Dawn Wright

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American geographer and oceanographer

title: "Dawn Wright" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["20th-century-african-american-scientists", "20th-century-african-american-women", "20th-century-american-geologists", "20th-century-american-women-scientists", "21st-century-american-geologists", "21st-century-american-women-scientists", "21st-century-african-american-scientists", "21st-century-african-american-women", "1961-births", "african-american-women-scientists", "american-geographers", "american-oceanographers", "american-women-geologists", "living-people", "fellows-of-the-american-association-for-the-advancement-of-science", "members-of-the-united-states-national-academy-of-sciences", "texas-a&m-university-alumni", "university-of-california,-santa-barbara-alumni", "wheaton-college-(illinois)-alumni", "american-women-oceanographers"] description: "American geographer and oceanographer" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawn_Wright" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American geographer and oceanographer ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox scientist"]

FieldValue
nameDawn Wright
imageDawn Wright.jpg
birth_date
fieldsGeography, Oceanography
workplacesEsri
Oregon State University
educationWheaton College (BS)
Texas A&M University (MS)
University of California, Santa Barbara (PhD)
doctoral_advisorRaymond Smith
academic_advisorsMichael Frank Goodchild
Kenneth C. Macdonald
Rachel Haymon
::

| name = Dawn Wright | image = Dawn Wright.jpg | birth_date = | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | fields = Geography, Oceanography | workplaces = Esri Oregon State University | education = Wheaton College (BS) Texas A&M University (MS) University of California, Santa Barbara (PhD) | doctoral_advisor = Raymond Smith | academic_advisors = Michael Frank Goodchild Kenneth C. Macdonald Rachel Haymon

Dawn Jeannine Wright (born April 15, 1961) is an American geographer and oceanographer. She is a leading authority in the application of geographic information system (GIS) technology to the field of ocean and coastal science and played a key role in creating the first GIS data model for the oceans. Wright is Chief Scientist of the Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri). She has also been a professor of geography and oceanography at Oregon State University since 1995 and is a former Oregon Professor of the Year as named by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Wright was the first Black female to dive to the ocean floor in the deep submersible ALVIN. On July 12, 2022, she became the first and only Black person to dive to Challenger Deep, the deepest point on Earth, and to successfully operate a side scan sonar at full-ocean depth.

Early life and education

Wright graduated with a Bachelor of Science cum laude in geology from Wheaton College in 1983, earned a Master of Science in oceanography from Texas A&M University in 1986, and an Individual Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Physical Geography and Marine Geology from University of California, Santa Barbara in 1994. In 2007, she received a Distinguished Alumna Award from UCSB and was also a commencement speaker for UCSB College of Letters and Science.

Career

Wright's research interests include mapping of seafloor spreading zones and coral reefs, spatial analysis and geographic information systems as applied to the marine environment. Wright co-edited one of the first books on marine GIS and is widely known as one of the most influential researchers within her fields. Another influential work is an article published in 1997, which was widely cited for its analysis of the perception of GIS among geographers in the early 1990s.

Wright began her career as a seagoing marine technician for the Ocean Drilling Program, sailing on ten 2-month expeditions from 1986 to 1989 aboard the JOIDES Resolution, mostly throughout the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Her most prominent service has included the National Academy of Sciences Ocean Studies Board, the Science Advisory Board of NOAA, the Science Advisory Board of the EPA, the National Council of the American Association of Geographers, and Research Chair and Board Member of the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science. A strong advocate of STEM as well as science communication, she has been profiled by outlets such as (www.womenoceanographers.org), The Oceanography Society, The Atlantic, NOAA's Sea Grant Program, NOAA's National Marine Sanctuaries Program, Science magazine, Harvard Design magazine, Environment, Coastal & Offshore (ECO) magazine, The HistoryMakers, Let Science Speak, COMPASS Blogs, Ensia, Nature News, BBC radio and a host of student projects.

Wright is a member of several editorial boards including GigaScience, Geography Compass, Journal of Coastal Conservation, The Anthropocene Review, Annals of the American Association of Geographers, International Journal of Geographical Information Science, Marine Geodesy, and Transactions in GIS.

In 2018, Wright appeared in the Tribeca Film Festival in the short film series "Let Science Speak."

Awards and honors

Wright is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and of the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program. Other honors include:

Selected publications

Wright has authored nearly 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and 12 books. A selection is listed here.

Diversity and Inclusion

Wright is a member of the American Geophysical Union's Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee. She is also a supporter and participant in the Black in Marine Science organization.

