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Akamai Remembers Danny Lewin

On September 11, 2001, Akamai lost Danny Lewin aboard the American Airlines flight 11 that crashed into the World Trade Center in New York. Even as the years pass by, Danny's spirit and energy remains strong in all of us at Akamai. His vision continues to guide us as we carry on his commitment to Akamai's success.

 

Danny Lewin

About Danny

First and foremost, Danny was known for his brilliance. He published and presented several breakthrough papers at top computer science conferences and received several awards, including the 1998 Morris Joseph Lewin Award for Best Masterworks Thesis Presentation at MIT. His master's thesis included some of the fundamental algorithms that make up the core of Akamai's services. He was a Ph.D. candidate in the Algorithms group at MIT's Laboratory for Computer Science.

Previously, Danny worked at IBM's research laboratory in Haifa, Israel, where he was a full-time research fellow and project leader while simultaneously completing two undergraduate degrees at the Technion, Israel's premier technology university. In 1995, Technion named him the year's Outstanding Student in Computer Engineering. At IBM, he was responsible for the development and support of the company's Genesys system, a processor verification tool that is used widely within IBM and in other companies such as AMD and SGS Thompson.

On a personal note, he had a deep affinity for speed and freedom, maintaining an avid interest in motorcycles, fast cars and skiing. Everyone who knew Danny knew a man who was always on the go, deeply driven and incredibly competitive. He inspired everyone around him to work at their very best, never taking no for an answer and calling anything that got in his way obstreperous, his favorite word.

Born in Denver, Colorado, and raised in Jerusalem, Danny was an officer in the Israel Defense Forces, having served in the country's military for over four years. He received a bachelor of arts and science, summa cum laude, from Technion and a master's degree from MIT.

Danny was 31 years old and is survived by his wife and two sons.