AAG Presidential Award for Esri Scientist

AAG president Audrey L. Kobayashi said that Wright's work to build geospatial technology standards for ocean mapping has enabled the scientific community to share information and collaborate on research projects. She has championed geographic information systems for marine research that are laying the groundwork for more sustainable ocean resources policies. The AAG Presidential Achievement Award affirms the benefit her efforts have brought to geographic science.

As chief scientist, Wright leads Esri's natural sciences efforts and drives the company's ocean and science initiatives. She is also a professor of geography and oceanography at Oregon State University, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a fellow of Stanford University's Aldo Leopold Leadership Program in science communication. Her research interests include geographic information science; marine geography; benthic terrain and habitat characterisation; and the processing and interpretation of high-resolution bathymetry, video, and underwater photographic images. Wright received her doctorate in physical geography and marine geology from the University of California, Santa Barbara.