References

References

  1. Wright, Dawn. (2007). "Arc Marine: GIS for a Blue Planet". ESRI.
  2. "Esri Appoints Dawn J. Wright as Chief Scientist". Esri.
  3. (16 November 2007). "Oregon Professor of the Year". Oregon State University.
  4. "U.S. Professors of the Year". Council for Advancement and Support of Education.
  5. "Deep Sea Dawn". NOAA.
  6. (2007-07-23). "Great Blue Engine". Oregon State University News & Research Communications.
  7. (13 July 2022). "Dawn Wright Successfully Dives Challenger Deep". EYOS Expeditions.
  8. (25 June 2022). "DOS provides another high-tech solution for ultra-deepwater operations". Deep Ocean Search.
  9. Leachman, Shelly. (Fall–Winter 2002). "The Weight of Water".
  10. "Dawn Wright". The HistoryMakers: ScienceMakers.
  11. (2001). "Portraits of Great American Scientists". Prometheus Books.
  12. (1994). "From pattern to process on the deep ocean floor: a geographic information system approach".
  13. "Go with the Flow".
  14. "UC Santa Barbara Alumni". UC Santa Barbara.
  15. (January 2022). "Dawn Wright Gives Science & Mathematics Commencement Speech". UCSB Department of Geography.
  16. (2000). "Marine and Coastal Geographical Information Systems". Taylor & Francis.
  17. "2015 Bromery Award for Minorities". Geological Society of America.
  18. (2010). "Encyclopedia of Geography". SAGE Publications, Inc..
  19. (January 30, 2002). "Geo Watch the Undersea World of Dawn Wright". Advance Publications.
  20. (1997). "Demystifying the persistent ambiguity of GIS as "tool" versus "science,"". Annals of the Association of American Geographers.
  21. (2010). "Encyclopedia of Geography". SAGE Publications, Inc..
  22. "Seagoing Expeditions". Oregon State University.
  23. "Ocean Drilling Program Cruise Information". Ocean Drilling Program, Texas A&M University.
  24. "Ocean Drilling Program Cruise Information". Ocean Drilling Program, Texas A&M University.
  25. (2009-06-11). "Wright Named to Ocean Studies Board". Oregon State University.
  26. "NOAA Science Advisory Board Members". NOAA.
  27. "EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB)". EPA.
  28. "2010 UCGIS Research Award". University Consortium for Geographic Information Science.
  29. "Women Exploring the Oceans: Dawn Wright". Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
  30. (2005). "Dawn Wright". Oceanography.
  31. (2011-12-13). "A Conversation With Dawn Wright, Chief Scientist of the Environmental Systems Research Institute". The Atlantic.
  32. (2013-09-26). "Dawn Wright". Sea Grant.
  33. "Deep Sea Dawn". NOAA.
  34. (2005-04-29). "Diving Into the Deep". AAAS.
  35. "Ocean Sensing". Harvard University Graduate School of Design.
  36. (2014). "Dawn Wright, Esri Chief Scientist". Environment, Coastal & Offshore (ECO) Magazine.
  37. "Dawn Wright". The HistoryMakers: ScienceMakers.
  38. "Dawn Wright". Let Science Speak, Generous Films.
  39. "Dawn Wright: on science communication, social media, and joining our board.". COMPASS Science Communication, Inc..
  40. "Dawn Wright, Chief Scientist, Esri". University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment.
  41. (2017-01-05). "3D ocean map tracks ecosystems in unprecedented detail". Nature.
  42. "Humanitarian digital safety for refugees+Youthonomics+Ecological Marine Units". BBC World Service.
  43. (2008-10-12). "Cultural Site: Dawn Wright". Oregon State University.
  44. "Let Science Speak". Generous Films.
  45. "Let Science Speak Premieres On The Big Screen During The Tribeca TV® Festival". Cision Distribution.
  46. "National Academy of Sciences Elects New Members — Including a Record Number of Women — and International Members". NAS.
  47. "Members". NAE.
  48. "New Members Elected in 2021". AAA&S.
  49. "Historic Fellows {{!}} American Association for the Advancement of Science".
  50. (2009-01-14). "OSU Researchers Named Fellow of AAAS". Oregon State University.
  51. "Dawn Wright". Stanford University and Duke University.
  52. (2011-03-03). "Wright named Leopold Leadership Fellow". Oregon State University.
  53. https://ncse.ngo/friend-darwin-and-friend-planet-awards-ceremony-2024
  54. "2024 Alumni Awards Recipients".
  55. "tos-fellows-meet {{!}} The Oceanography Society".
  56. "Recipients of the 2020-2021 TOS honors – Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR)".
  57. "Texas A&M Geosciences Announces 2019 Distinguished Achievement Awards".
  58. "California Academy of Sciences welcomes new Fellows, bestows annual awards". California Academy of Sciences.
  59. "Steinbach Visiting Scholar, MIT/WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science & Engineering". MIT-WHOI Joint Program.
  60. "18th Annual Roger Revelle Commemorative Lecture". National Academy of Sciences.
  61. "All Active and Current GSA Fellows". Geological Society of America.
  62. (10 November 2015). "Geological Society of America Honors Esri Chief Scientist Dawn J. Wright, PhD". Esri.
  63. (16 December 2015). "Esri scientist Dawn Wright delivers honors lecture at AGU meeting". North Coast Media LLC.
  64. (11 April 2013). "Esri Chief Scientist Receives Distinguished Teaching Honors". Esri.
  65. "OSU's Dawn Wright to receive national award". Oregon State University.
  66. "Milton Harris Award in Basic Research". Oregon State University College of Science.
  67. "Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER)". National Science Foundation.
  68. "CAREER: Crustal Cracking along Multi-Segment Portions of the Juan de Fuca Ridge and its Relation to Ridge Segmentation". National Science Foundation.
  69. "Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee".
  70. "Profiles of Black Marine Scientists V-Z".

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