HPC Happenings
XSEDE13 Programming Competition Allows Students to Gain Crucial Skillsets
Binary search trees, dynamic arrays, matrix multiplication — these are some of the reasons that more than 50 students traveled to San Diego in July as part of the 2nd Annual XSEDE (Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment) conference. The Student Programming Competition started in 2011 when the National Science Foundation (NSF) cyberinfrastructure initiative was known as the TeraGrid. This year it has matured under the direction of Ange Mason and a handful of committed teachers and outreach representatives from Shodor, Contra Costa Community College, the University of Washington, Louisiana State University, and the Louisiana School of Math, Science and the Arts. “We want students to realize their potential with analytical thinking in joining the competition,” said Mason, who chaired the XSEDE13 student program and works as the Education and Outreach Coordinator for the San Diego Supercomputer Center. “I’m hoping this pushes them in the right direction to challenge themselves and to go outside their comfort zone.” To read further, please visit http://www.hpcwire.com/hpcwire/2013-08-15/programming_competition_allows_students_to_geek_out_and_gain_crucial_skillsets.html?featured=top
Announcing the 2013 HPCwire Readers' Choice Awards
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2013 HPCwire Readers’ Choice Awards. The HPCwire Readers’ Choice Awards is a way for readers like YOU to play a hands-on role in the awards process and select your winners from amongst the best and brightest innovators within the global HPC community today. Do your part - play a proactive role in the awards process and make your voice heard! Start now by nominating your favorite candidates for the 2013 HPCwire Readers’ Choice Awards! To submit your nominations, please visit http://tci.taborcommunications.com/2013_HPCwire_Readers_Choice_Awards.
In the News
Argonne’s Jeff Hammond Awarded Young Achiever in Scalable Computing for 2013
The IEEE Technical Committee on Scalable Computing (TCSC), an international forum within the IEEE, has named Argonne's Jeff Hammond a Young Achiever in Scalable Computing for 2013. Hammond is an assistant computational scientist at the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility (ALCF) who joined Argonne as a Director's Postdoctoral Fellow in 2009 after earning his PhD in chemistry at the University of Chicago. For more information, please visit http://www.scientific-computing.com/news/news_story.php?news_id=2220&goback=.gde_1775643_member_265557905#!.
Launch of Energime University
Energime University officially launched its crowd funding campaign yesterday! This is a “zero profit” humanitarian effort lead by a dedicated and passionate group of some of the world’s foremost scientists and educators who have come together to create an evolutionary project supporting global sustainable development. Energime University will be the world’s first completely accessible, multi-language education platform designed specifically to train and teach people throughout our population all the skills and knowledge required in order for them to re-establish balance back to their local environments. This visionary project is supported by over 150 doctorate level educators and sustainable technology pioneers along with a host of veteran retraining groups and humanitarian/environmental organizations. Energime professors plan on mentoring our future global workforce with the guiding methodology needed to solve our current environmental challenges by teaching advanced courses relating to the production and management of energy, food, water, and waste. The link to the YouTube video is (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54ir06Stlno ). The crowdfunding campaign is on Indiegogo at http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/463178/emal/3.
HPC Conference Call for Participation
Parallel Tools Platform (PTP) User/Developer Workshop – Call for Participation
September 13-14, 2013 - Schiller Park, Illinois
The Parallel Tools Platform (PTP) User/Developer workshop is an annual 2-day meeting of users and developers that provides a forum for discussing all aspects of PTP. Participants in the workshop will be able to help shape the future direction of the PTP project. For more information and submission guidelines, please visit http://www.ncsa.illinois.edu/Conferences/Eclipse/.
CISP-BMEI 2013 - Call for Participation
December 16-18, 2013 - Hangzhou, China
Submission Deadline – August 30, 2013 [Submitting to IEEE Xplore/ISI/Ei]
The 2013 6th International Congress on Image and Signal Processing (CISP 2013) and the 2013 6th International Conference on BioMedical Engineering and Informatics (BMEI 2013) will be jointly held in Hangzhou, China. CISP-BMEI 2013 is a premier international forum for scientists and researchers to present the state-of-the-art of multimedia, signal processing, biomedical engineering and informatics and to discuss future research challenges. Co-locating two conferences we aim to promote collaboration among multiple areas, especially the interactions of engineering, computing, and medicine. To promote international participation of researchers from outside the country/region where the conference is held (i.e., China’s mainland), researchers outside of China’s mainland are encouraged to propose invited sessions. For more information, please visit http://cispbmei2013.hznu.edu.cn/.
