Biography

Dr Jack Dangermond is a businessman and environmental scientist. He is a globally renowned leader in the development of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) that have been applied to almost every field of human activity, and is respected for his generous and impactful philanthropy.

He holds a BSc degree in Landscape Architecture from the California Polytechnic College–Pomona (1967), an MSc in Urban Planning from the Institute of Technology, University of Minnesota (1968), and an MSc in Landscape Architecture, Graduate School of Design from Harvard University (1969).

After training as a landscape architect, Dr Dangermond founded Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri) with his wife Laura in 1969. Their vision was to develop GIS software that would be useful when applied to real life problems. While embracing many of the principles of a research institute, Esri is a privately held business providing GIS software, education and support to its users around the world. Today, Esri has 5,000 staff globally, 20 international research centres, 2,700 business partners, conducts business in 200 countries, and supports more than 350,000 organisations that use Esri software.

Dr Dangermond has authored hundreds of papers on the application of GIS to diverse fields. He is also a leading advocate for GIS, having made thousands of presentations to audiences all over the world. Esri makes grants to researchers and provides inexpensive software licenses to support primary, secondary and higher education.

Dr and Mrs Dangermond donated US$165 million to establish the Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve on the California coast – the largest ever gift to The Nature Conservancy. During the COVID-19 outbreak, Esri donated more than US$60 million in software, services and hardware to aid US government agencies, furloughed workers and educators.

For his achievements he has received much global recognition and many Medals, including inter alia, the James R. Anderson, Audubon, Alexander Graham Bell, Brock, Cullum, LaGasse, Carl Mannerfelt, the Planet and Humanity Medals, and the Patron’s Medal of the Royal Geographical Society. Dr Dangermond is an Officer in the Order of Orange Nassau, Netherlands, and has been conferred 14 honorary doctorates from universities in four countries.

In recognition of his contributions to academia and humanity worldwide, the University has resolved to confer upon him the degree of Doctor of Science honoris causa.