About the Internet Society 

Board of Trustees

2004 Board Election

Candidates

Dorothy Okello, Chapters Candidate

1. What is your professional background?

I'm an Electrical Engineer by profession specialising in Telecommunications. Following is a summary of my educational and technical experience.

a) EDUCATION

Ph.D. Candidate, Electrical Engineering, McGill University - Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
- Research interest: Broadband satellite networking.
- Conference paper: “Adaptive Beam Management for Multimedia Ka-band
Satellite networks”, accepted IEEE Vehicular Technology Conference 2004.

M.Sc., Electrical Engineering, August 1995, University of Kansas - Lawrence, Kansas, USA.
- GPA 3.79/4.00
- Thesis: Use of Side Information in an Adaptive Rate Control Scheme for
Cell Loss Management in a Wireless ATM Network.

B.Sc., Engineering (First Class Hons.), September 1991, Makerere University - Kampala, Uganda.
- Major: Electrical Engineering
- Final Year Project: Applications of digital radio. Designed an HF digital transceiver.

b) ACADEMIC AWARDS AND HONORS

• Canadian Commonwealth Scholar (1998 - present)
• United States Fulbright Scholar (1993 - 1997)
• Phi Beta Delta - International Students Honor Society, University of
  Kansas (1993)
• 1990/91 Uganda Association of University Women (UAUW) Best Female Student
• Award for Faculty of Technology
• 1990/91 Uganda Institute of Professional Engineers (UIPE) Best Graduating
  Student Award

c) TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE

0//02 – 04/02 Grader, Department of Electrical Engineering, McGill University.
Course: Signals and Systems I

09/99 - 12/99 Tutor, Department of Electrical Engineering, McGill University.
Course: Signals and Systems I

01/99 - 04/99 Grader, Department of Electrical Engineering, McGill University.
Course: Probability

04/97 - 08/98 Lecturer, Department of Electrical Engineering, Makerere University.
Courses: Data Communications, Computer Hardware and Networking, Electronic
Circuits, Physical Electronics and Computer Labs.

05/97 - 08/98 Trainee Consultant, Technology Consults (TECO), Faculty of Technology. Worked as part of team on communications and electrical installation projects.

08/95 - 02/97 Operations System Engineer, Enhanced Data Services Planning Division, Holmdel, New Jersey, USA. Researched and developed network management solutions for AT&T Information Access Service (IAS), AT&T Remote
Professional and AT&T WorldNet. These services supported applications such
as terminal-to-host, remote LAN access and Internet service.

01/95 - 05/95 Grader, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Kansas, USA. Courses: Introduction to Communication Networks and Analysis of
Communication Networks.

10/91 - 06/93 Teaching Assistant, Department of Electrical Engineering, Makerere University. Courses: Telecommunications, Electromagnetics and Electronics Labs.

04/93 - 06/93 Pupil Engineer, Network Planning and Development department, Uganda Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (PTT), Uganda. Planned and wrote network expansion and change plans.

06/92 - 09/92 Pupil Engineer, Equipment and Maintenance department, Uganda Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (PTT), Uganda. Fault tested and maintained switching, transmission and power equipment.

06/90 - 09/90 Industrial Trainee, Uganda Television, Kampala, Uganda. Worked in a team of three to maintain the television transmission equipment.

06/89 - 09/89 Industrial Trainee, Beels (U) Ltd., Kampala, Uganda. Worked in a team of six to maintain OTIS elevators.

d) CONSULTANCIES

09 /03 – 10/03 Consultant, Bridging the Gender Digital Divide in Africa Through Strategic Partnerships, Rwanda. A preliminary needs assessment was conducted to assess the information and communication technology (ICT) capacity of fourteen women organizations as well as the ICT and management skills needed by the organizations in order to provide ICT-related training, services and access to finance for their members.

08/00 - 08/00 Resource person, USAID/Leland 'Internetworking Management Training Course for Makerere University', Kampala, Uganda, August 14-18, 2000.

12/98 - 01/99 Makerere University Network Preparedness. Based on August 1998 Feasibility Study, determined which buildings and which departments were ready to be connected into the backbone. Obtained policy commitments from the university on how the installation should proceed, as well as implementation commitments from the individual faculties.

08/98 - 09/98 Makerere Wireless Network Feasibility Study. In support of the Leland Initiative Strategic Objectives, a site study was conducted to determine the feasibility of a wireless backbone network, to broaden the access to the Internet by Makerere University students and faculty. The report delivered three feasible solutions that were classified according to cost: high, moderate and low.

