Awards
Congratulations to the Esri award winners
Explore the awards and recipients recognized at the 2026 Esri User Conference.
About the Esri UC awards
Each year, Esri recognizes outstanding contributions by individuals and organizations through their GIS-based work. Discover details about the awards and learn more about the winners.
Awards
President’s Award
2026 RECIPIENT
Government of Jamaica | Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development
About the award
The President's Award, personally selected by Esri founder and president Jack Dangermond, is Esri’s highest honor. It recognizes an organization that demonstrates exceptional leadership in using data-driven decision-making to create a positive impact on the world.
Enterprise GIS Award
This year's recipient
City of Austin GIS
2026 RECIPIENT
About the award
The Enterprise GIS Award recognizes organizations that have leveraged GIS to improve efficiency, foster greater collaboration and transparency, and increase engagement among internal and external stakeholders. Selected by Esri founder and president Jack Dangermond and Esri leadership, the award honors organizations that have demonstrated excellence in implementing and advancing an enterprise-wide GIS.
Making a Difference Award
2026 RECIPIENT
The team of David R. Maidment & NOAA’s National Water Center
About the award
The Making a Difference Award honors organizations and individuals who have used GIS to create a meaningful, positive impact in their communities. Selected by Esri founder and president Jack Dangermond and Esri leadership, the award recognizes those whose work demonstrates the power of GIS to improve lives and contribute to a better world.
Special Achievement in GIS Award (SAG Awards)
About the award
The Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Awards will be announced during this year's Plenary Session on July 13, 2026. Esri users are nominated by Esri leadership and distributor organizations, with finalists selected by Jack Dangermond. These organizations set new precedents throughout the GIS community.
Map Gallery Awards
About the award
The Map Gallery is central to Esri UC because it's one of the most wide-ranging and comprehensive collections of GIS work in the world and can indicate trends and shifts in technical and cartographic practice.
Every year, our users' works inspire, move, and challenge us to try new things and be innovative. Visually stunning maps are selected in each category. These maps exemplify overall excellence.
We will celebrate their work on Friday during the closing ceremony.
The winners will be announced on Friday, July 17, at the conference closing.
Young Scholar Awards
2026 RECIPIENTS
| Winner's name | University Name | Country/Region |
|---|---|---|
| Anilys Rodríguez | Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá | Panama |
| Anny Carlos AL Andary | Holy Spirit University of Kaslik | Lebanon |
| Augustas Reikertas | Vilnius University | Lithuania |
| Clara Marlene Hahn | Kiel University | Germany |
| Edgar Orozco Aguilar | Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México | Mexico |
| Ella Gross | University of Wellington | New Zealand |
| Emilia Elizabeth Luzuriaga Cáceres | Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador | Ecuador |
| Erick Mnyali | University of Dar es Salaam | Tanzania |
| Fajar Nur Adnan | Bandung Institute of Technology | Indonesia |
| Fatima Mohammed | United Arab Emirates University | United Arab Emirates |
| Gerson Alexander Martínez | Universidad Gerardo Barrios | El Salvador |
| Gideon Enyinful-Andoh | Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology | Ghana |
| Henrique Santos | NOVA-IMS | Portugal |
| Isabelle Yau Li Shuang | Sunway University | Malaysia |
| Jon Guler | University of Zurich | Switzerland |
| Juan Notivoli Zamora | Universidad Politécnica de Madrid | Spain |
| Katsuki Ogino | Hiroshima University | Japan |
| Kristina Limbach | Tallinn University of Technology | Estonia |
| LI Tsz Hin | The University of Hong Kong | Hong Kong |
| Linus Lulkiewicz | University of Vienna | Austria |
| Lucy Hughes | James Cook University | Australia |
| Maria Błońska | University of Warmia and Mazury | Poland |
| Michael Iliev | University College London | United Kingdom |
| Mustafa Berk Dogru | Ankara University | Türkiye |
| Nicolas Mihail Alexandru | University of Bucharest | Romania |
| Sophia Slabon | Western University | Canada |
| Swapnali R. Magadum | Shivaji University Kolhapur | India |
| Temitope Waheed | Univesity of Ibadan | Nigeria |
| Yoeri Pasman | University of Applied Sciences | The Netherlands |
| Zoe Munoz | Universidad de Valle | Colombia |
About the award
Esri continually works to develop the next generation of GIS leaders. The Young Scholars Award program allows Esri, our international distributors, and the international education team to recognize the exemplary work of current undergraduate and graduate students majoring in geospatial science disciplines at international universities.
Winning entries come from all over the world and are selected by a university panel formed by Esri’s distributor in the recipient’s respective country. Along with receiving the award, the Esri Young Scholars recipients have their work displayed at the Map Gallery at the Esri User Conference. Esri started this program in 2012 and has been honored to see it grow, with more than 30 awards presented each year.
Esri Innovation Program Student of the Year Award
2026 RECIPIENT
Jooyoung Yoo
University of Southern California
About the award
The Esri Innovation Program (EIP) confers special status and benefits on select university programs with demonstrated excellence in geospatial research and education. These programs challenge students to develop innovative applications using ArcGIS and related elements of the geospatial technology ecosystem.
2025 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition Winners
About the award
Our greatest challenges—including climate change, sustainability, and social and economic inequality—are interrelated and inherently tied to geography. Each year, Esri invites individuals and organizations worldwide to enter the ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition with a place-based story that communicates those challenges and proposes data-driven solutions.
Esri Community Contest—MVP Awards
2026 RECIPIENTS
Cody Patterson
Dan Petterson
Ken Buja
About the award
The Esri Community Contest recognizes the Most Valuable Participants (MVPs)—community members who exemplify technical expertise, collaboration, and a dedication to helping their peers. Within the Esri Community, users connect to ask questions, exchange ideas, share knowledge, and solve problems together. The top three MVP winners are selected based on the number of accepted solutions they provide, reflecting their significant contributions to the community's success.
