Dr. Dawn Jeannine Wright is the Chief Scientist of Esri, where she strengthens the scientific foundation for the company's software and services while representing Esri to the global scientific community. Born April 15, 1961, she is an American geographer and oceanographer who has pioneered the application of GIS technology to ocean and coastal science, playing a key role in creating the first GIS data model for the oceans.
Dawn earned her Bachelor's in geology from Wheaton College (1983), Master's in oceanography from Texas A&M University (1986), and an interdisciplinary PhD in Physical Geography and Marine Geology from UC Santa Barbara (1994). She is also a Professor of Geography and Oceanography at Oregon State University (since 1995), where she was named Oregon Professor of the Year in 2007.
On July 12, 2022, Dawn made history as the first Black person to dive to Challenger Deep, the deepest known point in Earth's ocean at nearly 11 kilometers depth in the Mariana Trench. During this expedition with explorer Victor Vescovo, she became the first person to successfully operate a side-scan sonar at full ocean depth, conducting high-resolution mapping never before achieved at such depths. Earlier in her career, she was the first Black female to dive to the ocean floor in the deep submersible ALVIN at the East Pacific Rise.
Dawn is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences—a rare triple honor. She has received numerous awards including the Roger Revelle Commemorative Lecture (2017), Bromery Award from the Geological Society of America (2015), and was included on The Independent's Climate 100 List 2024. She led the team that created Ecological Marine Units (EMUs), a 3D digital ocean supporting better understanding of marine environments and climate change impacts. Her 2024 book "Mapping the Deep" chronicles her historic journey and the importance of ocean mapping.
