In this article, we interview Dr. Francine Berman, a professor of computer science at the University of Massachusetts who was appointed by President Obama to serve on the National Council on the Humanities in recognition of her leadership within data science and her perspectives on the socio-environmental impact of connected technologies.

Dr. Berman recently co-authored a research article with sociologist Jennifer Lundquist that explores the role of whistleblowers in the technology industry, and examines why so many prominent whistleblowers have been women.

Dr. Berman will also participate in the Marconi Society’s annual symposium and gala, The Decade of Digital Inclusion 2022, as a panelist on the session, Is the Internet Business Model Broken? Balancing User Needs with Business Interests. Learn more about the November 3 event here.

1.       Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do.

I’m Director of Public Interest Technology and Stuart Rice Honorary Research Professor at UMass Amherst. I’m leading an all-campus initiative in Public Interest Tech (PIT@UMass) that prepares students to address a wide range of challenges using the tools of modern technology in a socially responsible way. 

Advancing society in the digital age requires us to combine innovation and public-focused social controls. It calls on us to re-focus education and our professional priorities and behavior to more effectively promote the public interest. Our goal with PIT@UMass is to prepare students to be responsible professionals who can help maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of a digital world.

In a way, a public interest focus has been part of every job I’ve ever had. As a faculty researcher and educator, Director of the San Diego Supercomputer Center, and co-founder of the international Research Data Alliance, promoting the common good has always been a key driver of my work. It’s a pleasure to be focusing on this at UMass Amherst, an outstanding land grant university whose faculty is committed to benefiting the larger world through their teaching and research efforts.

2.      What is your history with the Marconi Society?

I joined the Marconi Board last fall after talking with Vint Cerf and Samantha Schartman-Cycyk. Our focus on digital equity and the digital divide is important to me and a good fit with my interests and experience. I was also delighted to be on the Board when the Marconi Prize was given to Andrea Goldsmith, a friend and colleague from CS. Andrea’s work is really important and it’s great to see her recognized.

3.       Why is digital equity important to you?

We live in a digital world where private sector priorities often over-ride public interest protections. In this world, there is growing disparity with respect to who benefits from technology and who is at risk for exploitation. As digital technologies become more and more ubiquitous, their downside—intrusion, inequity, misinformation, security threats, etc.—must be addressed by companies, understood by customers, and managed by the public sector. If we want to thrive as humans in a socio-technical world, equity, ethics, and the public interest need to be a core part of the equation. How do we make today’s digital technologies equitable? How do we make tech good for us? These questions drive my own interests and professional priorities.

4.       What inspired you to make a donation to the Marconi Society?

My donation to Marconi was part of my commitment as a Board member to support the organization and its good work. I think that this is important. When I was Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Anita Borg Institute (focused on promoting the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women in tech), we also asked the Board to donate to the organization. We had both student Board members and C-suite Board members from Silicon Valley’s largest companies. All gave what they could to show their commitment to the organization and all of it was meaningful. The Marconi Society takes this same approach and I’m happy to be one of its donors.

5.       How do you hope to impact the world through philanthropy? 

I am just beginning to think through my own approach to philanthropy. Like many, I’ve started at home, trying to share my resources with my children to contribute to their future and level the playing field in an economic environment that is particularly challenging for today’s millennials. With respect to the broader community, I focus on contributions to groups that are trying to make an impact, and who will provide resources that create greater opportunity and a more level playing field. I’m always happy to see philanthropic investment in research and education to complement federal investments as I believe that these are fundamental to societal advancement. 

The post Funding Digital Inclusion: Interview with Marconi Society Board Member Dr. Francine Berman appeared first on The Marconi Society.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself and your company.

In 1998, when I was a professor of applied mathematics at MIT’s Laboratory for Computer Science (now called the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory), my graduate student, Danny Lewin, and I founded a company called Akamai to solve what people back then called the “world wide wait.”  Akamai was a pioneer in content delivery, which means that we delivered web content on behalf of major web sites to users all around the world. Since then, the company has evolved into one of the most essential and trusted cloud delivery and cybersecurity platforms. Many of the world’s best brands and enterprises use our massively distributed global platform to build, accelerate and secure their digital experiences. Our mission is to power and protect life online. And our purpose in doing that is to make life better for billions of people, billions of times a day. For the first 14 years of Akamai’s history, I served as chief scientist. For the last 10 years, I’ve been the company’s CEO. Both roles have given me a great opportunity to help guide innovation at a very innovative company, one that is full of brilliant and highly talented engineers from all over the world.

2. What is your history with the Marconi Society?

In 2018, the Marconi Society honored me with the Marconi Prize for contributions to technology and the establishment of content delivery networks. It was a special honor for me personally, having worked in the field for as long as I have and knowing so much about the accomplishments of previous Marconi Prize winners. Since then, I’ve had the privilege to become more involved in the Society’s activities, which are helping to shape the future of communication and our lives.  

