Using advanced computational resources to push the scientific frontiers is not simply a matter of providing cycles and/or storage. There needs to be a path forward for both the advanced and the more novice user. In this talk we illustrate how the NSF’s XSEDE program provides this support via its Extended Collaborative Support Services (ECSS) which enables researchers throughout the nation to more effectively use NSF’s advanced computing resources. ECSS reaches out to communities that have not traditionally been users of advanced computing, and provides interfaces that allow them to access high end resources without having to become programmers but without neglecting support for more advanced practitioners. We will provide several examples of notable successes on both fronts.
NSCI Committee
Gaithersburg, Bldg. 221, Room B145: 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
VTC to Boulder Room 2-0113
Nancy Wilkins-Diehr leads several National Science Foundation awards. She is a co-PI with Ralph Roskies on the XSEDE program where Nancy and Ralph co-direct the Extended Collaborative Support Service program. Nancy is the PI on the NSF Science Gateways Community Institute and on the Comet supercomputer award at SDSC. She received her Bachelor's degree from Boston College in Mathematics and Philosophy and her Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering from San Diego State University. She has been with SDSC since 1993 and has held a variety of management positions. Prior to that she held engineering positions with General Atomics and General Dynamics in San Diego.
Ralph Roskies is Professor of Physics at the University of Pittsburgh and a founder and Co-Scientific Director of the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC). He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society. In physics, his field was elementary particle theory, where he published about 70 papers. In 1984, together with Professor Michael Levine of Carnegie Mellon University and James Kasdorf from Westinghouse, he developed the proposal to the National Science Foundation for what became the PSC. As Scientific Director, Roskies oversees operations, plans its future course, and concerns himself with its scientific impact. The PSC has been a national leader in providing the highest capability computing to the US national research community. With support from the NSF, NIH, DOE and other agencies, PSC has enabled important new insights in such diverse fields as storm modeling, structure and function of proteins, turbulence, earthquake modeling, genomics and artificial intelligence. PSC has pioneered developments in file systems, heterogeneous computing, parallel algorithms and scientific visualization. Roskies is also co-PI on NSF’s XSEDE project, which integrates NSF’s advanced computing resources and services, makes them easier to use, and helps more people use them. In particular, with Nancy Wilkins Diehr, he oversees the Extended Collaborative Support Services (ECSS) which provides collaboration to help researchers use the NSF resources more efficiently. ECSS has been called the crown jewel of the XSEDE program.
Outside attendees need to contact Barry Schneider in order to obtain the site badges required to enter NIST grounds and to attend the seminar. 24 hour notice is required for US citizens and 3 days for non-US citizens. Please contact bis [at] nist.gov (bis[at]nist[dot]gov) to be added to the visitor list. Visitors must check in at the NIST Visitor Center to pick up their badges. A photo ID is required for US citizens and a passport or green card for foreign nationals. There is also the possibility of viewing the seminar as a webcast. Again, please contact Barry Schneider for details preferably by email.