ACM Learning @ Scale Conference - Call for Papers and Participation
March 4-5, 2014 - Atlanta, Georgia
| The first ACM Conference on Learning at Scale, which will be held immediately preceding SIGCSE '14, is intended to promote scientific exchange of interdisciplinary research at the intersection of the learning sciences and computer science. Inspired by the emergence of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and the accompanying huge shift in thinking about education, this conference was created by ACM as a new scholarly venue and key focal point for the review and presentation of the highest quality research on how learning and teaching can change can improve when done at scale. For more information on the call for participation, please visit http://learningatscale.acm.org/. |
Upcoming Conferences and Workshops
XSEDE HPC Workshop Series: MPI (On Stampede)
September 4-5, 2013 – Austin, Texas plus satellite locations
These workshops are very hands-on, and use the foremost available platforms for their subject matter. They are a continuation of the previously oversubscribed XSEDE remote workshops and an effort to reduce the backlog of demand while maintaining the quality. The updated schedule for the remainder of the series will be sent around soon. Address any questions regarding course content to John Urbanic (urbanic@psc.edu) and questions regarding registration to Tom Maiden (tmaiden@psc.edu).
2013 SACNAS National Conference
October 3–6, 2013 - San Antonio, Texas
SACNAS is a way for you to expose your students to incredible resources and the validating and inspiring environment of SACNAS where they have the unique opportunity to engage with science, culture, and community. The SACNAS National Conference also provides an important place for you to recharge as a professional, as you connect with peers, build your own networks, and recruit new students.
For complete conference information, please visit http://sacnas.org/events/national-conf?.
SC13
November 17 - 22, 2013 - Denver, Colorado
SC13, the premier annual international conference on high-performance computing, networking, and storage, will be held in Denver, Colorado. The Technical Papers Program at SC is the leading venue for presenting the highest-quality original research, from the foundations of HPC to its emerging frontiers. The conference committee solicits submissions of excellent scientific merit that introduce new ideas to the field and stimulate future trends on topics such as applications, systems, parallel algorithms, and performance modeling. For more information, please visit http://sc13.supercomputing.org/content/papers.
International Conference on Educational Technologies 2013
November 29- December 1, 2013 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
CEduTech is the scientific conference addressing the real topics as seen by teachers, students, parents and school leaders. Scientists, professionals and institutional leaders are invited to be informed by experts, sharpen the understanding what education needs and how to achieve it. The conference covers six main areas: Education in Context, Education as Professional Field, Curricular Evolution, Learner Orientation, Integrating Educational Technologies and International Higher Education. These broad areas are divided into more detailed areas. For more information, please visit http://www.icedutech-conf.org/.
Research Features From Across the Country and Around the World
CFL Software, PSC Collaborate on Next Generation of Information Searching
SherlockNew software being developed by CFL Software may transform our ability to search for information in text documents as profoundly as search engines improved upon paper library card catalogs. The software, CFL Discover, will search electronic text documents far more completely and accurately than possible with today’s search technologies. Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC) is collaborating with CFL as a strategic partner in developing CFL Discover, making the software available to researchers on Sherlock, a modified version of YarcData’s UrikaTM, a real-time data discovery appliance at the center. “This is a new venture both in terms of scale and speed in searching for information,” says David Woolls, CEO of CFL Software, which specializes in linguistic document forensics. “In essence, we take over where search engines stop.” To read further, please visit http://www.psc.edu/index.php/newscenter/2013/853-cfl-software-psc-collaborate-on-next-generation-search-technology.
NICS’ New Cray Supercomputer Gave Forecasters an Edge in Tornado Prediction
The deadly EF5 tornado that hit Moore, Oklahoma on May 20 was unique in several ways. Not only was it one of the strongest twisters ever recorded, but forecasters were able to issue a tornado warning 36 minutes in advance, saving lives. Playing a part in that forecast was a Cray supercomputer at the National Institute for Computational Sciences (NICS). NICS' new Cray XC30 supercomputer, known as Darter, was used by researchers at the Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms (CAPS) at the University of Oklahoma from April 22 through June 7, right in the heart of the spring storm season. The weather prediction work was done as part of the spring Hazardous Weather Testbed (HWT) experiment sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). To read further, please visit http://www.hpcwire.com/hpcwire/2013-08-12/cray_supercomputer_gave_forecasters_an_edge_in_tornado_prediction.html.
Wireless 'Smart Skin' Sensors Could Provide Remote Monitoring of Infrastructure
Georgia Tech News
Georgia Tech researchers are developing wireless technology for closely monitoring structures for strain, stress, and early crack formation. The approach uses low-cost, low-power wireless sensors that can be implemented on flexible polymer substrates, and can identify structural problems at a very early stage. The sensors can be inkjet-printed on various substrates, using methods that optimize them for operating with radio frequencies. "Placing a 'smart skin' of sensors on structural members, especially on certain high-stress hot spots that have been pinpointed by structural analysis, could provide early notification of potential trouble," says Georgia Tech professor Yang Wang. The researchers are focusing on passive wireless sensor designs, which means they need no power source, responding instead to radio-frequency signals sent from a central reader or hub. To read further, please visit http://www.hpcwire.com/hpcwire/2013-04-15/future_challenges_of_large-scale_computing.html.