3. Why is digital equity important to you?

When you look at the demographic of people employed in tech, you can’t help but see that we have a long way to go as an industry, and as a society, to open the doors of opportunity to everyone. Equal opportunity is fundamentally important. As a teacher who has had the privilege to teach so many brilliant students over the years, I believe that individual talent is precious, and that people of diverse backgrounds can make substantial contributions to our industry and our lives if we give them the opportunity. That’s why we created something called the Akamai Technical Academy. It’s an in-house educational program that trains non-technical professionals from populations that are underrepresented in the tech industry to prepare them for technical careers. The success we have had with the program demonstrates what people are capable of achieving if given a chance.

4. What inspired you to donate to the Marconi Society?

The Marconi Society connects and supports innovators who are connecting the world. At a time when the world is under threat from the challenges of climate change, war, disease, cyber attacks and inequality, we need better ways to stay connected, and to help the next generation inherit a better world.

5. How do you hope to impact the world through philanthropy? 

I’ve been personally committed to increasing and inspiring the pipeline of students pursuing STEM careers, first as a mathematics professor at MIT and now in my role at Akamai. I try to encourage the next generation of technology innovators by supporting STEM education, with a focus on the pursuit of excellence in mathematics in grades K-12, whether through efforts such as The Akamai Foundation, The Center for Excellence in Education, the Society for Science and the Public (which sponsors the Regeneron Science Search), The Mathematical Association of America (which sponsors the Math Olympiad), the Math Competition for Girls, and Girls Who Code (which we host every summer at Akamai). Math programs that reach students at a young age can inspire them to embrace math and realize that math can be magical and fun. This can later lead to exciting careers dedicated to solving problems in ways that, ultimately, can make life better for millions, if not billions, of people on our planet. My passion is really about encouraging the next generation of innovators that can make our world a better place for all.

The post Funding Digital Inclusion: Interview with Marconi Fellow Dr. Tom Leighton appeared first on The Marconi Society.

taia@marconisociety.org

February 15, 2021—The Marconi Society today opened nomination periods for its 2023 Marconi Prize and 2022 Paul Baran Young Scholar Award. These prestigious awards, which recognize established and emerging scientists in advanced communications technology from around the globe, showcase the leaders in the field and celebrate their contributions to building a digitally equitable world.

The Marconi Prize, often referred to as the “Nobel Prize for Communications,” recognizes established Information and Communications Technology (ICT) luminaries whose contributions to the field have had a significant impact on widely used technology, and whose careers demonstrate significant leadership, entrepreneurship, and humanitarian impact. Nominations are accepted February 15–June 1, 2022, EST. The recipient will be announced in early 2023 and recognized at the Marconi Society’s 2023 symposium and gala.

Previous awardees include Siavash Alamouti, a visionary wireless leader and Executive Chairman of mimik,  Andrea Goldsmith, leader in the theory and practice of adaptive wireless communications and Dean of Engineering at Princeton University, Vint Cerf, one of the creators of the Internet and Chief Internet Evangelist at Google, and Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web and Professor at MIT. Alamouti will be celebrated at the organization’s 2022 symposium and gala, The Decade of Digital Inclusion. More details will be announced in the coming months.

The Young Scholar Award recognizes emerging scientists whose innovative scientific achievements, leadership and entrepreneurial characteristics, and dedication to improving society through their work stand out among their peers. 
Prospective Young Scholars must be 27 years or younger during the award year to be considered, and up to four candidates—usually graduate students or early career professionals—are awarded each year. Nominations are accepted February 15–June 1, 2022, EST. Recipients will be announced in early fall 2022 and recognized at the Marconi Society’s 2022 symposium and gala.

About the Marconi Prize

The Marconi Prize is the flagship award of the Marconi Society, given annually since 1975 to innovators who have made significant contributions to increasing digital inclusivity through the advancement of Information and Communications Technology (ICT). 

About the Paul Baran Young Scholar Award

Named for 1991 Marconi Fellow Paul Baran, the Young Scholar Award launched in 2008 and recognizes emerging leaders in advanced communications technology who demonstrate scientific excellence, leadership, entrepreneurship, and a socially engaged approach to their work. 

About the Marconi Society

The Marconi Society envisions a world in which everyone can create opportunity through the benefits of connectivity. The organization celebrates, inspires, and connects individuals building tomorrow’s technologies in service of a digitally inclusive world.

The post Honoring Transformative Leaders in Information and Communications Technology: Nominations Open for Marconi Prize, Paul Baran Young Scholar Award appeared first on The Marconi Society.

Contact: Taia Pandolfi, Marketing & Communications Manager

taia@marconisociety.org

February 9, 2022—The Marconi Society is proud to award the 2022 Marconi Prize, the top honor in communications technology, to Siavash Alamouti in recognition of his impact on the accessibility of wireless devices. The serial innovator, whose famous Alamouti Code can be found in billions of devices around the world, has devoted his career to developing wireless technology that improves people’s lives.

“Siavash has brought connectivity to billions of people by making wireless devices more efficient and affordable without reducing reception quality,” says Vint Cerf, Chair of the Marconi Society and 1998 Marconi Fellow. “Throughout his career, he has been a vital advocate for technology as a democratizing force in the world.”

Alamouti designed his eponymous Code in 1996, refining past efforts to improve mobile signal reception without significantly increasing device costs. His elegant solution, mathematically proven to optimize reception, adds transmitters to cell base stations or access points rather than adding them to each device. This code is now part of the foundation of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology, which is an essential component of contemporary wireless standards.

