Montreal, Quebec – July 18, 2018 — The Internet Society, a global non-profit dedicated to ensuring the open development, evolution, and use of the Internet, today presented the prestigious Jonathan B. Postel Service Award to Steven G. Huter, Director for the Network Startup Resource Center (NSRC) and a Research Associate at the University of Oregon. For decades he has worked with people around the world to strengthen the infrastructure, partnerships, and expertise upon which the Internet has been developed in more than 120 countries, particularly in support of research and education.
“Steve Huter is the quintessential candidate for the Postel Award. For a quarter of a century, Steve has enabled hundreds of institutions to build and operate new components of the Internet. His dedication to this task mirrors Postel’s own and continues to this day. Literally millions have benefited from Steve’s work,” explains Vint Cerf, founding president of the Internet Society.
Mr. Huter was selected by an international award committee comprised of former Jonathan B. Postel award winners. The committee placed particular emphasis on candidates who have supported and enabled others in addition to their own contributions. The award is being presented to Mr. Huter in recognition of “his leadership and personal contributions at the Network Startup Resource Center that enabled countless others to develop the Internet in more than 120 countries.” The NSRC was formally begun in 1992 by Randy Bush and John Klensin with funding from a U.S. National Science Foundation grant to provide technical assistance to people setting up networks in developing areas to support scientific collaboration.
“Steve epitomizes the values and spirit of the Postel Award. For more than twenty-five years he has energetically brought the fruits of the Internet to developing countries using his unique combination of a multicultural background, technical knowledge, unfailing energy and commitment,” adds Steve Crocker, CEO and co-founder of Shinkuro, Inc.
Mr. Huter joined the NSRC in 1993, where he has led the development and implementation of programs that provide technical training, equipment, and expertise across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America-Caribbean, and the Middle East.
“It is a tremendous honor to be acknowledged for helping to advance Jon’s vision and philosophy of developing the Internet into a global resource,” said Steven G. Huter, Director for the Network Startup Resource Center (NSRC) and a Research Associate at the University of Oregon, on receiving the 2018 Jonathan B. Postel Service Award. “The most important thing I learned from Jon Postel and the founders of the NSRC is to cultivate a culture of network operators who help each other via technical exchange and resource sharing; this is an effective way to empower more network engineers and enable continuous progress for a community of peers in all regions of the world. Thank you to the NSRC team and all who have contributed over the years towards achieving this objective and enriching the Internet.”
The Postel Award was established by the Internet Society to honor individuals or organizations that, like Jon Postel, have made outstanding contributions to the data communications community. The award is focused on sustained and substantial technical contributions, service to the community, and leadership. Kathy Brown, President and CEO of the Internet Society presented the award including a US$20,000 honorarium and a crystal engraved globe, during the 102nd meeting of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) held in Montreal, 14-20 July 2018.
About the Internet Society
Founded by Internet pioneers, the Internet Society (ISOC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring the open development, evolution and use of the Internet. Working through a global community of chapters and members, the Internet Society collaborates with a broad range of groups to promote the technologies that keep the Internet safe and secure, and advocates for policies that enable universal access. The Internet Society is also the organizational home of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).
About the Network Startup Resource Center
The Network Startup Resource Center, which is based at the University of Oregon, was established in 1992 to provide technical assistance to organizations setting up computer networks in new areas to connect scientists engaged in collaborative research and education. For the past few decades, the NSRC has helped develop Internet infrastructure and network operations communities in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America-Caribbean, and the Middle East. The NSRC is partially funded by the International Research Network Connections (IRNC) program of the U.S. National Science Foundation and Google, with additional contributions from dozens of public and private organizations.
Media Contacts:
Allesandra deSantillana
Internet Society
[email protected]
Tobin Klinger
University of Oregon
[email protected]
Photo ©Stonehouse Photographic / Internet Society
