The TACC Summer Supercomputing Institute will provide researchers with an intensive introduction to TACC's computing resources.  The Institute is appropriate for all levels of researchers, faculty, staff, and graduate students, from new users of advanced computing technologies to those who have research projects requiring powerful computing, visualization, storage, or software. For more details and to apply online, please visit the XSEDE Training Calendar at https://www.xsede.org/web/xup/course-calendar.

Chronicle of Higher Education

Admissions deans have long described their work as a blend of art and science. Juan E. Gilbert has designed a tool to enhance the latter. Call it the diversity algorithm. The story began 10 years ago, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on the landmark admissions cases at the University of Michigan. After the decisions came down, Mr. Gilbert turned on CNN. Two commentators with opposing views of affirmative action were claiming victory. Both had it wrong, he thought. "They were saying race, gender, and national origin was the issue," says Mr. Gilbert, chairman of Clemson University's human-centered computing division. "But the issue has to do with capacity—there are more qualified applicants than available slots, so you're going to turn away someone who's qualified." To read further, please visit http://chronicle.com/article/Software-to-Enhance-Diversity/138789/

On May 1, Niall Gaffney joined TACC to lead and expand efforts in data intensive computing. Gaffney, a technologist with an astronomy background, will manage the center's "Big Data" strategy, which includes storage and storage systems; collections; data analytics; and architectures for data driven science and data intensive computing. To read further, please visit http://www.tacc.utexas.edu/news/press-releases/2013/new-director-of-data-intensive-computing.

University of Auckland

University of Auckland researchers say they have developed the world's most detailed 3D computer models of the heart's upper chambers. The researchers, led by Jichao Zhao, spent two years processing data from 700 thin image slices of the atria to use in their computer model. The model shows a detailed and realistic 3D image of the arrangement of muscle fibers throughout the heart's atrial chambers down to the cellular level. In order to achieve this, the researchers developed a suite of image-processing tools which enabled them to extract structural information from the images and examine the effects of the arrangement of muscle fibers on electrical signals in the atria. To read further, please visit http://www.abi.auckland.ac.nz/uoa/home/news/template/news_item.jsp?cid=557350

High school and undergraduate students are invited to spend a day immersing themselves in computational science research during the XSEDE13 conference’s Student Day on Wednesday, July 24, 2013. Participants will have the opportunity to meet peers with similar interests from across the country during a full day and evening featuring hands-on experiences, a bioinformatics panel discussion with national leaders, student-focused talks, a luncheon with researchers, a student poster session, an internship and job fair and a visualization showcase. An application form is available on the XSEDE13 Student Program website at https://www.xsede.org/web/xsede13/students. For more information, contact Ange Mason, San Diego Supercomputer Center Education and Outreach, at 858-534-5064 or amason@ucsd.edu.

July 17, 2013 - Boston, Massachusetts

Bootstrap is a free curriculum, targeted to students ages 12-16, which teaches them to program their own videogames using purely algebraic and geometric concepts. Our mission is to use students' excitement and confidence around gaming to directly apply algebra to create something cool.  Bootstrap has been integrated into math and technology classrooms across the US, and is aligned to Common Core Standards for Mathematics, as well as those for Mathematical Practice. For more information and to register, please visit http://www.bootstrapworld.org/workshops/.

Immersive Viz Bootcamp
June 12-14 2013- Laramie, Wyoming

Indiana University is leading a pair of bootcamps on Immersive Visualization software in conjunction with the Idaho National Lab, the University of Wyoming, and Kitware Inc. Registration is now open for the Western bootcamp to be held at U Wyoming in Laramie in the new Energy Innovation Center (EIC), using the brand new immersive visualization facilities of the School of Energy Resources (SER). The overall theme is a how-to session for open-source visualization software in VR (leaning toward CAVE-style) environments. For complete information, please visit http://iq-station.org/bootcamp.html.

The Argonne Training Program on Extreme-Scale Computing (ATPESC) provides intensive hands-on training on the key skills, approaches, and tools to design, implement, and execute computational science and engineering applications on current high-end computing systems and the leadership-class computing systems of the future. As a bridge to that future, this two-week program fills the gap that exists in the training computational scientists typically receive through formal education or other shorter courses.

HPC Happenings

Share STEM Day - May 9, 2013

CollegeWeekLive, the leading channel where students and colleges meet online, will be hosting STEM Day, a free online college fair scheduled for Thursday, May 9th from 2:00 to 10:00 PM EDT. This free virtual event offers high school students interested in science, technology, engineering, or math the opportunity to chat live online with college admissions representatives and current students at colleges which will be showcasing their institutions’ STEM departments, majors and research opportunities at the interactive virtual event. For more information and to sign up to attend this free even, please visit http://www.collegeweeklive.com/en_CA/Guest/STEM_DAY/refcode=NGO_WEB_NSDL_STEM13.

XSEDE13 Schedule Now Available Online

The schedule of tutorials, talks, birds-of-a-feather meetings, and more for XSEDE13 is now available online. XSEDE13, the annual conference focused on science, education, outreach, software, and technology related to the National Science Foundation's Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment, will bring together hundreds of scientists, technology experts, educators, and students July 22-25, 2013, at the Marriott Marquis & Marina in San Diego. Among the new activities planned for XSEDE13 is a weeklong robotics camp, on-site at the conference hotel, for students in grades 5-8. Ready, Set, Robotics! is offered as an option for attendees traveling with their children. There also are many off-site camps for children within a few miles of the hotel, including the San Diego Zoo, San Diego Children's Museum, and many museum camps in Balboa Park. For more about XSEDE13, visit https://www.xsede.org/web/xsede13/.

