Ward To Lead Development of the Next Internet

Chancellor David Ward will chair the board of trustees for a nonprofit corporation created this month to continue developing Internet2, a new family of advanced internet applications in research and education.

The University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development (UCAID) will support Internet2 members as they develop the engineering, broadband applications and network management tools for next-generation internet use. Begun by 34 universities in 1996, Internet2 now has more than 110 members and includes every leading research university in the United States.

In addition to Ward, the new board will include Molly Corbett Broad, president of the University of North Carolina; Graham B. Spanier, president of Pennsylvania State University; Gregory A. Jackson, associate provost for information technology at the University of Chicago; and M. Stuart Lynn, associate vice president for information resources and communications at the University of California Office of the President.

“Formation of the University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development represents the beginning of a new chapter in the use of computing and networking technology in our research universities,” says Ward. “The work of Internet2 will lay a foundation for improvements in our research capabilities, in distance education, and in everyday teaching and learning activities.”

The partnership formed among member universities, industry and government agencies during the first year of Internet2 will continue under UCAID direction. Representatives of both groups expressed strong support for the founding of UCAID.

“I am delighted that America’s research universities and high-tech companies are working together to develop the next generation of Internet technologies and applications,” said Vice President Al Gore. “This will lead to new capabilities in research, distance learning, and telemedicine that we can only dream of today.”

“We are very pleased to see this major step forward in support for advanced research and education infrastructure,” said Neal Lane, director of the National Science Foundation. “This kind of consortium builds on a long standing partnership in networking between the National Science Foundation and the university community.”