Throughout his career at major technology companies, including AT&T, Intel, and Vodafone, Alamouti remained passionate about open wireless standards and technology that prioritizes the end user’s needs and interests. His leadership on open wireless standards can be seen in current standards adopted by the IEEE that continue to govern Internet usage and protocols.

More recently, Alamouti has become an outspoken advocate for the decentralization of the cloud and data sovereignty. As co-founder, former CEO, and executive chairman of mimik, he has helped create and commercially deploy the industry’s first hybrid edge cloud platform that allows consumers to control how their data is stored, shared, and monetized. He worked for Wells Fargo bank as Executive Vice President of Research & Development, focusing on the development of a data custodian platform for consumers and enterprises, and recently left the bank to start his own company to accelerate this mission.

“We have made great strides towards digital inclusion globally by connecting people through the Internet, but we have a long way to go before we can claim success,” says Alamouti. “We need to create a sustainable business model to make Internet access affordable to every citizen of the world, but more importantly provide them control of their data, and create disruptive new business models that disincentivize the spread of misinformation, ignorance, and superstitions.

“This will bring people together, provide opportunities to close the growing wealth gap, and ensure a sustainable future for all. I’m incredibly honored to become a Marconi Fellow and work with an organization that has dedicated itself to digital inclusion. I could never have imagined that one day I would share this honor with other Marconi Fellows, world-renowned luminaries whom I have looked up to and admired throughout my career.”

Born in Iran, Alamouti began his undergraduate studies at the Sharif University of Technology in Tehran but left the country following the Islamic Cultural Revolution of 1979. The new government had expelled him from the University and labeled him an apostate due to his progressive secular views. Alamouti escaped to Spain and eventually became a political refugee in Canada in 1984, where he studied electrical engineering at the University of British Columbia during the early days of wireless technology. Now a citizen of Canada and the United States, he credits his challenging young adulthood with the philosophy that continues to shape his career: do the right thing, all the time.

“It’s an honor to celebrate Siavash’s astounding career with the 2022 Marconi Prize,” says Samantha Schartman-Cycyk, the organization’s Executive Director. “His integrity, vision for the role of technology in society, and leadership at the forefront of communications earn him a place among the founders of our connected world.”

About Siavash Alamouti

Siavash Alamouti’s foundational contribution to wireless technology is the Alamouti Code, which has inspired tens of thousands of researchers to expand on his findings. This breakthrough solution was adopted in 3GPP standards only two years after its invention and is included in all the wireless standards since 3G (LTE, LTE-Advanced, and 5G), and all WiFi standards since 802.11n (802.11ad, 802.11ay, etc.).

 Billions of devices in use today rely on the Alamouti code to ensure better quality of communication at lower cost and reduced energy usage. His innovation has improved communications for billions of people and millions of companies and enterprises without any detrimental effect on the carbon footprint. 

Leadership on Wireless Standards 

Alamouti was one of the key contributors to changes in spectrum policy in the U.S. and globally to open the doors for the use of MIMO technology, a major enabler for modern wireless systems. He was and continues to be a vocal advocate of open wireless standards, founding the Wireless Gigabit Alliance (WiGig Alliance) to bring together leaders from competing technology giants like Apple, Broadcom, Huawei, Intel, Microsoft, Samsung, and Sony. His leadership can be seen in the development of 5G and LTE standards, which ensure lower costs and better service by enabling interoperability and a robust market of suppliers.

 “Beyond the technology leadership and personal charisma, the great passion that drives Siavash is the benefit that technology can bring to people, especially in developing countries, and his desire to democratize broadband access anywhere,” writes Izik Kirshenbaum, founder and chairman of Siklu Inc. and former Intel colleague.

Decentralizing the Cloud

Throughout his career, Alamouti has championed technologies that have expanded the possibilities and benefits of technology on humankind. Since 2014, he has dedicated himself to cloud decentralization, a core requirement for an open Internet. At mimik, he led the development of the first hybrid edge cloud platform, which promises to help consumers and enterprises take control of their data while making the cloud more open and efficient.

 Alamouti’s interest in decentralization is two-fold: he wants consumers to be the stewards of their own data, and he wants to fix what he sees as a broken business model. He warns of the serious socioeconomic consequences of Internet-based companies prioritizing advertising over user interests. 

“Siavash’s invention of the first space-time code, his championing of an open standard for worldwide broadband access, and his work to decentralize the cloud have profoundly impacted the wireless networks and devices ubiquitous today,” says Andrea Goldsmith, Chair of the Marconi Prize Selection Advisory Committee. “As a role model to future generations of communication technologists, he is profoundly deserving of the Marconi Award.”

About the Marconi Prize

The Marconi Prize is the flagship award of the Marconi Society, given annually to innovators who have made significant contributions to increasing digital inclusivity through the advancement of information and communications technology. Marconi Prize recipients are recommended by an independent selection committee and approved by the Marconi Society Board, which is chaired by Vint Cerf and includes communications pioneers such as Federico Faggin, Sir David Payne and Andrea Goldsmith.

