Dawne has been employed by Dunbar Library since 1989 and Head of Special Collections and Archives since 1997, with research interests focusing upon Ohio regional history and early aviation history. Dawne has given numerous presentations on the Wrights and other subjects to local, regional, and national conferences, also serving as a consultant for a variety of grant projects and educational publications and media productions. She chaired the Wright Brothers symposium at Wright State in 2001, served on the Board of Advisors of Aviation Trial, and has advised numerous organizations on archival matters.