Jean-Francois Abramatic Appointed Chairman of the World Wide Web Consortium and Associate Director of the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science

Cambridge, MA -- August 21, 1996 -- The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Laboratory for Computer Science (LCS) and the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) announced today the appointment of Dr. Jean-Francois Abramatic as Chairman of the W3C and Associate Director of the LCS. Abramatic's responsibilities, which become effective September 1, 1996, will include overseeing all World Wide Web related activities of the LCS and spearheading the W3C's strategic direction.

 

"We are extremely pleased to have Dr. Abramatic join in our mission to lead the research and development of technologies that will help make our lives more productive and fulfilling," said Michael Dertouzos, Director of the LCS. "Jean-Francois' expertise as Director of Development at INRIA, our European partner organization in the sponsorship of the W3C, as well as his vast research and development experience in a broad range of academic and industrial areas, will further strengthen our program and help the W3C achieve its goal of furthering the cohesive evolution of the World Wide Web."

 

Dr. Abramatic replaces Albert Vezza, Associate Director of the LCS, who will retire from over three decades of service at MIT on September 30, 1996. Most recently, Mr. Vezza was Chairman of W3C and Steering Committee member for the W3C's initiative known as PICS or the Platform for Internet Content Selection.

 

Dr. Abramatic holds a doctorate in Science from the University of Paris VI and a doctorate in Engineering from Ecole des Mines. He has extensive research experience in differential games, image processing, workstation development, and most recently, the World Wide Web. In addition, Dr. Abramatic has teaching experience in linear systems, digital signal processing and computer science.

 

The W3C was created to develop common standards for the evolution of the World Wide Web. It is an industry consortium run by the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science and INRIA. Services provided by the Consortium include: a repository of information about the World Wide Web for developers and users; a reference code implementation to embody and promote standards; and various prototype and sample applications to demonstrate use of new technology. To date, the Consortium comprises some 150 organizations. Further information on the World Wide Web Consortium is available via the Web at: http://www.w3.org/.

 

Now in its third decade, the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science (LCS) is dedicated to the invention, development and understanding of information technologies expected to drive substantial technical and socio-economic change. A key current mission of the Laboratory is the architecture  of tomorrow's information infrastructures. The LCS has helped information technology grow from a mere curiosity to 10% of the industrial world's economies by its pioneering efforts in interactive computing, computer networking, distributed systems and public key cryptography. LCS members and alumni have started some thirty companies and have pioneered the Nubus, the X-Window System, the RSA algorithm, the Ethernet and spreadsheets. Further information on the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science is available via the web at: http://www.lcs.mit.edu/.

Contact:

Hazel Kochocki
The Weber Group
+1 617.661.7900
hkochocki@webergroup.com

Sally Khudairi
World Wide Web Consortium
+1 617.253.8036
khudairi@w3.org