leads program development, curriculum oversight, and laboratory renovations. -Provost Fellow for General Education Assessment, she co-chairs the General Education Council at MGA and collaborates with colleagues across the University to align curriculum and assessment with statewide standards. -Research interests include avian ecology, native plant–pollinator interactions, and undergraduate STEM education. -Secured more than $466,000 in grant funding through the University System of Georgia STEM Initiatives, serving as a co-principal investigator and as a STEM IV Sector Leader supporting STEM efforts across the state. -Scholarship includes publications in Animal Behaviour, the Birds of North America series, and multiple institutional and statewide program assessment reports. -Actively engaged in advancing undergraduate research and promoting evidence-based teaching practices in the life sciences. |
| Professional Experience: | With more than two decades of experience in higher education, Dr. Dawn A. Sherry currently serves as Professor of Biology and Chair of the Department of Natural Sciences at Middle Georgia State University. She provides academic and administrative leadership for multidisciplinary science programs. Her disciplinary expertise is grounded in a Ph.D. in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences with a focus on avian ecology from Texas A&M University and is reinforced by a research record in avian ecology, native plant–pollinator interactions, and undergraduate STEM education, including peer-reviewed publications and externally funded grants. Dr. Sherry has served in system-level leadership roles, most notably as a Co-PI and Sector Leader for multiple USG STEM Initiatives and as an MGA Provost Fellow for General Education Assessment, where she has guided curricular reform and assessment aligned with statewide standards. Dr. Sherry’s major career accomplishments include sustained leadership Chair & Professor of Biology in the Department of Natural Sciences at MGA, where she has guided academic programs, expanded undergraduate research, and led departmental operations across multiple campuses. She has secured nearly half a million dollars in external funding as Co-PI and Sector Leader for multiple University System of Georgia STEM Initiatives, supporting curriculum reform, course-based undergraduate research experiences, and student success in STEM. Her scholarly work spans avian ecology, wildlife conservation, and STEM education. In addition to disciplinary research, she is recognized for leadership in STEM education and assessment, serving as Provost Fellow for General Education Assessment and contributing to system-level curriculum alignment. Her accolades include a recent appointment as the Carolyn Wynn Smalley Endowed Chair for Biology and and repeated appointments to leadership roles in professional conferences and academic advisory councils, reflecting her impact on biology education and STEM advancement. Dr. Sherry has taught a wide range of undergraduate biology courses, from introductory biology to upper-division ecology, ornithology, and research-focused courses. She is actively engaged in undergraduate research through independent projects and course-based undergraduate research experiences, mentoring students who present their work at scientific meetings. Her work also includes leadership and participation in the Cullowhee Native Plant Conference. |
| Publications and Scholarships: (Last 5 Years) | GRANTS AWARDED As of Spring 2024, total grant monies awarded: $466,000.00 USG STEM Education IV Initiative Grant Award & STEM IV Sector Leader Award • Fall 2025-Spring 2026, $25,000.00 • Fall 2023-Spring 2024, $45,000.00 • Fall 2022-Spring 2023, $50, 000.00 • Fall 2021-Spring 2022, $60,000.00 • Fall 2020-Spring 2021, $75,000.00 • Fall 2019-Spring 2020, $75,000.00 USG STEM Education III Initiative Grant Awards • Fall 2018- Spring 2019, $38,000.00 • Fall 2017-Spring 2018, $48,000.00 • Fall 2016-Spring 2017, $50,000.00 REFEREED PUBLICATIONS Sherry D.A., Chavez-Ramirez F. 2003. Use of Wading Birds as Indicators of Potential Whooping Crane Wintering Habitat. In: Chavez-Ramirez F, editor. Proceedings of the Nineth North American Crane Workshop. North American Crane Working Group; 2003 January 17; Sacramento, CA, United States. DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln: North American Crane Working Group; c2003. Available from: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nacwgproc/35/ Proudfoot, G. A., D. A. Sherry and S. Johnson. 2000. The Cactus Wren. Birds of North America Series. A. Poole, ed. Academy of Science, Philadelphia. Nastase, A. J. and D. A. Sherry. 1997. The effect of brood mixing on spatial location and long term survivourship of juvenile Canada geese (Branta canadensis). Animal Behaviour. 54:503-507. PRESENTATIONS T. Achatz Ph.D., J. Page, T. Bonvechio, D. Harrison, M. Young, Z. Von Holten, M. T. Harris, J.P. Raina, J. Moon, B. Tharpe, S. Kehayes, T. Nwako, D. Sherry, Ph.D., Vasyl V. Tkach Ph.D. Initial survey of bowfin, longnose gar, and blue catfish digenean parasites in Georgia. Georgia Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. February 2024. D. Balding, D. Day and D. Sherry. Measuring Student Achievement & Perceptions in CURE courses. USG STEM Summit, May 2022. D. Sherry, C. Canady, D. Perkins-Balding and T. Hancock. MGA Checks Its Pulse: Flatline or Healthy Rhythm? Southeastern Regional Pulse Institute participant. Association of Southeastern Biologists Meeting, March 2022, Little Rock, AR. D. Sherry, D. Balding, J. Awong-Taylor, K. Frantz, P. Ulrich, D. Dixon, K. Burg, T. Burg, J. Gilmore, N. Moon. No Stopping STEM: How to Keep Undergraduates involved in Research in the midst of Covid-19. USG STEM IV Webinar. Summer 2020. D. Sherry, D. Balding, J. Cannon, D. Day, Cultivating STEM Majors at MGA, an update, USG STEM Grant Initiative, Spring 2018, Atlanta GA. |
| Professional Affiliations: | Ecological Society of America Cullowhee Native Plant Conference, Western Carolina University, Advisory Committee, Past Conference Director |
| Organizations: | Georgia Native Plant Society Georgia Botanical Society |
| Awards and Honors: | Carolyn Wynn Smalley Endowed Chair of Biology MGA Provost's Fellow-General Education Assessment USG STEM IV Sector Lead |
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