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2026 Candidate Daniel Dawson

Daniel Dawson (CV)
Senior Scientist
Integral Consulting

Candidate for: Member of the Board of Professional Certification

I am an ecologist and environmental toxicologist with a general interest in the use of quantitative and modeling approaches to addressing ecological problems. I received Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation in 2004 and 2007, respectively, from the University of Florida. In 2016, I finished a PhD in Environmental Toxicology from Texas Tech University, where my research focused on mosquito ecology and population biology. Following this, post-doctoral positions with North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine and the USEPA provided extensive training with agent-based and machine-learning approaches to modelling disease transmission and chemical exposure in agricultural and ecological systems. Since taking a position as a Senior Scientist with Integral Consulting Inc. in 2022, I have been able to apply and extend my expertise to a great many other ecological research and modelling opportunities. Examples of these include modeling of aquatic systems in support of chemical risk assessment, electromagnetic field exposure modeling and marine mammal movement modeling to support offshore wind permitting, qualitative and quantitative research to support Ecological Risk Assessments (ERA) and Natural Resource Damage Assessments (NRDA), and the assembly of comments in response to proposed regulatory changes. I was Certified as a Senior Ecologist by the ESA in 2025.

While I work for the private sector, I enjoy opportunities to apply, evaluate and communicate science for the public benefit. From 2024-2025 I participated on a team (Biological Contaminants of Emerging Concern (BioCEC)) of the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council (ITRC), a public-private partnership that facilitates trust, transparency, and the flow of information between sectors. This year (2026), I was honored to be a panelist on a USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) grant program. I look forward to more opportunities to serve the public good in the future.

How Would You Support ESA’s Mission?

I would primarily support ESA’s mission by ensuring that those applying to be recognized as qualified ecologists meet the standards set out by the organization. My time with academia, government, and industry has shown me that high-quality science is produced by dedicated scientists across the spectrum, and that ecological work consists of a wide variety of activities conducted as part of many sub-disciplines. By fairly weighing the wide range of potential ecological experience, training and research claimed by applicants, I will aim to promote the subject matter, work sector, and career stage diversity of ecologists certified by the ESA.