David J. Farber facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David J. Farber
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Farber in 2008
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| Born | April 17, 1934 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Stevens Institute of Technology |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Computer science |
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| Doctoral students | Jon Postel, Dave Sincoskie, Marshall Rose, Paul Mockapetris |
David J. Farber (born April 17, 1934) is an American computer scientist. He is famous for his important work in programming languages and computer networking. Many people call him the "grandfather of the Internet" because of his big impact on how the internet grew. Today, he is a distinguished professor at Keio University in Japan.
Contents
David Farber's Amazing Career
Early Steps in Technology
David Farber earned his first degree in electrical engineering in 1956. He then got a second degree in mathematics in 1961. After finishing school, he worked at Bell Laboratories for 11 years.
At Bell Labs, he helped create the first electronic telephone switching system, called ESS-1. He also worked on designing the SNOBOL programming languages. These were important steps in early computer development.
Building New Computer Systems
After Bell Labs, David Farber worked at companies like Rand Corporation. He also taught at universities, including the University of California, Irvine. At Irvine, he led research to build the world's first working distributed computer system. This meant computers could work together from different places.
Later, at the University of Delaware, he helped plan and organize major American research networks. These included CSNET, NSFNet, and the National Research and Education Network (NREN). These networks were key parts of building the internet we use today. He also helped create the Gigabit Network Test bed Initiative. This project tested very fast internet connections.
Shaping the Internet's Future
David Farber later became a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. He also worked at the Wharton School of Business. From 2000 to 2001, he took a break to serve as the chief technologist for the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC is a government agency that regulates communication.
Awards and Helping Others
David Farber has received many important awards for his work. He is a Fellow of the AAAS, IEEE, and ACM. These are big honors from leading science and technology groups. In 1995, he won the SIGCOMM Award for his lifelong contributions to computer communications.
He has also helped many organizations that focus on technology and privacy. He served on the board of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. He was also on the advisory board for the Electronic Privacy Information Center. These groups work to protect people's rights and privacy online. He also helped advise the US President on high-performance computing and the next generation of the Internet.
David Farber runs a very popular email list called "Interesting-People." Over 25,000 people read it to learn about new ideas. In 2012, he created the Joseph M. Farber prize at the Stevens Institute of Technology. This award honors students who care about civil liberties and human rights.
In 2013, David Farber was added to the Pioneers Circle of the Internet Hall of Fame. This honor recognizes people who made huge contributions to the internet.
