Esri has announced that the International Geographical Union (IGU) has awarded Jack Dangermond the Planet and Humanity Medal. The award honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to peace, welfare, or sustainability. The IGU is an international, non-governmental, professional organization devoted to the promotion and development of the discipline of geography through initiating and coordinating research and teaching globally.
This award is only given every four years and normally to leaders in the public sector or with science leadership backgrounds. Past awardees have included Al Gore, Nelson Mandela, and Mikhail Gorbachev. This year marks the first time the medal has been given to someone from the private technology sector.
Jack Dangermond founded Esri in Redlands, California in 1969, and it is now the leading geographic information systems (GIS) software company in the world. Dangermond has generously supported major environmental programs and has donated or pledged more than $1 billion worth of free Esri software to schools and environmental organizations.
“This award is an incredible honor for me, and I accept it on behalf of all the good work ongoing by my colleagues and our users,” said Dangermond, Esri founder and president. “Our collective work has focused on building and applying systematic tools that help people apply geographic thinking to problem solving. At Esri, we believe that geography is at the heart of a more resilient and sustainable future and we have been dedicated to providing organizations and individuals with technology that enables geospatial understanding and helps people address our greatest challenges.”
Educated at the California Polytechnic College-Pomona, the University of Minnesota, and Harvard University’s Laboratory for Computer Graphics and Spatial Design, Jack Dangermond began his career in landscape architecture before playing a key role in developing GIS technology for a broad market. He is recognized not only as a pioneer in spatial analysis methods but also as one of the most influential people in GIS.
Actively managing Esri and closely connected to projects, clients, and company vision, Dangermond is personally committed to applying GIS methods for environmental stewardship and sustainable communities.
