Professor Peter Kirstein wins 2015 Marconi Society Prize

Professor Peter Kirstein, chair of Computer Systems (UCL Engineering Sciences), has been awarded the prestigious 2015 Marconi Society Prize for his 'tireless advocacy and pioneering technical contributions to computer networking which helped establish and expand the Internet in Europe and many other parts of the world.' The Marconi Prize is given each year to a scientist or engineer who achieves advances in and information technology for the social, economic and cultural development of humanity. "Peter is often recognized as the father of the European Internet," said Vint Cerf, co-inventor of TCP/IP protocol.  "But that phrase understates his contributions in the field of computer networking and in the area of protocols or systems for specific purposes. For the past 40+ years, Kirstein has made persistent contributions to the practical workings, adoption and application of the Internet worldwide." Professor Kirstein joined UCL in 1973 as Professor of Computer Systems and became the first head of the Computer Science Department in 1979. Prior to this he worked as an accelerator physicist at CERN before joining GE in Zurich where he developed his interest in computer and technology. Sir Eric Ash, former Rector of Imperial College, said: "Peter Kirstein has had an enormous influence on first, the acceptance and then the development of packet switching and then the Internet in the UK, Europe and beyond. Creating the first European node of the ARPAnet at UCL was a key step towards its wider acceptance.