A man widely known as one of the "Fathers of the Internet" is slated to speak at a University of Oregon event on May 21.

Vinton Cerf, the co-designer of TCP/IP protocols and the fundamental architecture of the internet, will give a public lecture, “The Unfinished Business of the Internet,” at 4:15 p.m. May 21 in Room 156, Straub Hall.

A previously scheduled May 20 lecture has been canceled. 

The May 21 lecture will feature a question-and-answer session with Cerf. Free tickets can be reserved online. 

“There are many unfinished aspects of the internet that need attention, including safety, security, privacy and accessibility,” Cerf writes in his description of the talk. “We must address the abuses of this platform that we see daily. New norms are needed and a renewed sense of ethics across all aspects of internet use and operation.”

He has served as vice president and chief internet evangelist for Google since October 2005. In that role, he contributes to global policy development and continued standardization and spread of the internet.

Previously, Cerf served as MCI’s senior vice president of architecture and technology, leading a team of architects and engineers to design advanced networking frameworks, including internet-based solutions for delivering a combination of data, information, voice and video services for business and consumer use.

Cerf has received numerous honorary degrees and awards that include the National Medal of Technology, the Turing Award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Marconi Prize and membership in the National Academy of Engineering.

The talk is sponsored by the UO’s Network Startup Resource Center, Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact, the UO Data Science Initiative, and the the Office of the President.