The challenge of increasing the level of diversity in STEM-related fields is a passion of mine. In 2015, I helped sponsor legislation aimed at encouraging citizens and community organizations to support the observance of California Women and Girls in STEM week by celebrating women in the field. And I’ve always been an advocate for diversity in a variety of fields including business and technology.
In early May, as the founder of the Inland Leadership Alliance, I joined Esri founder and president Jack Dangermond and Black Voice News publisher Paulette Brown-Hinds in hosting the first convening of a collaborative initiative — Mapping Black California.
Dangermond and Laura, his wife and Esri co-founder, share a commitment to improving diversity in technology by ensuring that students of color are introduced to science and technology early in their academic careers.
The extraordinary impact of the Dangermonds in the field of geographic information system (GIS) technology coupled with my own career experience as an urban planner and planning commissioner have made a great match for collaboration. The Mapping Black California initiative will serve as a catalyst to build a career pipeline and expose the broader African-American community to the power of geospatial technology.
Beginning in 1969, under Jack and Laura’s leadership, Esri has led the evolution of geospatial query and analysis, and introduced the world’s first commercial geographic information system (GIS). Today, the company’s list of clients spans the globe. And the company’s expansion of geospatial technology has enhanced and broadened opportunities in the field.
Last week, I organized a group of 11 young women at the Esri campus for “A Conversation with Dr. Dawn Wright and Whitney Kotlewski.” Young women interested in science and technology were selected to participate in the experience by Shirley Coates of the Ignite Leadership Academy (STEM academy collaborative at UC Riverside) and Dina Walker, founder of the BLU Educational Foundation in Rialto and president of the Rialto Unified School District Board of Trustees.
Wright is Esri’s chief scientist. A geographer, oceanographer and leading authority in the application of GIS technology to ocean and coastal science, Wright helped create the first GIS data model for oceans.
Whitney Kotlewski is a senior user experience architect and was joined in her segment of the presentation by Candice Lawson, a senior graphic designer. Both women are a part of the company’s Creative Lab team, responsible for creating the company’s marketing, product and media communications and design work.
During the tour, the young women were treated to a video creation by another member of the Creative Lab team, social media architect Ted Burns. The day’s events included a guided tour of the Esri Library by corporate librarians Colleen Connor and Patty Turner.
The Esri event provided aspiring students a chance to observe, interact with and learn about STEM related opportunities in geospatial technology from the inside — as seen through the eyes of women who look like them and come from similar backgrounds with similar experiences. Through this initiative not only are we working to solve some of our community’s most pervasive problems, we are building a pipeline of diverse geospatial experts right here in the Inland Empire with a company considered to be the global leader in the field.
Cheryl Brown of San Bernardino represented the 47th District in the California Assembly from 2012-2016.
