Sydney Dawson

Development Coordinator

Sydney has nearly a decade of experience in the non-profit sector, ranging from frontline supportive housing work to fundraising and communications. Prior to joining the IJF, Sydney worked as the Fund Development and Communications Coordinator at the North Shore Women’s Centre in North Vancouver. She holds a BA (Hons.) in Anthropology and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies from Western University, and an MA in Linguistic Anthropology from the University of British Columbia. Her thesis research documented and analyzed how social media algorithms and language can be strategically employed to both amplify and censor discussions of social justice and identity in online spaces.

Sydney is a published author, with works on topics such as linguistics, digital media, popular culture, and violence prevention. She is a recipient of several awards in Anthropology and Gender Studies, including the Western Gold Medal in Anthropology. Her research has been supported by a SSHRC Canada Graduate Scholarship.

In her spare time, Sydney enjoys moonlighting as a digital artist and printmaker, collecting analog media, and attending Vancouver’s many oddities and craft markets.