ART@SC24 and SC24

By Strahinja Trecakov, New Mexico State University

This year I had a chance to attend an amazing ART@SC24 workshop organized by STEM-Trek and Elizabeth Leake. This workshop took place at the World Congress Convention Center on Saturday, November 16 before the International Conference on High-Performance Computing (HPC), Networking, Storage and Analysis, SC24. This was a great start to the busy week in Atlanta where we heard from different HPC center leaders about outreach, training, artificial intelligence (AI), networking and related initiatives. After a busy day, we enjoyed dinner and live entertainment at Medieval Times, thanks to sponsors Dell and Intel.

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ART@SC24 – Horst’s reflections

By Horst Severini, University of Oklahoma (OU)

I was very happy to be back at SC24 with STEM-Trek. It had been a while since I was able to attend an SC conference, since travel funding for that is difficult to acquire for me as a research computing facilitator and high energy physicist. The last SC I was able to attend was SC18 in Dallas, and before that at SC17 in Denver, both also with STEM-Trek. So, I’m very grateful for the support I have gotten from STEM-Trek to attend these conferences.

I very much enjoyed Saturday’s ART@SC24 workshop. It was great catching up with several of the African colleagues again, some of whom I hadn’t seen in 6 years! I was happy to be one of the 40 or so attendees, and from a US EPSCoR state no less. All presentations were really interesting, and I learned a lot about …

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An Unforgettable Experience: ART@SC24

by Brian Kyanjo (Georgia Institute of Technology Postdoctoral Scholar)

I was privileged to be part of the ART@SC24 jetlag day preparations and the overall SC24 conference. This event was more than just a gathering—it was a transformative experience that blended innovation, collaboration, and cultural exploration, leaving a lasting impact on my professional and personal growth.

The journey to SC24 began in July 2024, with brainstorming sessions and early planning. Weekly Wednesday meetings were dedicated to fine-tuning the details, from vendor coordination to venue arrangements, ensuring the event would be as engaging and colorful as possible. Months of preparation culminated on November 8th, marking the start of an extraordinary experience, thanks to Bryan Johnston, John Poole, Elizabeth Leake, and Hannah Moon.

The first day kicked off with reconnecting with colleagues from the HPC ecosystem across southern and eastern Africa. I also had the unique opportunity to meet speakers at …

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International HPC Summer School 2024 – Kobe Japan

By Titus Nyarko Nde (Boise State University, PhD in Computing Program)

Introduction

I had the opportunity to attend the International High Performance Computing Summer School 2024 in Kobe, Japan (hereafter IHPCSS). Thanks to Elizabeth Leake (STEM-Trek) for encouraging me to apply. It was the first time I had applied for the school, and I was thrilled to be selected. The IHPCSS exceeded all of my expectations. Some of the relationships I made in Kobe will last a lifetime. I am not sure where to begin; relax, sit down, and grab some coffee as I walk you through my journey.

Sponsorship 

IHPCSS was fully sponsored for travel, lodging, meals, etc. Many thanks to the National Science Foundation ACCESS program for supporting U.S. participants. 

Preparation

How did I prepare? Though I know a couple of programming languages, I am predominantly a Python and R programmer, and all of my HPC work, to …

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ART@SC24 – HPC Creates!

Agenda: Drop-ins on Saturday are welcome. Otherwise, you must have registered, in advance, to participate in the Friday and Saturday evening events.

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 …

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Bridging Horizons: NRG@SC23 & NCAR visit

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 …

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SC23: A range of emotions – persistence pays!

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 …

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SC23 Chronicles: From High-Performance Computing to High-Flying Collaborations

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 …

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SC23: Beyond my wildest dreams

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 …

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