San José, Costa Rica — 27 September 2019 – The Internet Hall of Fame has announced the names of eleven pioneers and visionaries who have made outstanding contributions to the Internet’s global growth, reach, and security. The new inductees will be honored at a special ceremony held today in the Costa Rican capital.
Hailing from around the world, this year’s inductees now join other Internet luminaries in the Internet Hall of Fame. They have helped shape today’s Internet by expanding its reach into new regions and communities, pioneering a greater understanding of the way the Internet works, and enhancing security to increase user trust in the network.
The 2019 Inductees are:
- Adiel Akplogan (Africa) advanced Internet development in Togo and across Africa, and served as founding CEO of the Regional Internet Registry for Africa
- Kimberly Claffy (United States) pioneered the field of Internet data collection, measurement and analysis
- Douglas Comer (United States) wrote the first series of authoritative textbooks explaining the scientific principles of the Internet’s design and its communications protocols
- Elise Gerich (United States) was instrumental in the transition of the NSFNET to the modern-day Internet and of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority functions from stewardship of the U.S. government to a multistakeholder community
- Larry Irving (United States) was a driving force behind the identification of the Digital Divide in the U.S, igniting global interest in the issue
- Dan Lynch (United States) drove adoption of TCP/IP protocols and played a key role in driving the Internet towards a commercial network
- Jean Armour Polly (United States) pioneered free Internet access in public libraries
- José Soriano (Peru) was a leader in bringing the Internet to Peru and designed a replicable “public Internet” model
- Michael Stanton (Brazil) was instrumental in bringing the Internet to Brazil, and continues to participate in the design and deployment of scalable optical networks in South America and around the world
- Klaas Wierenga (Netherlands) invented eduroam, an international Wi-Fi roaming service for academic and research communities in over 100 countries
- Suguru Yamaguchi (Japan) was a cybersecurity research pioneer and global leader in its deployment; founded Asia Pacific broadband Internet research and educational network project via satellite
“The Internet’s design has always enabled people to see a problem, and get to work on solving it,” noted Andrew Sullivan, Internet Society President and CEO. “This year’s inductees have given us all great gifts of their creative approaches to issues they saw on the Internet. We can take inspiration from them to tackle the next round of challenges.”
This year’s ceremony marks the first time the awards will be held in Latin America since the program’s inception in 2012. Costa Rica was selected to host the event for the strong example it has set in employing a collaborative approach to Internet governance, and the systematic steps it has taken to close the country’s digital divide.
The Internet Hall of Fame recognizes individuals worldwide who have played an extraordinary role in the conceptualization, building, and development of the global Internet. In addition to those who have been more visible, it recognizes those who have made crucial, behind-the-scenes contributions. Inductees are selected by an Advisory Board of past inductees who guide the long-term planning and direction of the program.
The Internet Hall of Fame induction ceremony can be viewed via Livestream, starting at 5:30 pm CST/MDT. More details on the 2019 Internet Hall of Fame inductees, including their biographies and photos, can be found at www.internethalloffame.org. You can follow the Internet Hall of Fame on Facebook and on Twitter at @Internet_HOF (#IHOF2019).
About the Internet Hall of Fame
The Internet Hall of Fame (www.internethalloffame.org) is a recognition program and virtual museum that celebrates the living history of the Internet and the individuals whose extraordinary contributions have made the Internet, its worldwide availability and use, and its transformative nature, possible. The Internet Hall of Fame was launched by the Internet Society in 2012.
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).
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