08/98 - 09/98 Kisowera Primary School Internet Access. Feasibility study of providing connectivity to Kisowera Primary School visited by US President Clinton during his March 1998 visit to Uganda. Initial design and implementation work towards setting up a small computer network with access to the Internet.

05/98 - 05/98 Internet trainer under the Leland Initiative. Over a period of two weeks provided 2-day training sessions to over 100 participants including Members of Parliament, representatives from the private sector and from non-government organizations, and members of USAID projects.

e) MEMBERSHIP

• African Technical Advisory Committee (ATAC III) to the African Information Society Initiative (AISI), Economic Commission for Africa
• Uganda Institute of Professional Engineers (UIPE)
• Women Engineers, Technicians and Scientists in Uganda (WETSU)

2. What country and region of the world are you from? Do you live elsewhere now? If so, temporarily or permanently?

I'm from Uganda, East Africa. I currently reside in Uganda but will be traveling to Canada at least twice over the next six months to finalise my Ph.D. program.

3. What has been your involvement with the Internet to date?

My involvement has been two-fold. In the first instance, as a telecommunications engineer I have been involved in planning and implementation of data/internet-based networks. Secondly, on an organisational level, I have been involved in a variety of internet-related activities some of which I highlight below.

05/00 – present Coordinator, Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET): Responsible
for strategic planning and development of WOUGNET programs in addition to administering the WOUGNET mailing list and managing the WOUGNET website
located at http://www.wougnet.org WOUGNET is a non-governmental organisation initiated in May 2000 by several women organisations in Uganda to promote the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) among women. The goal of WOUGNET is to empower women's organisations through access to information and to opportunities for exchange and collaboration. Today, the WOUGNET website
and electronic mailing lists are key sources of information about and for women organisations in Uganda, and are a key resource for members and interested partners. In May 2003, the WOUGNET website was awarded the African Information Society Initiative (AISI) Media Award in the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD) - Local Content category. In December 2003, WOUGNET received a World Summit Award (WSA) in the category of e-Inclusion at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Geneva. The WSA Grand Jury noted “WOUGNET allows women to take advantage of the opportunities presented by e-Content and the internet in order to effectively address national and local problems of sustainable development”.

08/02 – 09/02 Invited Member, APC's 2002 Hafkin Communications Prize Working Group. Invited because the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) recognised the value of my support and contribution in the field of ICTs for development and social justice. The 2002 prize theme was "People-Centred Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Policy in Africa" and was open to civil society organisations, government, institutions, educational organisations, community-based groups, networks, social movements and individuals anywhere in Africa. APC was looking for ICT policy initiatives that (a) were people-centred and mobilise participation; (b) raised awareness and built capacity; (c) were Africa-driven and that developed Africa; and (d) had positive community impact at community level.

11/02 – present Africa representative, APC Women’s Networking Support Programme (APC-WNSP) Coordination Team. APC-WNSP facilitates the strategic use of ICTs in support of women's actions and agendas, to bring more attention to issues of concern to women, reinforce solidarity campaigns, enhance traditional women's networking activities and defend the rights of women to participate equally in civil and public life. Since its founding in 1994, APC-WNSP has coordinated research and on-the-ground activities highlighting the need to take gender into account at the time of planning and implementation of ICT initiatives.

05/03 – 12/03 Africa Regional Liaison Officer, Gender and ICT Awards. The Gender and ICT Awards were initiated by the Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP) and APC-WNSP to honor and bring international recognition to the innovative and effective projects that encourage the strategic use of ICTs by women for the promotion of gender equality and women's empowerment. Special emphasis was given to projects designed and implemented by women. The Gender and ICT Awards were launched, and winners showcased and celebrated, at a special event and venue parallel to the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Geneva, Switzerland, in December 2003.

4. What has been your involvement with the Internet Society to date? How long have you been a member of the Society?

Participated in the ‘Network Navigation and Services - INET'98 Network Training Workshop for Countries in the Early Stages of Internetworking’, Geneva, Switzerland, July 12 - 19, 1998.

Was a member for one year 1998 - 1999.

5. If you are elected to the Society's Board of Directors, what strengths or unique features do you believe that you would bring to the Board? What contributions will you expect to make to the Society, and how will you make them?

If elected to the Board, I would bring both technical and organisational experience. In particular, my focus on women's and rural networking over the last years should make a significant contribution to the Board.

6. If you are elected to the Society's Board of Directors, will you have sufficient time to devote to the Board's on-going activities as well as succeed in what you hope to accomplish?

