In a recent press release, the AAG announced that “The AAG Honors Committee has selected nine nominees to receive [2012] AAG Honors for outstanding contributions to the advancement or welfare of the geography discipline. Each year, the AAG invites nominations from the membership, which are then presented to the AAG Honors Committee for consideration.” The AAG Honors were conferred at the AAG Annual Meeting in Los Angeles during a special awards luncheon on Saturday, April 13, 2013.
“Dawn J. Wright is Chief Scientist for ESRI, developing their ocean GIS initiative, as well as Professor of Geosciences at Oregon State University. Dr. Wright views herself as a scientist working within and between the areas of geographic information science, marine science, and ocean informatics. Dawn is a leader in her outreach to the larger community, including her interactions with school children and her interest in encouraging more young women to pursue careers in science. She has been featured in the national media and in Leon Lederman’s Portraits of Great American Scientists.
‘Deepsea Dawn’ delights in serving as a role model, encouraging female and minority students to consider a career in ocean science. She has attracted a large contingent of students to her classes, and she has supervised an unusually high number of theses and doctorates. Dawn offers a strong and thoughtful commitment to teaching and mentoring of students. She has attended a number of short courses to stay up-to-date with current techniques in the rapidly changing fields of GIS and ocean science and has applied those to her teaching. She also has served on a multitude of local, regional, national, and international committees in geography and in marine science—experiences that have been communicated to many students. Her professional seagoing experience is remarkable and affords her the opportunity to bring first-hand experience into the classroom, a critical element of successful teaching.
In recognition of her classroom teaching and mentoring of students in GIS, marine science, and ocean informatics, and her recruitment of young students into geographic sciences, the Association is honored and pleased to confer upon Dawn Wright the AAG Distinguished Teaching Honors for 2012.”
