Foreword I first met Dawn Wright in 2011, at a meeting of the Science Advisory Board of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), where I was then deputy administrator and chief scientist. In my enthusiasm at encountering a fellow ocean geologist, I gave Dawn a friendly but perhaps overly vigorous punch in the arm—for which, fortunately, she forgave me. We’ve kept up with each other ever since and, as friends and colleagues, our paths have often crossed. Dawn and I are both explorers and oceanographers, driven by an intense curiosity about this planet, how it works, and how to put our scientific understanding of the Earth to the best possible use. In addition to sharing an academic discipline and an exceptional experience (we’re among the handful of humans who’ve dived to Challenger Deep, the deepest spot on the planet), I believe Dawn and I share something else: a sense of the interconnectedness of life on this planet, and the urgency of preserving it. As an astronaut on three space shuttle missions, and the first US woman to walk in space, I was privileged to see our “blue marble” from a unique perspective. It soon became clear to me that all of us on Earth—all biological species— are inextricably linked. This planet is our life support system. Just as an astronaut needs an intimate understanding of their spacesuit to survive a spacewalk, so do we all depend for survival on understanding deeply how our planet works. Dawn is one of the scientists leading the way in this quest. It’s not just her achievements as an oceanographer, an educator, and a trailblazer that are noteworthy, it’s her life story as well. Hers is an inspiring story of race and identity, with lessons for all of us on diversity, otherness, and the courage it takes to be the only or the “other” in a place. It’s also a tale of succeeding without mentors or role models who look like you, and of holding true to yourself and your goals, no matter what.
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