Bruce Wilson Candidate Statement
Bruce Wilson Candidate Statement 2023
I made a significant career switch in 2006, moving from the chemical industry to the Earth science informatics community, and ESIP was the first professional meeting I attended in that new role. The way in which I was welcomed and felt that I belonged here was huge for me. As I’ve continued to learn over the past decade and a half, I value more and more the things ESIP brings to the scientific community and the ways in which it brings people together.
I would like to serve as an At Large Board Member for several reasons. One is that I see that as a way to give back to ESIP and pay forward some of the benefits and mentoring I’ve gotten from being part of this organization. I want to build on the work we have been doing in the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Justice (EDIJ) Advisory Committee. ESIP is a force for positive change, and I think there are important opportunities for us to do more. ESIP is also a bridge across organizations and agencies. I want to help strengthen those bridges and build more. I have a broad work background, having worked in industry (two Fortune 50 companies), at a Department of Energy laboratory working on projects for multiple agencies, and as adjunct faculty member.
You can find more of my history and work at my ORNL profile (https://www.ornl.gov/staff-profile/bruce-e-wilson). The short version is that I’m a chemist and statistician by original training. I spent 18 years in the chemical industry, moving into some early work in high throughput methods for material science and formulations. I was drowning in my own data. Over time, I moved from making tools to handle my own data deluge to making those tools for other scientists. Today, I view my professional mission as making it easier for other scientists to focus on doing their science, particularly scientists working in ecology and climate science. I’m fortunate to be able work on that mission by serving as the Manager for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Distributed Active Archive Center (ORNL DAAC). In addition to my work with the ESIP EDIJ Advisory Committee, I’ve served as the Finance Committee chair, and I’ve participated in cluster activities.
