STEM-Trek News

The application is now closed. Award letters were sent to 40 who have accepted (from 10 countries and 13 U.S. states).

ART: Artificial intelligence (AI), Research computing and Training is for advanced cyberinfrastructure (CI) professionals who support research computing on their campuses and conduct outreach in rural K-20 education environments. We will explore the benefits and risks associated with AI in academia, and share strategies to protect data privacy, security and sovereignty. ART@SC24 will convene in Atlanta, Georgia November 15-16, ahead of the Supercomputing Conference, SC24, November 17-22. 

This will be the sixth in a series of SC co-located workshops or events that STEM-Trek Nonprofit has hosted since 2015. The previous five were supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF; supplements to existing grants, or individual awards), and donations to STEM-Trek from Google and others. The first, in collaboration with Executive Director Dan Stanzione at the …

Here’s a recap about the NRG@SC23 pre-conference workshop ahead of the annual Supercomputing Conference (SC) in Denver. The full agenda is here.

Thank you, HPCwire and sponsors!

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 …

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: 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 …

STEM-Trek hosted a pre-conference workshop Nov. 10-11, ahead of the Supercomputing Conference in Denver, Colorado, November 12-17, 2023. This event has passed, but details are available here:

NRG@SC23-Agenda-FINAL2Download

STEM-Trek Nonprofit has facilitated a series of workshops and events that are co-located with the annual Supercomputing Conference since 2015. The first, in collaboration with Executive Director Dan Stanzione at the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC), was for systems administrators and research facilitators held just prior to SC15 in Austin, Texas. The second: “HPC On Open Ground@SC16,” was focused on food security science. URISC@SC17 provided training on high-speed networks and best practices associated with cybersecurity. Activities were less communal at SC20-21 with “ScienceSlam” online competitions. In 2022, we held the first in-person workshop in five years titled, EarthSci@SC22.

Our workshop series welcomes applications from ACCESS Campus Champions in EPSCoR states and territories, …