Staff Spotlight: Dawn Strickland

Dawn Strickland is the administrator of the Student Startup Center, based in the College of Engineering, and is responsible for the center’s operations, marketing and outreach. She also serves as lecturer for "Launching a Company" (ENG 080), a class in which students use modern startup-building methods to launch their own startups.

The Student Startup Center at UC Davis is designed to introduce students to entrepreneurs and early-stage investors, allow students to practice the work of entrepreneurs and teach students useful knowledge and skills for their journeys as student entrepreneurs.

In this edition of the College of Engineering’s Staff Spotlight, we get to know more about Dawn. 

Tell us about your path to UC Davis.

I have been interested in entrepreneurship since before I knew it was called that. I concentrated in entrepreneurial management as an undergraduate at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. I worked in the startup world before attending business school at NYU’s Stern School of Business to study and experience social entrepreneurship. I maintained my interest in entrepreneurship, but ultimately took on varied roles in, or related to, financial services for most of my career.

I recently returned to the world of entrepreneurship: I accepted roles at a Brooklyn university as an adjunct assistant professor of entrepreneurship and director of their entrepreneurship center and trading floor. I later moved to the Sacramento area to be with family and was grateful when my current role at the Student Startup Center became available.

What is your current position at UC Davis?

I am the administrator of the Student Startup Center. I am responsible for center operations, marketing, and outreach. I am also the lecturer for "Launching a Company" (ENG 108), a class in which students use modern startup-building methods to launch their own startups.

What are your major job functions and responsibilities?

I help to envision the future of the center and then do the work to execute that vision. I build community with students, mentors, and friends of the center.

What skills are most important in your job?

Empathy and communication skills.

What are some of the things you enjoy most about working for the Student Startup Center?

I love the people and the ideas.

What is your favorite thing about working at UC Davis?                     

The people. And the ducks. I'm a big fan of the ducks.

Tell us something most people don’t know about you.

I was a sprint hurdler on my college track team.

If you could do any job in the world what would it be?

It would be some version of what I'm doing now: building community and teaching.

What are your hobbies/interests outside of work?

As a recent big city girl, I'm still working on identifying new ways to invest my time. Anything shared with good people is a good time.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

I love meeting new people! Stop by 1122-1124 Bainer Hall and say "Hi!"