Leadership Awards 1999 Winners

Excellence in Leadership

Michael Roberts Michael M. Roberts
Interim President and CEO
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)

Professional Achievements
In his long career in both the educational community and the larger public policy arena, Mike Roberts has embodied the wide spectrum of qualities honored in this award--influential innovation in the use of information technology, statesmanship, and thought leadership within and beyond our profession.

His professional work has been marked by a visionary understanding of the nexus of higher education and information technology, and an ability to lead communities both within and outside of higher education. As deputy director of information technology services at Stanford University in the mid 1980s, Roberts was part of a senior management team that was responsible for an institutional move into campus networking and advanced telecommunications several years before this became a recognized direction. He helped shape both CAUSE and Educom, two of the most influential associations in higher education information technologies and predecessors to EDUCAUSE. He was one of the founders of CAUSE and in 1971 became its first president. His service as Educom’s vice president for networking from 1986 until his retirement in 1998 included a term as interim president. During these years he led Educom’s Networking and Telecommunications Task Force, and his reports on the Washington scene provided witty and politically astute insights for campus leaders.

Roberts has shown remarkable political effectiveness over the past 20 years. He strongly influenced NSF investment in advanced networking and related grant programs that have benefited many of our institutions. Organizer and the first director of Internet2, he was also one of the founders and the first executive director of the Internet Society (ISOC) and has been asked to help many nations develop their information technology infrastructure plans. Currently, as interim CEO and president of ICANN, Roberts is engaged in more groundbreaking as he helps define policy in the volatile world of Internet management. A prolific author and distinguished educator and guide for CIOs at major universities, he has probably done more than any other person to help higher education both understand and influence economic and policy directions associated with internetworking.

Curriculum Vitae
Michael M. Roberts, Interim President and CEO of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, is a policy consultant in the field of Internet technology, services, and product development, with a specialization in research and education. He recently retired as Vice President at Educom, a consortium of 600 universities and colleges with interests in information technology, where he was responsible for networking and telecommunications programs, including the development of public policy positions in information technology on behalf of Educom members. He was for a number of years staff director of the Educom Networking and Telecommunications Task Force, a group of 60 universities and corporations with common networking interests.

He was an organizer and the first director of Internet2, a project of more than 100 American universities to plan, integrate, and deploy an advanced broadband network and applications for research and education. He was also one of the founders and the first Executive Director of the Internet Society, whose purpose is to promote the use of the Internet and guide its further development as a foremost means of national and international communication.

Prior to joining Educom, he was at Stanford University where he was Deputy Director of Information Technology Services, with executive responsibilities in Stanford’s computing, communications, and information systems programs. During 1983-86, he directed the university’s telecommunications modernization project, which installed a large digital voice switch and extensive fiber optic network facilities.

Mr. Roberts is a liberal arts graduate of Stanford and holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

A $5,000 contribution has been made in Mike Roberts’ name will be administered by the Internet Society to expand participation from underserved areas of the world in its workshops and tutorials, with the goal of increasing worldwide access to Internet resources -- especially those associated with education and public service.

EDUCAUSE '99 award video highlighting his accomplishments

Professional Development Mentoring Information Kit Management and Leadership Offerings Conferences, Seminars, and Institutes Jane N. Ryland Fellowship Program EDUCAUSE Awards Higher Education IT Events Calendar Job Opportunities Volunteer Opportunities		Leadership Awards 1999 Winners Excellence in Leadership Michael M. Roberts Interim President and CEO Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Professional Achievements In his long career in both the educational community and the larger public policy arena, Mike Roberts has embodied the wide spectrum of qualities honored in this award--influential innovation in the use of information technology, statesmanship, and thought leadership within and beyond our profession. His professional work has been marked by a visionary understanding of the nexus of higher education and information technology, and an ability to lead communities both within and outside of higher education. As deputy director of information technology services at Stanford University in the mid 1980s, Roberts was part of a senior management team that was responsible for an institutional move into campus networking and advanced telecommunications several years before this became a recognized direction. He helped shape both CAUSE and Educom, two of the most influential associations in higher education information technologies and predecessors to EDUCAUSE. He was one of the founders of CAUSE and in 1971 became its first president. His service as Educom’s vice president for networking from 1986 until his retirement in 1998 included a term as interim president. During these years he led Educom’s Networking and Telecommunications Task Force, and his reports on the Washington scene provided witty and politically astute insights for campus leaders. Roberts has shown remarkable political effectiveness over the past 20 years. He strongly influenced NSF investment in advanced networking and related grant programs that have benefited many of our institutions. Organizer and the first director of Internet2, he was also one of the founders and the first executive director of the Internet Society (ISOC) and has been asked to help many nations develop their information technology infrastructure plans. Currently, as interim CEO and president of ICANN, Roberts is engaged in more groundbreaking as he helps define policy in the volatile world of Internet management. A prolific author and distinguished educator and guide for CIOs at major universities, he has probably done more than any other person to help higher education both understand and influence economic and policy directions associated with internetworking. Curriculum Vitae Michael M. Roberts, Interim President and CEO of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, is a policy consultant in the field of Internet technology, services, and product development, with a specialization in research and education. He recently retired as Vice President at Educom, a consortium of 600 universities and colleges with interests in information technology, where he was responsible for networking and telecommunications programs, including the development of public policy positions in information technology on behalf of Educom members. He was for a number of years staff director of the Educom Networking and Telecommunications Task Force, a group of 60 universities and corporations with common networking interests. He was an organizer and the first director of Internet2, a project of more than 100 American universities to plan, integrate, and deploy an advanced broadband network and applications for research and education. He was also one of the founders and the first Executive Director of the Internet Society, whose purpose is to promote the use of the Internet and guide its further development as a foremost means of national and international communication. Prior to joining Educom, he was at Stanford University where he was Deputy Director of Information Technology Services, with executive responsibilities in Stanford’s computing, communications, and information systems programs. During 1983-86, he directed the university’s telecommunications modernization project, which installed a large digital voice switch and extensive fiber optic network facilities. Mr. Roberts is a liberal arts graduate of Stanford and holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. A $5,000 contribution has been made in Mike Roberts’ name will be administered by the Internet Society to expand participation from underserved areas of the world in its workshops and tutorials, with the goal of increasing worldwide access to Internet resources -- especially those associated with education and public service. EDUCAUSE '99 award video highlighting his accomplishments
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