Future Challenges of Large-Scale Computing
HPC Wire
NVIDIA chief scientist Bill Dally says in an interview that similar processor requirements in high-performance computing, Web servers, and big data will lead to a convergence on heterogeneous multicore processors where each socket will feature a small number of cores optimized for latency and many more cores optimized for throughput. Dally predicts that three-dimensional stacked chip technology will be essential to the extension of high-bandwidth on-package memory capacity. With budget austerity likely to cut U.S. government investments in exascale computing, Dally projects that industry will continue to move ahead in this field on its own, although at a much slower pace. He also is hopeful that the challenge of achieving sustained exaflops on a real application in 20 MW will be met, thanks to numerous emerging circuit, architecture, and software technologies that could potentially enhance the energy efficiency of one or more parts of the system. To read further, please visit http://www.hpcwire.com/hpcwire/2013-04-15/future_challenges_of_large-scale_computing.html.
Educator Opportunities and Information
| A U.S. Makeover for STEM Education: What It Means for NSF and the Education Department
Science Insider A proposed restructuring of U.S. federal science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education programs would significantly raise the status of the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The proposal would have ED supervise federally funded activities to enhance elementary and secondary school science education, while NSF would oversee undergraduate and graduate STEM education. The Obama administration aims to cut 78 programs and consolidate another 49, but it has proposed 13 new programs and requested 7 percent more funding for STEM education in 2014 compared to 2012 expenditures. ED's Camsie McAdams says the department has proposed an Office of STEM and expects to hire more staff to handle any new programmatic efforts, and it is depending on strong alliances with NSF and mission science agencies. "The reorganization protects the investments across all agencies that serve underrepresented groups, including ED's investments for minority-serving institutions," she notes. NSF's Joan Ferrini-Mundy notes the president's budget request contains no substantial drop in funding for programs in K-12 or informal science, and there is a strong concentration on public engagement through ED and the Smithsonian Institution's present activities. To read further, please visit news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2013/04/a-us-makeover-for-stem-education.html?ref=hp. |
Great Plains Network Announces Professional Development Webcasts for 2013
August 23, 2013 - 10AM Central
September 20, 2013 - 10AM Central:
October 18, 2013 - 10AM Central:
The Great Plains Network (GPN) announces the first three speakers for the fall, 2013, web-based Professional Development Program. The GPN Professional Development Program was instituted in the
Fall of 2011 to bring high quality, one-hour web-based presentations on timely developments in advanced cyberinfrastructure, information technology and networking to members of the higher education community, including researchers, faculty and staff. The presentations are free, open to the entire higher education community and are intended to foster a shared understanding of new technologies and facilitate the adoption of game-changing CI across the region. More information about how to virtually attend each program, speaker biographies, intended audience and recordings from past Professional Development Programs may be found at http://www.greatplains.net/display/Home/Professional+Development+Program.
2013-2014 Spirit of Innovation Challenge
To celebrate the launch of the 2013-2014 Spirit of Innovation Challenge, the Conrad Foundation is bringing the world together for a night of innovation and entrepreneurship. Live streamed from Space Center Houston at http://www.conradawards.org/ and +SocialGood (http://www.plussocialgood.org/News), you are invited to join us for this one-night-only global event dedicated to finding ways to change the world. If you would like to do more than watch the big event, you are invited to host your own kick-off celebration by simulcasting our launch event from wherever you are in the world! With the help of launch toolkits available from the Conrad Foundation (http://www.conradawards.org/pages/launch-event), you can easily follow-up the live stream with a reception or brainstorm session to get your team generating their product ideas for the Spirit of Innovation Challenge.
Twitter Acquires Tech Training Company Marakana, Kicks Off Engineer Education Program
Twitter debuted its “Twitter University” initiative on Tuesday, essentially a way to help its engineering corps bulk up on technical skills through a series of in-house classes taught by Twitter employees. To that end, the company announced that it had acquired Marakana, a San Francisco-based company working on open-source training for engineers interested in developing new programming skills. For more information, please visit http://allthingsd.com/20130813/twitter-acquires-tech-training-company-marakana-kicks-off-engineer-education-program/.
Student Engagement and Information
The 2014 Luis W. Alvarez Postdoctoral Fellowship in Computing Sciences – Apply Now1
Applications Deadline - November 26, 2013 for Fall 2014
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory - Req #76146
Apply now for the Luis W. Alvarez Postdoctoral Fellowship in Computing Sciences, sponsored by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Computing Sciences Directorate. Researchers in computer science, applied mathematics or any computational science discipline who have received their Ph.D. within the last three years are encouraged to apply. The successful applicant will receive a competitive salary and excellent benefits. For more information, please visit https://lbl.taleo.net/careersection/2/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=76146 or http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?viewQuestionAndAnswers&discussionID=265557498&gid=1775643&trk=eml-anet_dig-b_jb-ttl-cn&fromEmail&ut=1-pJkySvAl45U1.
