Michael Leonidas Dertouzos (Greek: Μιχαήλ Λεωνίδας Δερτούζος; November 5, 1936 – August 27, 2001) was a professor in the department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Director of the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science (LCS) from 1974 to 2001.
This experience cultivated his interest in technology so that he learned Morse code, shipboard machinery, and mathematics at an early age.
[3] When he was 16, he came across Claude Shannon's work on information theory and MIT's attempt to build a mechanical mouse robot; these were said to have driven him to study in the university.
[4] During Dertouzos's term, LCS innovated in a variety of areas, including RSA encryption, the spreadsheet,[dubious – discuss] the NuBus, the X Window System, and the Internet.
He was also the sponsor of Project Oxygen at MIT,[2] which aimed to develop "pervasive, human-centered computing through a combination of specific user and system technologies".