About the Marconi Society

The Marconi Society envisions a world in which everyone can create opportunity through the benefits of connectivity. The organization celebrates, inspires, and connects individuals building tomorrow’s technologies in service of a digitally inclusive world.

The post Democratizing Internet Access: 2022 Marconi Prize Awarded to Wireless Innovator Siavash Alamouti appeared first on The Marconi Society.

Contact: Taia Pandolfi, Marketing & Communications Manager, the Marconi Society taia@marconisociety.org

October 7 2021—The Marconi Society’s upcoming interdisciplinary symposium, The Decade of Digital Inclusion, takes place on October 22. This event brings together a dream team of over 40 leaders who offer unique contributions in technology, perspectives on governance, and expertise in grassroots digital equity. The Decade of Digital Inclusion aims to identify the most critical challenges in bringing everyone on the planet online and develop innovative, practical solutions.

“We have never been more aware of the importance of creating a digitally inclusive world,” said Vint Cerf, Chair of the Marconi Society and 1998 Marconi Fellow. “The Marconi Society’s mission is to extend the life-changing opportunities of the Internet to the roughly 3 billion people globally who are still unconnected. Through The Decade of Digital Inclusion, we have assembled the most creative and expert minds in their fields to achieve that goal.”

“Our vision for The Decade of Digital Inclusion is to establish new collaborations among the technology, policy, and advocacy fields,” said Samantha Schartman-Cycyk, Executive Director of the Marconi Society and Co-chair of the event. “Each session presents a mix of perspectives that represent the different communities who are shaping and impacted by the future of connected technologies. This interdisciplinary approach is essential to addressing critical gaps in access and affordability.”

To attend the symposium and access past session recordings on demand, please reserve a press pass. Register for the symposium on the ticketing site and apply code PRESS-DODI-2021 for complimentary admission.

October 22 Symposium Schedule

Welcome and Keynote – 11–11:30 a.m. ET

Vint Cerf, Samantha Schartman-Cycyk, Doren Bogdan-Martin

Breakouts – 11:35–12:30 p.m. ET

• Internet for All: What is the Role of Government?
• Going Local: Place-Based Digital Equity Ecosystems
• Building Inclusion into Digital Tech R&D

Breakouts – 12:35–1:30 p.m. ET

• In a World with Unlimited Spectrum
• Gap Networks: Connecting Communities When Traditional Business Models Fail
• Building Effective and Socially Responsible Artificial Intelligence

Keynote: Giving All Americans a Fair Shot at Success – 2–2:25 p.m. ET

Jessica Rosenworcel, FCC

Discussions of the Decade – 2:30–4 p.m. ET

• Information and Communications Technology: Key Challenges for the Next Decade
• Digital Inclusion: Building a Cross-Disciplinary Approach

Keynote: The Future That Our Connected World Will Create – 4:05–4:30 p.m. ET

Andrea Goldsmith, Princeton University, Marconi Fellow

Sponsors

The Marconi Society is thrilled to partner with sponsors, whose support for The Decade of Digital Inclusion will help usher in the next decade of connectivity. The sponsors for The Decade of Digital Inclusion are: Ansys, Vint and Sigrid Cerf, Assia and John Cioffi, Cisco, Cleveland Foundation (CWRU, CSU), Cohere Technologies, Columbia University, Crown Castle, Ed Frank and Sarah Ratchye, Intel, ICANN, Internet Society, Medtronic, Nokia Bell Labs, Princeton University, Qualcomm, Rockwell Automation, The Samueli Foundation, Stanford University Electrical Engineering, Texas Instruments, University of Southampton, Viasat, and VMware.

About the Marconi Society

The Marconi Society envisions a world in which everyone can create opportunity through the benefits of connectivity. The organization celebrates, inspires, and connects individuals building tomorrow’s technologies in service of a digitally inclusive world.

The post MEDIA ADVISORY: Reserve a Press Pass for the Marconi Society’s Virtual Symposium, The Decade of Digital Inclusion appeared first on The Marconi Society.

Contact: Taia Pandolfi, Marketing & Communications Manager, the Marconi Society taia@marconisociety.org

August 17, 2021—The Marconi Society today announced its annual symposium, master class, and gala, The Decade of Digital Inclusion; this event, rooted in the belief that Internet access is a basic human right, brings together a dream team of leaders who offer unique contributions in technology, perspectives on governance, and expertise in grassroots digital equity. The Decade of Digital Inclusion aims to identify the most critical challenges in bringing everyone on the planet online and develop innovative, practical solutions.

With unprecedented levels of network infrastructure spending, emerging technologies that can deliver new business models, and a new generation of digital natives ready to come online, an interdisciplinary approach to connectivity is critical.

“We have never been more aware of the importance of creating a digitally inclusive world,” said Vint Cerf, Chair of the Marconi Society and 1998 Marconi Fellow. “The Marconi Society’s mission is to extend the life-changing opportunities of the Internet to the roughly 3 billion people globally who are still unconnected. Through The Decade of Digital Inclusion, we have assembled the most creative and expert minds in their fields to achieve that goal.”