NEES REU – Call for Applications
Application Deadline – February 28, 2014
The George E. Brown Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) hosts a 10 week research experience for undergraduates at 8 large scale seismic testing facilities around the U.S. for upper division undergraduate students interested in Civil, Electrical or Computer Engineering, and other fields related to seismic risk mitigation. The NEES network includes state-of-the-art equipment to support physical simulations of earthquakes and tsunamis. Each participant will be assigned to an individual project that contributes to the goals of an existing NEES research project or to development of cyberinfrastructure tools and/or educational modules. Visit http://nees.org/education/for-students/reu-programhttp://nees.org/education/for-students/reu-program for more information and the application. .
Tapia Conference Travel Scholarships
February 5-8, 2014 – Seattle, Washington
Scholarship Deadline - September 12, 2013
The Tapia Conference provides scholarships for students (undergraduate/graduate), post-docs and a limited number for faculty. Scholarships include conference registration, meals during the conference, hotel accommodations, and a reimbursable travel stipend. Tapia scholarships are generously funded by government and industry organizations. The Scholarship Committee realizes that an applicant’s level of accomplishment in computer science will vary for different students, particularly graduate and undergraduate students; however, a commitment to pursuing a career in computer science is an important part of the Tapia Conference experience. As examples, grades, level research experience, and recommendation letters may each play a different role in indicating an applicant’s interest in growing in the discipline. For more information on how to apply, please visit http://tapiaconference.org/participate/scholarships.
Registration Opens for Sample Return Robot Challenge
June 11-14, 2014 – Worcester, Massachusetts
Registration Deadline – January 7, 2014
The competition is sponsored by NASA and managed by Worcester Polytechnic Institute of Worcester. "The objective of the competition is to encourage innovations in automatic navigation and robotic manipulator technologies that NASA could incorporate into future missions," said Michael Gazarik, NASA's associate administrator for space technology in Washington. "Innovations stemming from this challenge may improve NASA's capability to explore an asteroid or Mars, and advance robotic technology for use in industries and applications here on Earth." To win, a team must demonstrate a fully autonomous robot that can seek out samples and return them to a designated point within a set time period. Robots will be required to navigate over unknown terrain, around obstacles, and in varied lighting conditions without human control, or use of GPS, or other terrestrial navigation aids. For information about the Sample Return Robot Challenge rules, requirements, and how to register, please visit: http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?method=init&solId={A282D064-383A-8906-2956-A6D67CE2964D}&path=open.
Career Opportunities
Senior HPC Consultant and HPC Consultant
Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
Monash University is at the forefront of eResearch in Australia. There is an opportunity for a dynamic High Performance Computing (HPC) expert to help shape the next phase of the Monash research computing agenda. This role includes direct engagement with researchers to develop world class computing solutions, using existing and new capabilities as well as evolving the underpinning platforms, including HPC and cloud-based components. For more information, please visit http://www.linkedin.com/jobs?viewJob=&jobId=6810301&trk=job_nov.
On the Lighter Side - Computational News of Interest
Security Holes in Smartphone Apps
UC Davis News & Information
Popular Android apps have security flaws that could expose private information or allow forged fraudulent messages to be posted, according to University of California, Davis researchers. The researchers determined that the victim would first have to download a piece of malicious code, which could be disguised as or hidden in a useful app, onto their phone; the malicious code then would invade the vulnerable programs. The programs were left vulnerable because their developers inadvertently left parts of the code public that should have been locked up, says UC Davis researcher Dennis Xu. "It's a developer error," Xu says. "This code was intended to be private but they left it public." To read further, please visit . http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=10556.
Ahead of the Curve: But Bendable Screens Still Seek Breakthrough
Reuters
Screen technology is still dominated by liquid crystal displays (LCDs), which require backlight and sit between two sheets of glass, making the screen a major contributor to the weight of a device. "Most of the weight in a tablet is the glass structure in the display and the support structure around it to prevent it from cracking," says engineer Kevin Morishige. However, LCDs are being taken over by lighter organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) that do not need backlighting, offer a wider viewing angle, and better color contrast. Still, although glass is likely to continue to be a major factor in the display industry, future screens that users can bend, fold, and roll likely will be made out of plastic. OLED and plastic screens need barrier films to prevent their various layers from leaking oxygen and moisture. To read further, please visit http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/14/us-screens-bendable-idUSBRE93D01C20130414
