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The network scientist and former director of the National Network of Teaching and Research of Brazil (RNP), Michael Stanton, received the 2018 Trajectory Awards from the Internet Address Registry for Latin America and the Caribbean (LACNIC) for his contribution to the development of the internet in the region. The prize was presented at a ceremony held in Rosario, Argentina, on September 27, during the organization's annual event, which brings together the network operators community of Latin America and the Caribbean.

(Source: RNP) Michael Stanton, english based in Brazil, is the third person to receive recognition from LACNIC because of the collaboration to the country, alongside Demi Getschko, counselor of the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br) in 2012; and Carlos Afonso, executive director of the Nupef Institute (Nucleus of Research, Studies and Training) in 2010. According to LACNIC, the prize was given "for his efforts to promote the development of the Internet in the region and particularly in Brazil."

The Trajectory Awards was created in 2009 and has since been delivered to 19 leaders from 13 Latin American countries, some from the RedCLARA community, such as Florencio Utreras, Ida Holz and Rafael "Lito" Ibarra. The jury committee considers contributions in the fields of internet governance, promotion of the collaborative model, development of technical skills, promotion of the use and development of standards on the Internet and the promotion of the digital economy in the region.

About Michael Stanton

Michael Stanton served as RNP Director of Research and Development between 2002 and 2018. He received a PhD in Mathematics from Cambridge University, and was a lecturer at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) and Fluminense Federal University (UFF). He also contributed to the academic research in architecture and engineering of computer networks.

Starting with the launch of NSFNET, a network of the National Science Foundation (NSF) that linked universities and research laboratories in the United States in the 1980s, Michael advocated the creation of an academic network in Brazil. The result of this mobilization was the emergence of the RNP project in 1989. Michael participated in the coordination of the RNP project until 1993 and returned to the organization in 2001, as Director of Innovation, and later as Director of R & D.

Among its pioneering projects are the redesign of the internal networks of PUC-Rio and UFF, Rede-Rio (Bitnet and Internet phases), the experimental fiber optic network of the GIGA project and the metropolitan network of Belém do Pará (MetroBel). Michael is currently working on the construction of the new RedCLARA backbone, which integrates Latin American academic networks, and is involved in new intercontinental submarine cable projects.

For more information, visit the Trajectory Awards website.