Available virtually and in person, The Decade of Digital Inclusion is open to attendees everywhere in the world. The event consists of a master class of virtual sessions from September–December and a virtual and in-person symposium and gala on October 22, 2021. 

An Agenda-Setting Event Series

“Our vision for The Decade of Digital Inclusion is to establish new collaborations among the technology, policy, and advocacy fields,” said Samantha Schartman-Cycyk, Executive Director of the Marconi Society and Co-chair of the event. “Each session presents a mix of perspectives that represent the different communities who are shaping and impacted by the future of connected technologies. This interdisciplinary approach is essential to addressing critical gaps in access and affordability.”

The virtual master class offers a series  of pre- and post-symposium sessions this fall. From September 28–30, the 6G Summit on Connecting the Unconnected focuses on the technical possibilities, social impacts, and critical considerations in using 6G to provide connectivity to all. On October 7 and 8, Creating a Secure Network for Everyone examines the technology developments, policy initiatives, and grass-roots education efforts necessary to bring the next billion online safely. On  November 16–18, Where Network Intelligence Meets Public Policy  focuses on the need to improve methodologies for sourcing transparent, accurate, reliable, and scalable network analytics to inform the huge infrastructure investments and consumer subsidies that are becoming widely available.

On October 22, 2021, all attendees are invited to join a symposium and gala at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center in Washington, D.C., or virtually. The symposium’s featured keynote speakers include Doreen Bogdan-Martin of the International Telecommunication Union, Andrea Goldsmith of Princeton University, Larry Irving, former head of the National Telecommunication and Information Association, and Jessica Rosenworcel of the Federal Communications Commission.

The symposium builds on the technology and policy discussions of the pre-symposium tracks to examine efforts in research, governance, business, and community organizing to improve access to connectivity. Featured sessions include Internet for All: What is the Role of Government?, Building Effective and Socially Responsible Artificial Intelligence, Gap Networks: Connecting Communities When Traditional Business Models Fail, and Building Inclusion into Digital Tech R&D. 

The afternoon breakout sessions focus on surveying the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and digital inclusion fields to establish a roadmap for the upcoming decade. In Information and Communications Technology: Key Challenges for the Next Decade, moderators Vint Cerf and Ana García Armada lead a panel of experts in advanced computing, artificial intelligence, networking and wireless communications, optical networking, security and cybersecurity, and software development to discuss critical challenges for the next decade. In Digital Inclusion: Building a Cross-Disciplinary Approach, moderator Samantha Schartman-Cycyk leads a discussion among policymakers and community advocates about the methodologies, goals, and practices that will define the next ten years in digital inclusion work.

That evening, the Marconi Society will celebrate 2020 Marconi Fellow Andrea Goldsmith, whose groundbreaking contributions to wireless technology have cemented her as a visionary leader within ICT. Goldsmith’s technical innovations that have shaped the fundamental performance of cellular and WiFi networks, combined with her leadership to radically improve diversity and inclusion in engineering, have changed both the consumer experience and the profession. The Marconi Society will also award its newest Young Scholars, emerging leaders in ICT fields who demonstrate a dedication to digital inclusion through their research.

Details

Tickets for The Decade of Digital Inclusion are available now. Discounts apply for nonprofit, government, and university employees. Virtual student tickets are $25. 

In-person attendees must be able to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination and follow Washington, D.C, health and safety measures in place on October 22.

Sponsors

The Marconi Society is thrilled to partner with sponsors, whose support for The Decade of Digital Inclusion will help usher in the next decade of connectivity. The sponsors for The Decade of Digital Inclusion are: Ansys, Cisco, Cohere Technologies, Crown Castle, Internet Society, Medtronic, Nokia Bell Labs, Qualcomm, Princeton University, Samueli Foundation, Stanford University Electrical Engineering, Vint and Sigrid Cerf, Assia and John Cioffi, and Ed Frank and Sarah Ratchye.

The post Connecting the Next Billion: Marconi Society Announces Schedule, Speakers for Groundbreaking Event, The Decade of Digital Inclusion appeared first on The Marconi Society.

The Decade of Digital Inclusion, a series of interdisciplinary sessions available virtually and in person, brings these communities together in service of a digitally inclusive future. We are honored to invite you to join us for this semester-long master class led by some of the brightest and most creative minds in their fields.

On October 22, 2021, we will open our stage at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center to a dream team of the world’s leading voices, but The Decade of Digital Inclusion extends far beyond one event. We will host a series of pre- and post-symposium virtual sessions about the topics and questions at the heart of this issue from September through December. These events will feature global panelists who offer unique contributions in technology, perspectives on governance, and expertise in research and academia.

In addition to the symposium, we will make history by recognizing and honoring one of the wireless industry’s leading stars, Andrea Goldsmith, as our newest Marconi Fellow.

Broadband Internet played a vital role as the backbone of our society as we weathered COVID-19, and we have never been more aware of the importance of creating a digitally inclusive world. We are thrilled to celebrate the groundbreaking innovators who have made our continued prosperity possible and are committed to building on their success in the next decade.

Join us virtually or in person this fall to help shape the digitally inclusive future!

