Author Archives: Stem Trek

By: Mphenduli “Oscar” Ntsizi (University of Fort Hare, South Africa)

On a chilly November day, the African HPC-Ecosystems team embarked on a transformative journey to the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado. The experience was orchestrated by Elizabeth Leake (STEM-Trek), Daniel Howard (NCAR HPC Consultant) and Wenfu Tang (NCAR Project Scientist). The day unfolded with riveting presentations by several NCAR scientists which chronicled several initiatives to accelerate environmental sustainability in Africa.

The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), whose university-driven initiatives complement …

By Berny Chaimite HPC Principal Administrator at Mozambique Research and Education Network (MoRENet)

My blog includes highlights from the SC23 conference in Denver, Colorado, U.S., Nov. 12-18, and the NRG@SC23 pre-conference workshop, Nov. 9-11. I participated as part of a Southern African Development Community (SADC) HPC Ecosystems delegation led by the South African Centre for High Performance Computing (CHPC). As a computer scientist and HPC engineer at MoRENet, I was delighted at the prospect of engaging once again this year. My blog covers the range of emotions I experienced in the weeks leading up to SC23!

Anxiety: Last-minute approval – SC23 registration and flight

STEM-Trek had limited funds this year; it was necessary to prioritize those who had not previously attended SC22. Since I was in Dallas for SC22, I encouraged my colleague, Martilio Banze to apply, and he was awarded a STEM-Trek travel grant.

Since this was Martilio’s …

By Senzo Mpungose, Operations Manager, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa

The Supercomputing Conference (SC23) isn’t just an event; it’s a celestial convergence of computing enthusiasts, a symphony of silicon, and an intellectual playground where ideas bounce around like electrons in a superconductor or attendees on opening day of the exhibit hall. This year’s SC23 was no exception, and my journey through the dazzling world of high-performance computing (HPC) left me both enlightened and invigorated.

NCAR: Where Ideas Bloom Faster Than My Morning Coffee: One unexpected highlight of my SC23 experience was a visit to the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). Nestled in the scenic beauty of Boulder, Colorado, NCAR proved …

By: Greg Landwehr, Principal Engineer, Scatec; PhD Candidate at the University of the Witwatersrand Global Change Institute, South Africa

Following is a summary of the incredible opportunity I had to participate in the STEM-Trek NRG@SC23 Workshop ahead of the Supercomputing Conference in Denver, Colorado recently. With this blog, I have tried to provide you with a first-hand account of this extremely memorable experience. Enjoy!

29th August 2023:

I was thrilled to receive an email from STEM-Trek’s Elizabeth Leake saying “I’m delighted to let you know that you have been selected to receive a travel grant; your award letter is attached.” What an amazing opportunity to participate in NRG@SC23 and share stories of how the renewables industry is collaborating with and urgently needing support from the high-performance computing (HPC) community.

24th October 2023:

From then on it was all systems go to organize the flights, accommodation, and logistics to attend …

By Kaylee Jones, Rylee Au, and Michaela Kovalsky

Hi! We are Kaylee, Rylee, and Michaela (pictured left to right), undergraduates at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. This year, we attended the Supercomputing Conference (SC23) in Denver. We were very excited and also a little nervous to attend our first major conference. With the help of Elizabeth Leake from STEM-Trek, the registration and sign-up process went smoothly.

NRG@SC23 cohort

Our first two days in Denver were at STEM-Trek’s energy-themed pre-conference workshop, NRG@SC23. This experience provided us the opportunity to get to know the STEM-Trek cohort from six countries and 12 U.S. states and to learn more about the universities and programs they represent. Additionally, …

By: Martilio Rafael Banze, HPC administrator, Mozambique Research and Education Network (MoRENet).

As I crossed the ocean heading to SC23, I immersed myself in fertile ground where my dreams, once confined to imagination, found space to bloom and thrive. I want to share in detail my incredible journey to SC23, including the STEM-Trek NRG@SC23 pre-conference workshop, by highlighting not only the challenges that were overcome, but also the great support I received along the way.

Martilio and his family.

Short Bio: My name is Martilio Rafael Banze; I am married, with one child. I work as a High-Performance Computing (HPC) administrator at the Mozambique Research and Education Network (MoRENet), and hold degrees in Meteorology from …

Not to mention the fastest visa application ever!!

By: Genito Maure, Climate Scientist and one of the initiators of the HPC user convoy in Mozambique.

Notice and Prepping  

As I am becoming addicted to HPC novelty, and more eager to find out what SC editions have to offer time after time (because this community always has news!!!) STEM-Trek read my mind and, this time with Google support, my dream came true for the second time, since my SC-debut in 2018.

Elizabeth Leake kindly informed me “If you are receiving this message, you are among candidates being considered to receive a travel award to attend the EarthSci@SC22 workshop and (SC22) conference November 11-18, 2022.”  And added: “We are getting started late with this process, and I apologize for that. Therefore, we must move quickly from now on. If I do not hear back from you by Wednesday, September 21, we …