Adrianne Wadewitz, scholar who helped diversify Wikipedia, dead at 37

LOS ANGELES -- When Adrianne Wadewitz became a Wikipedia contributor 10 years ago, she decided to use a pseudonym, certain that fellow scholars at Indiana University would frown on writing for the often-maligned "free encyclopedia that anyone can edit."

But Wadewitz eventually came out as a Wikipedian, the term the encyclopedia uses to describe the tens of thousands of volunteers who write and edit its pages. A rarity as a woman in the male-centric Wikipedia universe, she became one of its most valued and prolific contributors as well as a force for diversifying its ranks and demystifying its inner workings.

Her goal was "empowering everyday Internet users to be critical of how information is produced on the Internet and move beyond being critical to making it better," said Alexandra Juhasz, a Pitzer College professor of media studies who worked with Wadewitz to address gender bias in Wikipedia.

Wadewitz, who trained scores of people, particularly women, to participate in Wikipedia as editors, died April 8 in Palm Springs, Calif., 10 days after suffering head injuries in a fall while rock climbing in Joshua Tree National Park, said her partner Peter B. James. She was 37.

A postdoctoral fellow at Occidental College's Center for Digital Learning and Research, Wadewitz worked with faculty and students to use technology and the Internet effectively in the classroom. As a campus ambassador for Wikipedia, she also tackled widespread skepticism about the online source's trustworthiness and biases.

An expert on 18th century English literature, she merged her interests in Wikipedia, where she wrote articles on famous writers such as Jane Austen and Mary Wollstonecraft and pioneering female rock climbers such as Steph Davis and Lynn Hill.

Legendary in the Wikipedia world, Wadewitz had more than 50,000 "edits" or contributions to her credit. She also was the author of 36 "featured" articles, the highest distinction bestowed by other Wikipedians based on accuracy, fairness, style and comprehensiveness.

"She was one of the top 10 editors in terms of producing a lot of high-quality content," said Sue Gardner, executive director of Wikimedia Foundation, the San Francisco-based nonprofit that operates Wikipedia. "Wikipedia is full of brilliant, talented people. She really stood out."