Dawn Hunter, a USF College of Public Health (COPH) alumna, grew up in a military family. Her dad, who served in the U.S. Air Force, shaped her sense of service, adaptability and systems-thinking, which are values that still guide her work today.
After earning her bachelor of arts in English literature from Princeton University in 1999, Hunter’s curiosity led her to science and eventually public health. She completed a bachelor of science in microbiology at USF in 2007 and said it was during her time as a research assistant at the Advanced Biosensors Laboratory at the USF Center for Biological Defense under Dr. Daniel Lim that her true calling dawned on her and her public health journey began.
Dawn M. Hunter, JD, MPH, CPH, at work in USF’s Advanced Biosensors Laboratory. (Photo courtesy of Hunter)
“It was there that I started to explore how policy and science intersect,” she said. “That’s when I became interested in a dual degree path.”
That interest blossomed into following the JD/MPH track, earning her MPH in global communicable disease from the COPH in 2011 and her JD degree from Stetson University College of Law in 2012.
She held the distinction of being the first student to complete the JD/MPH program jointly offered by the two institutions.
“My driving force had always been an interest in creating systems where everyone can thrive,” she said. “What we had then were systems that tried to put safety nets in place to deal with the adverse consequences of their design. I wanted to fix the problem upstream.”
Hunter said choosing the COPH was easy.
“Having already been in the USF ecosystem, it was a great opportunity to be more deeply connected and learn from people whose work I really admired,” she said.
Dawn Hunter was a keynote speaker for San Antonio Metro Health QI Symposium in 2024. (Photo courtesy of Hunter)
Her time as a student was filled with challenges, but was well worth it.
“I was going back to school as a second career, supported myself financially, worked while in school and was very active as a volunteer,” she said. “I was tired all the time!”
Navigating a brand-new degree program added an extra layer of difficulty but she called the experience one of the most meaningful of her life.
“I loved the program beyond words,” she said. “It is one of the accomplishments I am most proud of.”
Dawn Hunter speaking at the Annual Public Health Association’s Conference in 2023. (Photo courtesy of Hunter)
In 2023, she was one of the recipients of the USF College of Public Health Outstanding Alumni Award.
“I really was deeply honored,” she said. “I love what I do and am proud to represent my school and it was amazing to be acknowledged for my contributions and work in the field.”
She also received the Jennifer Robbins Award for the Practice of Public Health Law from the APHA Law Section in 2021 and the Humanitarian Award from the Gathering of Women in 2023.
Hunter has spent more than 20 years in public service with her professional experience spanning across sectors and geography. She worked with The Children’s Home Inc., Camelot Community Care, the New Mexico Department of Health, the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg and the Network for Public Health Law.
“Everything we now call the social determinants of health was exactly what we were addressing with the children and families we served,” she said. “It was crucial to my understanding of systems and how people navigate them.”
Now an entrepreneur, she founded The Dawn Lab, a boutique consulting firm based in St. Petersburg, Fla. that uses a public health lens to redesign workplace and community systems.
“I help leaders rethink how we work by focusing on healthier more human-centered ways to lead and succeed,” she said. “I leverage my expertise in law, ethics, public health and wellness to help organizations build systems that support well-being, connection and sustainable success.”
She also launched Work is Third, a podcast for people reclaiming joy, rest and boundaries and reframing their relationship with work. Its mantra: Work isn’t first. You are.
“It was a platform to lift up real stories of how people were resting, caring for themselves, finding joy and pushing back against hustle culture,” she said.
Dawn Hunter records her podcast “Work is Third,” available on all streaming platforms. (Photo courtesy of Hunter)
That mission is also reflected in her writing.
“Since early 2024, I have been writing “The Better Boundaries Brief” to explore what well-being in the workplace looks like, how law and policy shape our experience and I give practical advice on how to build better boundaries,” she said.
Her favorite part of the work?
“I love working for myself,” she said. “I love the freedom and creativity, being able to focus on work that is aligned with me, my values, my vision and my energy.”
Even as the college has evolved, she said the heart of it remains the same as a place committed to improving the public’s health.
“When I visit the COPH, it still feels like home, even though it has grown and changed,” she said. “I still feel proud to be part of it. COPH helped me move from curiosity to clarity, and I carry that with me, always.”
Fast Five
What did you dream of becoming when you were young?
A neurosurgeon
Where would we find you on the weekend?
Reading a book probably at Book + Bottle in St. Pete
What is the last book you read?
“I Hope You Fail” by Pinky Cole
What superpower would you like to have?
To stop time
What’s your all-time favorite movie?
Braveheart