Vint Cerf

Chairman of the Board, Marconi Society

Co-Chair, The Decade of Digital Inclusion

Samantha Schartman-Cycyk

Executive Director, Marconi Society

Co-Chair, The Decade of Digital Inclusion

The post Join Us for The Decade of Digital Inclusion: A Master Class in Connecting the Next Billion appeared first on The Marconi Society.

We may imagine the excitement he generated in December, 1901, when he successfully demonstrated the transmission of signals between Cornwall and Newfoundland at a distance of 2,200 miles. I understand that the signal rate at the time was about 1 bit every six seconds. Ironically, my own experiences with the design and test of the Internet echoes this pace. In tests between Stanford University and University College London in 1975, we achieved a rate of three packets per second with our very early implementations of the Transmission Control Protocol. Of course, the path our packets took involved a round-trip through a synchronous satellite hop at 9.6 kb/s and back and forth across the U.S. on 50 kb/s dedicated telephone circuits.

By 1912, wireless telegraphy was in use for ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore communication and Marconi gained international attention when the sinking Titanic signaled its distress using Marconi’s wireless telegraphy to send an SOS message calling into the ether for help. The rest, as they say, is history.

The Marconi Society’s Community of Experts

The Marconi Society celebrates Marconi’s accomplishments. We are inspired by his work and seek to inspire others. Founded in 1974 by Gioia Braga, Marconi’s youngest daughter, the Marconi Society has celebrated the accomplishments of entrepreneurs, inventors, and researchers every year with a Marconi Fellowship. 

In more recent times, we have undertaken to organize an annual symposium and in 2008, thanks to a major grant from one of our Marconi Fellows, Paul Baran, the Society started a Young Scholars award program to recognize early and notable accomplishments by researchers under the age of 28. For several years now, the Marconi Fellows, Young Scholars, and other experts in our network have made themselves available to communications regulators for consultation on such matters as E911 (emergency calls) and 3D intra-building location in emergency situations such as fire. 

On their own initiative, our Young Scholars started a global Celestini Program, which provides students who undertake projects with guidance of Young Scholar volunteers and funding for their experiments. This program highlights hands-on, communications technology solutions to local community problems. These efforts have taken place in India, Uganda, Rwanda, Ghana, and Colombia. 

Advocating for a Digitally Inclusive World

In 2019, we began a new phase of the Society’s mission by the addition of a new focus on digital inclusion, thanks to the initiative of our Executive Director, Samantha Schartman-Cycyk, who came to the Society with a history of enthusiasm and success in this domain. We expanded the Celestini Program to include hands-on training with the implementation and operation of Internet communications in addition to research projects aimed at solving local problems. We have a program under way in Uganda in cooperation with the Research and Education Network for Uganda (RENU) on the Makerere University campus.

A significant element of digital inclusion involves identifying where the Internet is available and at what level of performance. Working with Code for Science and Society, the Measurement-Lab, and Google, the Marconi Society is collaboratively developing tools for mapping performance data obtained by voluntary crowd sourcing (such as using “speed test” web sites) to aid in the allocation of new resources for building Internet infrastructure to improve access where it does not exist or is underperforming. This is a global initiative and recent proposed legislation in the United States has triggered substantial interest in this program. 

The Decade of Digital Inclusion

Some of you may recall that the mathematician David Hilbert posted 23 unsolved problems in mathematics in 1900. Of course, there were many more such problems, but his posting drew the attention of the mathematics community. A number of his problems are still unsolved or are the subject of continued debate. This effort to focus attention is mirrored in other disciplines such as astronomy, high energy physics, biology, and other scientific fields. So-called “decadal” studies are conducted by a research community to reach consensus on the most valuable areas deserving of research support and pursuit. 

By way of example, planetary researchers have organized an ambitious series of missions to Mars to bring samples to Earth in the 2020s in consequence of such decadal studies. New space telescopes such as the James West space telescope and the Vera C. Rubin observatory (formerly the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope) have been developed also as a result of community consensus. 

The Marconi Society has initiated a series of decadal discussions about Information and Communication Technology (ICT) during 2021, probing the community for the most important problems whose solution would lead to significant breakthroughs in information and communication capabilities. The topic is broad and we have had discussions about chip architecture, quantum computing and networking, cryptographic applications, new signaling and modulation schemes, and antenna design, among many others. 

Our symposium on October 22 in Washington, D.C., will explore and prioritize these challenges and celebrate the first Marconi Fellowship awarded to a woman, Andrea Goldsmith, now the Dean of Engineering at Princeton and formerly a long-serving faculty member in Stanford’s Electrical Engineering department. 

Connectivity is Essential

The expansion of the Marconi Society’s mission is timely given the evident role of the Internet and ICT during the continuing pandemic that has gripped the world and caused so much social, personal, and economic devastation. Many of us, the lucky ones, spend our days online collaborating via video conferences, exchanging emails, surfing the World Wide Web, and carrying out research and business transactions. Online entertainment has become an enormous business and we have been forced to find ways to use online resources so people can work from home and children can attend school remotely. 

We have also discovered during this period that supply chains are brittle, especially when the pandemic has forced us to socially distance. So much work involves proximity and many workers have been unable to pursue their livelihoods. Even when work and education can be undertaken online, the capacity of Internet access or availability of computing equipment at home is often inadequate. This deficit gives added impetus to our interest in digital inclusion. 

