Author Archives: Stem Trek

STEM-Trek beneficiaries are encouraged to pay-it-forward. Once funded, the debt weighs heavily on their mind until it’s satisfied. It doesn’t have to be repaid immediately—most early-career scholars are extremely busy. However, the opportunity will present itself at some point, and the debtor will find great satisfaction when the score is settled. In fact, it’s so gratifying, that philanthropy and volunteerism could become second nature to them. Many will become lifelong givers and helpers of others and good fortune will return to them time and again. That’s why our icon is an infinity sign.

Of course, it’s not necessary to be a STEM-Trek beneficiary to give. Even for the most successful professionals, the best cure for a …

Having met Corey, I’m more cognizant of presentation pitfalls. I now take time to make sure everyone understands what I’ve said — especially those who might lack the confidence to raise their hand. I provide my presentation early, so students who struggle with a language barrier or disability have time to review it, in advance.”

SC13 BE Mentor Richard Barrett (Sandia National Laboratories)

This story began in 2011 when STEM-Trek Founder Elizabeth Leake met Corey Henderson (University of Wisconsin-Madison) at the XSEDE/PRACE High-Performance Computing (HPC) International Summer School in South Lake Tahoe, California. Leake was a conference facilitator, and Henderson was one of 60 participants from 20 countries. Henderson, like many people who struggle with disability, explained that he lacked confidence when it came to engaging with others in a crowded conference setting. Leake knew STEM-Trek and the Supercomputing Conference Broader Engagement Program (SC BE) could help.

After the HPC …

Above: Winners of the 2013 Student Cluster Competition. Last year, the 2012 South African team went on to win first place at the International Supercomputing Conference Student Cluster Challenge in Leipzig, Germany. CHPC Director Happy Sithole hopes this year’s winning team will continue the tradition by flying South Africa’s flag in Leipzig once again in 2014!

Dear STEM-Trek Community:

I’ve written a full feature about the recent Center for High-Performance Computing’s (CHPC) annual conference and the South African Development Community (SADC) Forum meeting. Until the story is vetted, I’d like to share a few highlights.

The CHPC is leading the effort to build a cyberinfrastructure framework for SADC member countries that will span the lower half of the continent and facilitate research, education, and industrial collaborations around the world.

Please join the growing STEM-Trek community on FaceBook and LinkedIn. You can also follow us on Twitter @STEMTrek.

The bartender (a retired psychologist) says…

By Elizabeth Leake, STEM-Trek with photography by Lloyd DeGrane.

“You’re together?!?”

Let’s face it. In real life, this seldom happens. If we went out for a drink after work, we would most likely be accompanied by friends who think the way we do, vote for the same candidates, and share the same or a related occupation.

Most of us gravitate toward careers that align with our aptitude (arguably, opportunity and environment are key factors). While there are many gifted people who possess a wide range of skills and abilities, most of us are best suited for a specific occupation. We tend …

Photography by Lloyd DeGrane

The Urban Center for Computation and Data (UrbanCCD) and the University of Chicago Urban Network hosted an interdisciplinary workshop at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago on Friday, February 15. Participants from a variety of research domains, organizations, and regions discussed ways that collaborative research teams could use public and private sector urban data including a growing collection of city data being published through the transparency initiatives of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The event was a remarkable confluence of social and computational science that produced rich, cross-cultural discourse about urban issues of extreme importance to society.

UrbanCCD Director Charlie Catlett, Senior Fellow at the Computation Institute (a joint initiative of the University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory) and …

Photo by Peter Harsha, Computing Research Association

Will you be presenting at a technical conference in the near future? When the opportunity arises, please tell people about us! Download the slide (left) for your presentation, or contact us for a full set of 29!

Encourage others to join the growing STEM-Trek community on FaceBook, LinkedIn, and/or follow us on Twitter @STEMTrek.

The first (travel award) application deadline is March 15!

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It was the best of times; it was the worst of times…

By Elizabeth Leake, STEM-Trek

More than 200 million copies of A Tale of Two Cities have sold making it one of the most popular novels ever written. Charles Dickens’ fictional classic, about the lives of people in two great cities during the years leading up to The Revolution of 1789, wasn’t published until 1859 when several regions were, once again, facing social upheaval. Perhaps those who bought the book hoped it would provide insight since history, as reliable as death and taxes, has been known to repeat.

Due to science and engineering advances, 20th century citizens were healthier, well-traveled, and far better educated as a whole. Cities were more thoughtfully designed to address contemporary lifestyles and comparatively peaceful. Until recently, urban planning involved more reacting than proactive preparation.

More than two hundred years later ‘best and worst of …