Theme: Geography
Dawn Wright Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
June 10, 2016
Dawn Wright (b. 1961) was an active member of the Geosciences faculty at OSU from
1995 to 2011. Now a Courtesy Professor at Oregon State, Wright is the Chief Scientist
at Esri, a Geographic Information Systems software firm with headquarters in southern
California. Nicknamed "Deep Sea Dawn," Wright is internationally recognized for her
use of GIS technologies to map both the geology and the geography of the ocean floor.
A veteran of dozens of ocean cruises, Wright has also participated in multiple ALVIN
submersible dives to explore the depths of the ocean. She is the recipient of numerous
awards including, in 2007, the Carnegie Foundation's U.S. Professor of the Year Award
for the state of Oregon. Her interview details the roots of her love for the ocean
and for science; her progression through academia; and her memories of an accomplished
career at OSU.