Yes, I would. I also believe that there would be sufficient synergy between the Board's on-going activities and my current activities to promote and support the use of the Internet. Of particular interest would be activities related to gender equitable access, rural access and developing countries, in general. By access, I refer to both the ability to have cost-effective access to an Internet Point of Presence as well as the access to relevant content, opportunities for information sharing and dissemination, and opportunities to influence public policy on the internet.

7. Please respond to the last point above regarding your willingness and ability to raise funds for the Society or to identify and resource relevant projects.

I would certainly be willing to participate in fundraising efforts for the Society as well as to identify and resource relevant projects.

You may respond to the questions individually or prepare a statement that in its entirety responds to all of them. Please be sufficiently informative so that members of the committee can have a good understanding of what you represent and why you want to be on the Board. You may provide additional information if you believe that it
will help the committee in its work.

Following is a list of internet-related workshops/seminars that I have participated in over the last years as well as a list of presentations I have made.

WORKSHOPS/SEMINARS

‘Intellectual Leadership and the African Information Society Initiative’, A Retreat in Partnership with the Ford Foundation and the UNECA, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, June 14 - 16, 2003.

Consultative Workshop on the content, development and implementation of the Information Management Resource Kit Module on “Building Electronic Communities and Networks” organised by The Rockefeller Foundation and The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, New York, United States, May 28 – 30, 2003.

World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) PrepCom II, Geneva, Switzerland, February 19 – 28, 2003. Participated especially in the Africa, Civil Society and Gender caucuses.

CTA (ACP-EC Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation) ICT Observatory Meeting on Gender and Agriculture in the Information Society, Wageningen, Netherlands, September 11 – 13, 2002.

‘Gender Issues and Barriers to ICTs – Lessons Learned from Commonwealth Countries in the Developing World’, Ottawa, Canada, June 24 – 26, 2002

‘Network Navigation and Services - INET'98 Network Training Workshop for Countries in the Early Stages of Internetworking’, Geneva, Switzerland, July 12 - 19, 1998.

‘Uganda Institute of Professional Engineers (UIPE)'s Second National Technology Conference’, Kampala, Uganda, May 7-9, 1997.

‘Female Education in Mathematics and Science. FEMSA Project-Uganda’, Dissemination and Planning Workshop, Kampala, Uganda, August 25 - 27, 1997.

PRESENTATIONS

Information Access for Rural Women, Women Crossing the Digital Divide, Frauen Solidarität and Vienna Institute for Development and Cooperation, Vienna, Austria, October 27 – 28, 2003.

Future-Generation Wireless Networks: Opportunities and Challenges, Knowledge sharing of ICT development experiences. I-Network Monthly Seminar, Kampala, Uganda. January 15, 2003

Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET): Using ICTs for economic and social development among women in Uganda, Gender, Virtual Seminars, and Networking: successful strategies, lessons, and challenges, Gender and the Digital Divide Seminar Series #23, Washington DC (by videoconference), November 5, 2002

Report on the online conference: Information Access for Rural Women, organized by Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) with the support of ENDA (Senegal),
<http://www.wougnet.org/Events/iarw.html>http://www.wougnet.org/Events/iarw.html.
Presented at the Kampala Know How Conference, Kampala, Uganda, July 23 –
27, 2002

Technology and Education: The needs of African industry, Cultivating Human Capital: Technology Assisted Training and Education, Africa Direct – Calgary
Conference, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, May 7 - 9, 2000.

Barriers to the Use by Women of Information and Communication Technologies for Distance/Open Learning - Uganda Country Paper, Sectorial report for The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) symposium on 'Barriers to the Access to Information and Communication Technologies Encountered by Women for the Purposes of Open and Distance Learning', Zanzibar, March 13 - 17, 2000.

Africa in the Information Age - What Technology?, Wiring Africa, Africa Week '99, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, October 28, 1999. (Prepared jointly with Ms. Towela Nyirenda, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas).

Introduction to Information and Communication Technologies - Technologies and Services, ABANTU Training of Trainers' Workshop on Policy Advocacy for Engendering the Information Communication Technology (ICT) Sector, Lanseria, South Africa, February 26 - 27, 1999.

Developing Countries’ Connectivity Challenges: Experiences in Uganda, Using TeleLearning in Developing Countries - The Third Annual Conference of the TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, November 14-17, 1998.

The Internet at Makerere University, FORUM In-Country Workshop for Rockefeller grantees in the Faculty of Agriculture - Makerere University, Entebbe, Uganda, September 7 - 10, 1997.