Adding to the challenge is our discovery that social media such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, WeChat, and many other applications are sources of misinformation, disinformation, bullying, fraud and other abuse. These are not easy problems to solve but they demand responses. It will take a combination of regulatory policy, public education, business incentives, and perhaps advanced machine learning methods to tackle them successfully. 

I have become persuaded that technologists need the help of sociologists, anthropologists, neuroscientists and psychologists to understand more deeply how social media are used and abused. Moreover, cyberattacks abound, harming governments, institutions of all kinds and the general public. The challenge is international in scope, especially considering law enforcement and the need to identify and apprehend perpetrators of harm whose victims may be anywhere in the world where the Internet is available. 

We do not lack for challenges in the domains opened up by Marconi’s successes. It is exactly these challenges and Marconi’s example that drive both the Marconi Society towards solutions requiring leadership, technical expertise, and vision. Marconi would expect no less of us than to meet these challenges head on, most especially by encouraging our youth to find new answers to solve them. 

The post Marconi’s Legacy: Exploring 126 Years of Connected Technologies appeared first on The Marconi Society.

• The Marconi Prize
• The Paul Baran Young Scholar Awards

These awards, given by nomination only, recognize the leaders whose innovative approach to communications technology will improve digital inclusion, inspire the next generation of scientists, and shape the future of the field.

In line with our vision of a world in which everyone has access to the opportunities of connectivity, the Marconi Prize is extending its focus on technical excellence and impact to include recognition for social and humanitarian applications, as well as an expanded focus on entrepreneurship. The award, sometimes called the “Nobel Prize of Communications,” has recognized 54 leading scientists who have built our connected world.

Vint Cerf, Marconi Fellow and Chairman of our Board, Andrea Goldsmith, Marconi Fellow and Chair of the Selection Advisory Committee, and Dina Katabi, member of the selection committee and director of the MIT Wireless Center, discussed the nomination process and judging criteria for the Marconi Prize last month. You can view the recorded webinar here, and we are sharing their top tips for creating a successful nomination for the Prize.

1. Consider candidates from diverse geographies, communications technology disciplines, and demographics.

We actively seek nominations for candidates across the globe who represent the diversity of the field. Our outreach strategy has particularly prioritized geographic, ethnic/racial, and gender diversity. Additionally, we define Information and Communications Technology (ICT) broadly—past Marconi Fellows include those who have created vital communications companies, like Sergey Brin and Larry Page, founders of Google, and leaders in cybersecurity like Whitfield Diffie or Marty Hellman.

2. Make sure that your nomination is strong in all evaluation areas, including technical contribution.

We recognize a unique set of contributions that are instrumental in our connected world. In addition to technical excellence, we are looking for candidates who demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit (who have either launched a product in the market, created a business, mentored entrepreneurs or have otherwise helped make their research or work impactful to the broader public) and who are invested in a digitally inclusive approach to technology.

3. Honor a colleague who would value being part of the lifelong Marconi Society Fellowship.

We are looking for candidates who are excited to participate as engaged members of the Marconi Society community. The Marconi Prize represents an induction into the Marconi Society, a group of thoughtful and engaged technologists. Marconi Fellows are invited to take a leading role in advanced communications in service of digital inclusion through our community and programs. Engagement opportunities include our decadal survey of ICT, mentoring underrepresented students in STEM and participating in programs and events..

4. Nominate a candidate that you know well.

While a high-profile nominator may seem like the most strategic choice, we’ve found that the most compelling nominations come from people who know and understand the candidate. Since the award criteria reach beyond technical excellence, a nominator should be able to create a strong case for the candidate’s entrepreneurial qualities and their humanitarian commitment—two things that may not be obvious from their research publications alone.

5. Allocate time to prepare a successful nomination.

While nominators have until June 1 to finalize their submissions, we recommend you start sooner rather than later. From the letters of recommendation to the nominator questions, a successful submission requires time and care. Do you have questions about the nomination process? Email info@marconisociety.org and we’ll help you navigate.

The post Top Five Tips for Nominating a Successful Marconi Prize Candidate appeared first on The Marconi Society.

Jennifer Rexford has served on the Marconi Prize Selection Advisory Committee since 2020, helping to evaluate and recommend our latest Marconi Fellow, Andrea Goldsmith. Rexford currently serves as the Gordon Y. S. Wu Professor in Engineering and Chair of Computer Science at Princeton University, where she has taught since 2005. Prior to her career in academia, Rexford worked for eight years at AT&T Research.

As a researcher and teacher, Rexford prioritizes a thoughtful, contextual approach to solving problems. She describes her areas of research interest as “Internet routing, network measurement, and network management, with the larger goal of making data networks easier to design, understand, and manage.” 

We sat down with Rexford to discuss her perspective on the “plumbing” of the Internet, the importance of building community, and the greatest challenges facing communications technologists.

How would you describe your approach to research and teaching?

