Tracy LaQuey Parker received a degree in Computer Science from the University of Texas at Austin and has worked for Cisco Systems, Inc. as Education Market Development Manager since January 1993. Prior to Cisco, she worked at The University of Texas System Office of Telecommunication Services in Austin as a Network Information Specialist where she represented the Texas Higher Education Network (THEnet) in national networking groups and was a member of the Texas Education Network (TENET, a statewide K-12 network) Development Team. A pioneer individual member of the Internet Society, she represents Cisco Systems on the Internet Society's Advisory Board. She is the author of The User's Directory of Computer Networks, published by Digital Press (1990) and the 1st (1992) and 2nd (1994) editions of The Internet Companion: A Beginner's Guide to Global Networking published by Addison-Wesley.
The Internet Companion was the very first trade computer book about the Internet, published in 1992 and updated in 1994. With a foreword by U.S. Vice President Al Gore, it has sold approximately 250,000 hardcopy and online Voyager Publishing copies. It has been translated into Japanese, Portugese, Polish, Spanish and French, and adapted for the European community.
Tracy LaQuey Parker is frequently invited to speak on a wide-range of Internet-related topics, including education (universities, K-12), and business uses. She is also well known internationally, having given keynote and major presentations in the U.S., Spain, Japan and Australia.