They were already working their dream careers — they chose Redlands to take it further

“From what I’ve seen at University of Redlands and the School of Business & Society, is its focus on impact. I could have chosen to study somewhere else."

The news arrived at different times and in different ways, but the message was one they were all waiting to hear. Helen Thompson, Aditya Allamraju, Aurora Van Zeyl, and Caitlin Marin are among nine Esri employees who are now also Esri Fellows — ready to expand their careers at the world's leading mapping technology company through higher education at University of Redlands. 

Nine employees, three programs, one Bulldog opportunity

For Thompson, a product engineer with 20 years of experience at Esri, completing the Master of Science in Organizational Leadership through the School of Business & Society isn’t about credentials — it’s about a question she keeps asking: the technology works, but those leading it often don’t know how to use it.

“Every single one of those things requires GIS, but it requires leaders who understand it,” she said. “From what I’ve seen at University of Redlands and the School of Business & Society, is its focus on impact. I could have chosen to study somewhere else, but there's both the serendipity of opportunity in geography and knowing that this is a good degree, with foundational things that intersect with my interests and passions, all in a place that is close to home and work.”

Marin, who works alongside epidemiologists and data scientists using GIS to map disease patterns, sees the Master of Science in Business Analytics program as a way to take her data further.

“Being able to create models, use machine learning and AI on different data sets that the people I work with have will help them predict things and move towards more preventative measures for the work that they do,” she said.

As a financial analyst who has spent years watching Esri’s senior leadership make decisions that matter to both the company and its clients, McNay came to the Master of Business Administration program with a clear goal — to be in the room where those decisions are made.

“Through the program, I will immediately use what I’m learning to take on more complex accounts, contribute to process improvement, and think more critically about the impacts of those changes across the organization,” she said. “I'm looking forward to the managerial finance, theory, and practice course because that'll have a direct correlation to a lot of the things that I'm doing and looking to do.”

For Allamraju, her journey to Redlands started long before the fellowship. As a student in India, she knew Esri's software by reputation long before having access to it. After earning a master’s degree in GIS, Allamraju landed at Esri as a product engineer and saw U of R as a place to pursue her academic goals. Through the Master of Science in Business Analytics program, she plans to couple her GIS skills with expanded knowledge in data and business administration.

“It felt like an important milestone to be accepted into the fellowship and begin my journey at the University of Redlands,” she said. “The fellowship is especially meaningful as it directly connects to my current work at ArcGIS Online. It will help me further strengthen how I bring together GIS and business analytics and deepen my ability to use data-driven insights to improve release readiness, quality, and platform decision-making in real-world geospatial systems.”

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