STEM-Trek News

Overview:

Texas A&M University High Performance Research Computing (TAMU-HPRC), in collaboration with STEM-Trek Nonprofit and the Conference on Next-Generation Arithmetic (CoNGA), will host the CoNGA-Q workshop on November 13-14 ahead of the Supercomputing Conference, SC26, Nov. 15-20, in Chicago, Illinois. This is the eighth workshop in a series, and second in collaboration with CoNGA.

CoNGA-Q is a celebration of next-generation arithmetic, and applications for quantum computing. Participants will learn how Compute eXpress Link (CXL), RISC-V and Next-Gen Math are driving the revolution toward more energy-efficient supercomputers. With such tools, it’s possible to render artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) workflows with greater accuracy and fewer bits. A better understanding of next-gen arithmetic is also essential for those who develop embedded systems and quantum arithmetic circuits. We will learn how software-defined architecture (FPGAs) can be used to design novel accelerators which are now easier to fabricate; many fab plants have …

© Mediaserver Hamburg / Christian Brandes

Cover photo by Sean Feeney (Texas A&M University) – on his journey to Kobe, Japan where he attended the International Conference on Quantum Communications, Networking and Computing, QCNC 2026, April 6-8.

Read the April 10, 2026, HPCwire feature, “Quantum journey takes flight in June.” I hope everyone will join us in Hamburg for the International Supercomputing Conference (ISC High Performance 2026) and our Quantum Workforce Development Birds-of-a-Feather (BoF) on Thursday, Jun 25 at 4 p.m.

Meanwhile, here are more photos and anecdotes from the road.

Above was the route taken in the summer of 2023. Each star represented a workshop, conference, or other meeting along the way. The larger stars are where I stayed for a …

By Marcus Bond, Southeast Missouri State University

This time to a dramatically larger conference than SC21. I must admit I enjoyed the coziness of SC21; the keynote in the tiered Ferrara Theater was especially memorable. With the regular SC crowd back in town this time, the keynote returned to its familiar setting…with overflow rooms.

The keynote by Thomas Koulopolous was an engaging and interesting take on the state and future of technology as well as its effect on human behavior. A particular pointed aspect of his talk dealt with older people adapting to technological changes — guilty as charged. This foreshadowed a discussion with a nephew at a holiday gathering the next week where I was quizzed about “the old days.” When was the first time you recorded your voice? (Dad’s portable cassette player circa 1974). When was the first time you went online? (Don’t know, but it involved dialing …

Thank you, HPCwire, for publishing our workshop recap.

By: Laslo Hunhold, Senior AI Accelerator Engineer at Openchip & Software Technologies (Barcelona)

As a German and European, it is difficult to fully grasp just how young the United States of America are. A visit to St. Louis, Missouri brings this into focus: the city’s role as a frontier of westward expansion, shaped by President Thomas Jefferson’s vision for the nation, is still palpable. Today, one can fly from Germany to St. Louis in a matter of hours; barely a century ago, the same journey would have taken weeks by ship, train, and stagecoach.

This ease of travel is a privilege, but it can also dull our sense of history. Monuments, such as the Gateway Arch, a literal gateway to the …

By Berny Chaimite, MoRENet, Mozambique

Traveling from Maputo to St. Louis, Missouri, to attend TANGO@SC25 – HPC Ignites and the International Supercomputing Conference (SC25) was an intense experience on every level: physical, intellectual and emotional. It wasn’t just a trip to attend technical sessions—it was a deep immersion into the global HPC ecosystem, filled with knowledge, people, reunions, challenges, and moments that will last a lifetime. This journey represented the presence of MoRENet, Mozambique and the Southern African Development Region (SADC) region on one of the world’s biggest stages for computational science—and that, in itself, carries enormous meaning.

Before the flight: uncertainty, anxiety… and last-minute relief

Even before thinking about jet lag, there was a moment of real tension: the visa. Days went by, the calendar tightened and confirmation took longer than expected. Anyone who’s been through this knows—it’s a mix of anxiety, hope and mental preparation for every …

By Brian Kyanjo (Georgia Tech Postdoc)

The Supercomputing Conference (SC) is unlike any other conference I’ve attended in the high-performance computing world. Thinking back to SC24, my first SC, I gained so many practical insights and workflow solutions, and I’m grateful to STEM Trek for making that experience possible. At SC25, the TANGO jetlag took things even further. Even on the first day, I found myself energized by strong sessions on geospatial innovation and the newest architectural advances aimed at tackling the community’s most computationally expensive problems. Many of these challenges mirror what we face every day as scientific software developers working on real-world applications: memory pressure, I/O bottlenecks, storage constraints, limited access to HPC resources, and compatibility issues across tools and systems. What stood out most was that these weren’t just abstract problems; there were concrete ideas and approaches I can apply directly, and I also made valuable connections …

By Mphenduli (Oscar) Ntsizi – University of Fort Hare

Introduction

When I received the notification from STEM-Trek Nonprofit confirming my selection for the TANGO@SC25 – HPC Ignites! Pre-Conference Workshop, I knew immediately that this was going to be a transformative opportunity. With international participation supported by STEM-Trek sponsors and U.S. participation supported by the National Science Foundation, the award covered essential expenses—lodging, meals, and registration—making it possible for me to attend both the two-day TANGO/CoNGA workshop and the full Supercomputing Conference (SC25) in St. Louis, Missouri (Nov 13–21, 2025).

This experience could not have been more aligned with my PhD research on OS-centric resilience in HPC systems for low-resource universities, particularly in the Eastern Cape. It also connected directly to the broader strategic aims of the University of Fort Hare (UFH): establishing a sustainable, scalable, and inclusive HPC culture that supports both research and teaching.

But beyond the technical value, …

By Mfundo Mdwadube, HPC Ecosystems Project Intern – Centre for HPC, South Africa

“STEM Trek didn’t just give me training. It gave me vision — a vision of what Africa can become with the right access, teaching, and collaborative spirit. These two days became the foundation for everything that followed at SC25: a reminder that the world is open, the work is urgent, and the next generation is waiting for someone to build the bridge.“

There are moments in life when preparation meets opportunity and a sense of purpose. These times remind us that with perseverance, humility, and vision, we can shape our own paths and help others along the way. My journey to SC25 in St. Louis was one of those times; a turning point that made me reflect deeply on where I started and where I am going.

It was:

● My first time ever leaving South Africa● …