Esri President Receives Honourary Doctor of Science Degree

Jack Dangermond, founder and president of Esri, was presented with an honorary Doctor of Science degree at the commencement ceremonies of the University of Massachusetts, Boston, USA, on 31 May 2013. Dangermond is one of the world’s pioneers in the creation and practice of geographic information systems (GIS) -technology used for managing, analysing and sharing location-based information for better decision-making.

Dangermond founded Esri in 1969 in Redlands, California. The company is widely recognised as the technical and market leader in GIS, developing innovative solutions for working with spatial data on the desktop, across the enterprise, in the field, on the web and within the cloud.

He is recognised not only as a pioneer in spatial analysis methods but also as one of the most influential people in GIS. Dangermond is personally committed to applying GIS methods for environmental stewardship and sustainable communities.

The University of Massachusetts is honoured to recognise Jack Dangermond, UMass Boston Chancellor J. Keith Motley said. His innovation, persistence, and vision have created nearly infinite uses for GIS technology, improving the quality of life for people around the world.

Dangermond graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in landscape architecture from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He holds a Master of Architecture degree, with a focus on landscape architecture and urban planning, from the Institute of Technology at the University of Minnesota and a Master of Science degree in landscape architecture from the Graduate School of Design, Harvard University.

He holds honorary doctorates from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; State University of New York, Buffalo; University of West Hungary; City University London; University of Redlands, California; Loma Linda University, California; Technical University for Civil Engineering of Bucharest; University of Arizona, Tucson; and Ferris State University, Michigan.

Dangermond has received a number of awards including the Alexander Graham Bell Medal from the National Geographic Society (2010), Patron's Medal from the Royal Geographical Society (2010), Public-Private Partnership Award from the National Governors Association (2009), Carl Mannerfelt Medal from the International Cartographic Association (2008), and the Henry Shaw Medal from the Missouri Botanical Garden (2006).

UMass Boston has a well-established GIS curriculum that supports programmemes in its College of Science and Mathematics, McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies, Andrew Fiske Memorial Center for Archaeological Research, and the Urban Harbors Institute. Through the School for the Environment, UMass Boston offers a Geographic Information Technologies certificate that was established by Dr. Zong-Guo Xia, current vice provost at the University. The programmeme is a leader in the region, supplying GIS professionals for municipal, state and federal agencies, as well as teachers and researchers worldwide.