She completed her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology with an option in School Psychology at Oklahoma State University. Dr. Dawes specialized in applied behavior analysis (ABA) and research evaluation methods during her completion of her doctoral degree, which was enhanced by a variety of research and clinical experiences. Dr. Dawes completed an APA-accredited doctoral internship in clinical psychology at May Institute in Randolph, MA, providing behavior consultation and other clinical services in private, residential schools for students with a variety of disorders, experimental design research, comparative mathematics intervention research, severe disabilities, and academic and behavioral consultation.