Dyan Dunsmoor-Farley has a PhD from the University of Victoria with undergraduate degrees in music (University of British Columbia) and interdisciplinary studies including sociology, political science, history, and human geography (Athabasca University and University of Victoria). Her interdisciplinary work examines small community self-governance strategies in response to the ruptures triggered by global capital. Prior to starting her doctoral studies Dyan held senior positions in the British Columbia government and had a successful consulting practice for which she received the Healthy Corporate Citizen Award by the Public Health Association of British Columbia (2018).