Initially developed as a tool to link research-center computers, the Internet has become a vital instrument of social change, affecting educational pursuits, personal communications, and international economies.

Today, the Internet connects people in 65 countries and is a familiar and expedient resource for young and old alike.

"For more than 150 million users worldwide, the Internet has changed the way people communicate, conduct business, and access information," said Wm. A. Wulf, president, National Academy of Engineering. "It is an achievement that deservedly joins the ranks of previous Draper Prize honors, such as the semiconductor microchip, the jet engine, satellite technology, and fiber optics."

Dr. Kahn is chair, chief executive officer, and president of the Corporation for National Research Initiatives, Reston, Va., a nonprofit organization that provides leadership and funding for research and development of the National Information Infrastructure (NII). The NII, a term that Dr. Kahn coined in the 1980s, includes the expanding range of facilities and equipment that transmit, store, process, and display voice, data, and images. He is coinventor of the two protocols that enable computers to communicate with one another and was responsible for originating the U.S. government's Internet program.

The Draper Prize was established in 1989 to increase public understanding of the contributions of engineering and technology.