My research focuses on how we can make the ‘net work from the point of view of the people who run it. I think of myself as an Internet plumber. Ultimately the research I do will benefit the end user, but my focus is on the network administrators and making the system more flexible, performant, and secure. When we talk about ICT innovations, we’re often focused on the applications and systems that make use of the underlying infrastructure of the Internet. I would like to see a future where the infrastructure itself is programmable and customizable. 

The beauty of the Internet is that it is connected to millions of programmable devices that allow for an amazing variety of innovation. But the inside of the network has not been very programmable. If we were able to make the fundamental structures programmable, we would be able to provide better transparency and more access to effect change on how the ‘net operates, creating “smart plumbing” that would be more agile in responding to security issues.

In my teaching, I think a lot about design patterns. It’s easy to get lost in the details and minutiae of networking issues, so I teach my students to see the patterns of problems and their solutions, which allows them to have a conceptual understanding of networking that can help solve problems across the board. The people who run networks have to master the details, but I want to train researchers who can approach network problems with a wider understanding of the “plumbing” of the Internet and how specific solutions might be applied in other cases.

How has the student population at Princeton changed over time? 

I’ve taught computer science at Princeton since 2005, and I’ve been lucky to teach a subject that is incredibly popular and continues to grow. Over the last decade, we’ve seen the population of computer science students diversify significantly. There are more women and underrepresented students in my courses than ever before. 

Students also bring a diversity of interest—10 years ago most of my students loved tech for its own sake, whereas many of my students now are interested in tech because they see its potential impact on social and humanitarian concerns. What they want to do with technology is all over the map. It’s challenging to teach them well since every student is a unicorn, but it’s incredibly rewarding to see their passion for an interdisciplinary approach to the field.

When I graduated, I didn’t have a sense of how my work and research would fit into the world. My students now have a strong sense of purpose and a confidence that if they understand computer science skills, they can do something useful and powerful when they graduate.

Your 1993 book, She’s an Engineer? Princeton Alumnae Reflect, collected comments of women alumni about Princeton’s engineering program. How has your perspective on being a woman in engineering changed since 1993?

At Princeton, about 40% of our computer science majors are women. It’s the second-most-popular major for women at the school. Once you have that critical mass of women students, you can create student groups that foster community and mentorship. We lose so many talented women in the early stages of the STEM pipeline (as early as middle school) because they don’t feel represented or encouraged. Building a community of women engineers—even high school students and undergraduate students—who can mentor those younger prospective computer science students is incredibly valuable.

Beyond gender diversity, we’ve worked really hard to make sure that the program is inviting and valuable for students from a variety of backgrounds. Our introductory computer science courses are designed to be exciting and accessible for students who have never taken a coding course before. 

You’ve advocated for the importance of a supportive, engaged community for any successful professional, and particularly those that are underrepresented in the field. How do you instill a sense of community in your students?

It’s been difficult to maintain that sense of community we have on campus through the pandemic. But the benefit to working remotely is that everyone’s personal life is much more visible, and that is very humanizing. My students see me balancing my family and my work every day. I think it’s good for students to experience those layers and understand that it’s possible to be a researcher, a teacher, a mentor, and a parent.

Even beyond COVID-19, academia can be a difficult context in which to develop and maintain community. Faculty members work with many students but peer collaboration is less common. I really value my relationships with my colleagues and most of my students are co-advised, which works well for Internet research because it touches so many other fields. It’s a natural fit for interdisciplinary work.

Why do you participate as a member of the Marconi Prize Selection Advisory Committee?

From a selfish point of view, it’s wonderful to be a fly on the wall and hear the members of the committee discuss the pressing issues of the field and the candidates we are considering. I love getting to know each candidate’s background. If I’ve only read their research, I might not be aware of the breadth and well-roundedness of how their work impacts humanitarian and entrepreneurial concerns.

Serving as an advisor for the Marconi Prize is rewarding because the award inspires the next generation of researchers. Each awardee is someone who has used their technical skills to have a great impact on the world. As a culture we often focus on technical excellence or humanitarian impact—this award shows us that it’s important to strike a balance between both. Awards help define what it means to be a leader in the field.

What is the greatest challenge in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in the upcoming decade?

As a researcher, I am interested in improving the infrastructure of the network. A major challenge of my work is that we can’t simply turn off the Internet while we implement and test our changes. And while we think of the Internet as one system, it’s a network of networks, all of which are under different party’s control. It crosses economic, social, and national boundaries, and some of those systems have distinct and sometimes competing requirements for how it operates. It’s a very complex system.

Because there are so many intersecting systems and protocols that make the Internet run, it is also very technically difficult to find the right solution that will work universally. This is why I’m interested in making the Internet plumbing more programmable—a solution for my local community’s problem may not work in yours. Right now, we all live with this base system that is very difficult to change. 

One of the great democratizing aspects of the Internet is that if you have the skills to program a computer you can get your information out into the world. If we make the infrastructure more programmable, we can fundamentally expand the set of people who can impact it. The more we make the infrastructure flexible, the more we can create custom solutions informed by local concerns. It’s a very complicated project, but it would have a major impact on access, transparency, and flexibility of the network.

The post Meet Jennifer Rexford, Princeton Professor and Member of the Marconi Prize Selection Advisory Committee appeared first on The Marconi Society.