Computer scientist who helped develop the Internet, e-mail to speak at K-State Oct. 23

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Source: Alfred W. Cochran, 785-532-4372, cochalw@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, 785-532-6415, ebarcomb@k-state.edu

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

COMPUTER SCIENTIST WHO HELPED DEVELOP THE INTERNET, E-MAIL TO SPEAK AT K-STATE OCT. 23

MANHATTAN -- An Internet "evangelizer" who helped create the first e-mail service connected to the Internet will present a lecture at Kansas State University.

Vinton Cerf, known as one of the founding fathers of the Internet, will present "The Evolving Internet" from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 23, in Fiedler Hall Auditorium. The lecture is part of the Provost's Lecture Series and is free and open to the public.

Cerf will discuss the many ways increased use of the Internet is changing how companies do business, how scientists conduct research and how everyday users negotiate concerns about privacy, fraud, abuse and socially unacceptable behavior.

Under the title "chief Internet evangelist," Cerf helps Google Inc. build network infrastructure, architectures, systems and standards for the next generation of Internet applications. Before working for Google, Cerf led technology advancements at MCI, where he helped give the company a presence on the Internet and led the engineering of MCI Mail, the fist commercial e-mail service connected to the Internet.

A science fiction fan who has worked as technical adviser for "Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict" and has appeared on television programs with Leonard Nimoy, Cerf is taking the Internet to other worlds. He is working with NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab to extend the Internet into outer space for planet-to-planet communications.

Among Cerf's numerous awards is the Association for Computing Machinery's A.M. Turning Award, considered the Nobel Prize of computing, which he colleague Robert Kahn received the for achievements in computer networking. The pair also have drawn the attention of two U.S. presidents: George W. Bush awarded them the Presidential Medal of Freedom; and Bill Clinton awarded them the U.S. National Medal of Technology for their work founding and developing the Internet.

Cerf has a master's degree and doctoral degree in computer science from the University of California at Los Angeles and a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Stanford University. More information about Cerf and on the Provost's Lecture Series at K-State is available at http://www.k-state.edu/provost/academic/lecture/