Photo: Scientist-100 at English Wikipedia / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Born on December 18, 1951 in Portsmouth, Virginia, United States, Radia Perlman is a computer scientist, telecommunications engineer and mathematician. As of 2026, Radia Perlman is 74 years old. Listed accolades include Anita Borg Institute Women of Vision Awards (2005), SIGCOMM Award (2010), National Inventors Hall of Fame (2016) and 3 more. Credited works include Spanning Tree Protocol and computer literacy.
My Take
Radia Perlman deserves to be far more famous than she is, and that is exactly why I admire her. Her Spanning Tree Protocol is the reason networks do not collapse into endless loops, an invisible foundation that keeps the modern internet running. An MIT-trained engineer inducted into both the Internet and Inventors Halls of Fame, she built something essential without ever chasing the spotlight. I deeply respect technologists who win on substance rather than flash, and Perlman is the quintessential example. Whenever I think about who quietly holds up the digital world, her name is near the top of my list.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Radia Perlman
- Name (Japanese)
- ラディア・パールマン
- Reading
- らでぃあ・ぱーるまん
- Born
- December 18, 1951 (age 74)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Rabbit
- Origin
- Portsmouth, Virginia, United States
- Occupation
- computer scientist / telecommunications engineer / mathematician / software developer
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- 2005 Anita Borg Institute Women of Vision Awards
- 2010 SIGCOMM Award
- 2016 National Inventors Hall of Fame
- 2014 Internet Hall of Fame
- 2016 ACM Fellow
- 2023 IEEE Eric E. Sumner Award
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Spanning Tree Protocol | — | |
| Notable work | computer literacy | — |
4. Links
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-23
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Radia Perlman born?
Born December 18, 1951 (age 74).
Where is Radia Perlman from?
Radia Perlman is from Portsmouth, Virginia, United States.
What does Radia Perlman do?
Radia Perlman works as computer scientist, telecommunications engineer, mathematician, software developer.
What is Radia Perlman known for?
Notable works include Spanning Tree Protocol, computer literacy.
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