Dr Dawn Hawkins

Dawn has over 20 years' experience in curriculum development and teaching whole organism biology and statistics in higher education.

[email protected]

Background

At ARU, Dawn has been instrumental in designing, developing and teaching our modules in animal behaviour, GIS and related subjects at undergraduate level. Her focus is now on teaching quantitative (particularly statistical) and other research skills to undergraduate and postgraduate bioscientists. Dawn's textbook, Biomeasurement: a student guide to biological statistics, is based on one of the modules she leads here, and is currently in its third edition.

Research interests

• Behaviour, ecology and conservation of animals in East African ecosystems
• The use and abuse of statistics in biosciences
• Teaching and learning of maths and statistical skills in the biosciences

Dawn is a member of our Behavioural Ecology Research Group.

Areas of research supervision

• Finlayson, S. (current). Caves as archives: the application of data from caves to climate change and conservation management studies. PhD thesis, Anglia Ruskin University (First Supervisor
• Mofulu, F. (current). Understanding population dynamics and individual growth mechanisms in relation to spacio-temporal resource availability and variability (quality and quantity), over the landscapes. PhD thesis, Anglia Ruskin University (First Supervisor)
• Kitegile, A. (2017). Feeding, foraging and sexual segregation in yellow baboons (Papio cynocephalus). PhD thesis, Anglia Ruskin University (First Supervisor)
• Jones, T. (2014) Causes and consequences of fragmentation in a high biodiversity environment. PhD thesis Anglia Ruskin University (First Supervisor)
• Rodgers, N. (2015). Development of stable isotope as a tool in elephant conservation research. MPhil thesis, Anglia Ruskin University (First Supervisor)
• Stroh, P. (2012). Passive wetland creation at a landscape scale. PhD thesis, Anglia Ruskin University (Supervisor)
• Berthoud, D. (2012). Chemical communication in the domestic dog. PhD thesis, Anglia Ruskin University (Adviser)
• Collett, L. (2011). Patterns of butterfly diversity in and around Malundwe Mountain in Mikumi national Park Tanzania. MPhil thesis, Anglia Ruskin University (First Supervisor)
• Gunn, J. (2009). Patterns of distribution of elephants in and around Mikumi National Park: implications for human-elephant conflict. PhD thesis, Anglia Ruskin University (First Supervisor)
• Guterriez-Diego, V. (2003). Check pouch use in Cercopithecine monkeys. PhD thesis, Universidad Complutense de Madrid European Honary Mention and Sobresaliente Cum Laude grade (Supervisor)
• Canas, M. (2008). The relationship between rank and reproductive success in yellow baboons. MPhil thesis, Anglia Ruskin University (First Supervisor)
• Jolly, L. (2007). Patterns of secondary sex ratio in yellow baboons. MPhil thesis, Anglia Ruskin University (First Supervisor)
• Vargas-Ashby, H. (2007). The function of allogrooming in yellow baboons: social v hygiene. MPhil thesis, Anglia Ruskin University (First Supervisor)
• Thompson, R. (2006). Demographic and climatic effects on space use in yellow baboons. MPhil thesis, Anglia Ruskin University (First Supervisor)
• Stelman, A. (2007). Demographic and climatic effects on space use in yellow baboons. MPhil thesis, Anglia Ruskin University (First Supervisor)
• Mofulu, F. (2005). Conservation and management of elephants in Mikumi National Park, Tanzania. MPhil thesis, Anglia Ruskin University (First Supervisor)
• Ottway, D. (2002). The functional significance of semi-colonial nest spacing and communal roosting in the red kite (Milvus milvus). MPhil thesis, Anglia Ruskin University (Second Supervisor)
• Ereckson, A. (2001). Population structure and ecology of the Mikumi National Park elephant population. MPhil thesis, Anglia Ruskin University (Supervisor)

Find out more about our Biology PhD including our exciting PhD project opportunities.

Research grants, consultancy, knowledge exchange

Grants

• £29,955 for SUMS project from eLearning scheme of the Higher Education Academy's Centre for Biosciences, 2008–2009
• £14,860 from Departmental Teaching Enhancement Scheme of the Higher Education Academy's Centre for Biosciences, 2006–2008
• $35,000 from Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund for mapping and biodiversity surveys on Malundwe Mountain in Mikumi National Park, May 2005–2007
• £108,000 from Darwin Initiative for 'Mikumi Elephants: research, conservation and education', April 2003–March 2005

Selected recent publications

Hawkins, D., 2019. Biomeasurement. 4th Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Jones, T., Hawes, J. E., Norton, G. W., & Hawkins, D. M. 2019. Effect of protection status on mammal richness and abundance in Afromontane forests of the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania.Biological Conservation, 229, 78-84.

Bowkett, A.E., Jones, T., Rovero, F. Nielsen, M.R., Davenport, T., Hawkins, D.M., Amy, B., Plowman, A.B. and Stevens, J.R., 2014. Distribution and genetic diversity of the endangered Abbott's duiker Cephalophus spadix in the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania. Endangered Species Research, 4, pp.105-114.

Gunn, J., Hawkins, D., Richard F.W. Barnes, R.R.W., Mofulu, F., Grant, R. and Norton, G.W., 2013. The influence of lunar cycles on crop-raiding elephants; evidence for risk avoidance. African Journal of Ecology, published online on 4 July 2013, doi: 10.1111/aje.12091.

Hawkins, D., Gallacher, E. and Gammell, M., 2013. Statistical power, effect size and animal welfare: recommendations for good practice. Animal Welfare, 22, pp.339-344. doi 10.7120/09627286.22.3.339.

Hawkins, D., 2011. Maths and Stats. Chapter 7 in: Adams, D. (editor) Effective learning in the biosciences. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

Recent presentations and conferences

Hawkins, D. and Koenig J., 2015. Teaching Maths effectively to biosciences students. Invited speaker presentation to Biochemical Society and FEBS workshop on Enhancing Molecular Bioscience Education, Gonville & Caisus College Cambridge, 30-31st March 2015.

Keonig, J. and Hawkins, D., 2013. Biomaths Education Network: a virtual community to bring biology and maths together. CETL-MSOR Conference 2013 (oral presentation and discussion), 10 September 2013.

Rodgers, N., Hawkins, D., O'Connell, T. and Norton, G.W., 2013. Using stable isotope analysis as a tool to assess dietary variation of African elephants; addressing sampling issues. IEC/ASAB Summer Meeting (poster presentation), 4-8 August, Newcastle.