Dozier attended St. Timothy's School, an all-girls boarding school in Stevenson, Maryland. She holds a bachelor's degree from Wellesley College (1987) and a master's degree in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia (1993). From 1988 through 1991, Dozier served as a Washington, D.C.-based reporter for "The Energy Daily", "New Technology Week", and "Environment Week", covering congressional policy and industry regulation. From 1992 through 1995, while living in Cairo, Dozier did freelance work for the CBS Radio Network, "Christian Science Monitor" Radio, and Voice of America, as well as writing for "The Washington Post" and the "San Francisco Chronicle".