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| Jack Dangermond, the founder and president of Environmental Systems Research Institute and a 1967 Cal Poly Pomona alumnus, will receive the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.). |
Jack Dangermond, the founder and president of Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) and a 1967 Cal Poly Pomona alumnus, has been selected by the California State University Board of Trustees to receive the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.). Dangermond was nominated for the award by Cal Poly Pomona’s Honorary Doctorate Committee, made up of five senior faculty members from five different colleges.
The formal conferral will take place at 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 11, during the 2005 commencement exercises for Cal Poly Pomona’s College of Environmental Design, which initiated this process.
“It is with great appreciation that I accept this honor,” says Dangermond. “Cal Poly Pomona has contributed so much to me personally, to my family, the profession of landscape architecture, and to the general society in Southern California. I am proud to be affiliated with this fine institution.”
Under his leadership, ESRI has become the world’s leading developer of geographic information system software that is used in both the academic environment and private sector. Dangermond has served on NASA’s Earth Systems Science and Applications Advisory Committee, the Task Force on National Digital Cartographic Standards, the National Science Foundation and the National Academy of Science’s Committee on Geography.
“We are honored to recognize Jack Dangermond,” says University President Michael Ortiz. “While his professional accomplishments are unparalleled, it is his humanitarian contributions to our global society that stand out.”
Dangermond works on behalf of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and UNESCO initiatives, including the Humanitarian Information Center (HIC) in Iraq. Through the HIC, ESRI has provided software and training materials as well as teacher training to Iraqi nationals in support of the country’s redevelopment efforts. He has been formally recognized by the U.S. State Department with the Distinguished Public Service Award for outstanding contributions to national and international affairs; the LaGasse Medal for Excellence in the Management of Public Lands and National Resources in the Public Interest from the American Society of Landscape Architects; and the EDUCAUSE medal for developing outstanding technology-based teaching and learning programs in geography.
“Jack Dangermond’s work has impacted design, planning, environmental assessment, resource management and business around the world,” says Karen Hanna, dean of the College of Environmental Design. “It isn’t just his firm’s development of GIS products that have made this possible, but his understanding of the integration of mapping and database systems into every day life. The College of Environmental Design is proud to have him as one of our alumni, and thrilled that he will be recognized with this award.”
Dangermond received a bachelor of science in landscape architecture from Cal Poly Pomona (1967), a master of science in urban planning from the University of Minnesota (1968) and a master of science in landscape architecture from Harvard University (1969).
He becomes the 12th person to be honored with an honorary doctorate at Cal Poly Pomona, joining Julia Child (2000), W.K. Kellogg (1998), Charles Oliver (1996), Charles Voorhis (1995), Norman Williamson (1995), W. Keith Kellogg (1994), Michi Nishiura Weglyn (1993), James Collins (1992), Russell Mawby (1989) and Emory Morris (1969).