XSEDE 13 Student Day Applications Due May 15, 2013

High school and undergraduate students are invited to spend a day immersing themselves in computational science research during the XSEDE13 conference’s Student Day on Wednesday, July 24, 2013. Participants will have the opportunity to meet peers with similar interests from across the country during a full day and evening featuring hands-on experiences, a bioinformatics panel discussion with national leaders, student-focused talks, a luncheon with researchers, a student poster session, an internship and job fair and a visualization showcase. An application form is available on the XSEDE13 Student Program website at https://www.xsede.org/web/xsede13/students. For more information, contact Ange Mason, San Diego Supercomputer Center Education and Outreach, at 858-534-5064 or amason@ucsd.edu.

Immersive Viz Bootcamp
June 12-14 2013- Laramie, Wyoming

Indiana University is leading a pair of bootcamps on Immersive Visualization software in conjunction with the Idaho National Lab, the University of Wyoming, and Kitware Inc. Registration is now open for the Western bootcamp to be held at U Wyoming in Laramie in the new Energy Innovation Center (EIC), using the brand new immersive visualization facilities of the School of Energy Resources (SER). The overall theme is a how-to session for open-source visualization software in VR (leaning toward CAVE-style) environments. For complete information, please visit http://iq-station.org/bootcamp.html.

Broader Engagement Program at SC13
Submission Deadline -June 19, 2013

 

The Broader Engagement program at SC13 is accepting applications till June 19th. Competitive grants are available for travel to and participation in SC13 conference through this program. Consideration is given to applicants from groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in High Performance Computing (HPC), such as African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, women and people with disabilities. People in all computing-related disciplines - from research, education, and industry – are encouraged to apply. For additional information or questions about the BE program, please send an email to: be@info.supercomputing.org

XSEDE Partner News

Former Hubble scientist is TACC's New Director of Data Intensive Computing

On May 1, Niall Gaffney joined TACC to lead and expand efforts in data intensive computing. Gaffney, a technologist with an astronomy background, will manage the center's "Big Data" strategy, which includes storage and storage systems; collections; data analytics; and architectures for data driven science and data intensive computing. To read further, please visit http://www.tacc.utexas.edu/news/press-releases/2013/new-director-of-data-intensive-computing.

XSEDE Indianapolis Outreach Event
June 4-5, 2013 - Indianapolis, Indiana

XSEDE is conducting a planning meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana. The XSEDE staff would like to meet with current XSEDE users as well as people who are interested in learning more about XSEDE. We would like to inquire about your interests in meeting with XSEDE staff during this week, and ask for any recommendations of other individuals we should meet with in the Indianapolis region. Please take a moment to complete the simple survey online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XSEDE_Outreach_Indianapolis to help us plan.

TACC Hosts 7th Annual Summer Supercomputing Institute
July 8 - July 12, 2013 – Austin, Texas
Application Deadline – May 17, 2013

The TACC Summer Supercomputing Institute will provide researchers with an intensive introduction to TACC's computing resources.  The Institute is appropriate for all levels of researchers, faculty, staff, and graduate students, from new users of advanced computing technologies to those who have research projects requiring powerful computing, visualization, storage, or software. For more details and to apply online, please visit the XSEDE Training Calendar at https://www.xsede.org/web/xup/course-calendar.

Upcoming Conferences and Workshops.

The 2013 IEEE/ACM International Conference on Advances in Social Networks
Analysis and Mining (ASONAM 2013)
August 25-28, 2013 - Niagara Falls, Canada

The international conference on Advances in Social Network Analysis and Mining (ASONAM 2013) will primarily provide an interdisciplinary venue that will bring together practitioners and researchers from a variety of SNAM fields to promote collaborations and exchange of ideas and practices. ASONAM 2013 is intended to address important aspects with a specific focus on the emerging trends and industry needs associated with social networking analysis and mining. For more information, please visit http://asonam.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/index.php.

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 Conferences and Workshops

International Conference on Scientific Computing 2013 (CSC 2013) – Call for Submissions
December 3-6, 2013 - Paphos, Cyprus
Submission Deadline – September 30, 2013

The main objective is to highlight progress in a number of scientific areas for which HPC is essential. It targets the regional and international scientific community related to HPC and its applications in areas such as Medicine, Engineering, Climate Studies, Materials, Physics and Chemistry. The goal is to attract internationally renowned keynote speakers and to bring together around 150 scientists from Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean. For complete conference information and to register, please visit http://cyprusconferences.org/csc2013/.

Research Features From Across the Country and Around the World

TACC Journeys to the Limits of Spacetime

Voracious absences at the center of galaxies, black holes shape the growth and death of the stars around them through their powerful gravitational pull and explosive ejections of energy. "Over its lifetime, a black hole can release more energy than all the stars in a galaxy combined," said Roger Blandford, director of the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology and a member of the U.S. National Academy of Science. "Black holes have a major impact on the formation of galaxies and the environmental growth and evolution of those galaxies." To read further and to view a video, please visit http://www.tacc.utexas.edu/news/feature-stories/2012/journey-to-the-limits-of-spacetime.

Ames Physicists Nudge Electrons, Move Toward Crazy-Fast Computers
Live Science

Ames Laboratory researchers have nudged electrons to change their spin in just quadrillionths of a second, the fastest time ever achieved and a breakthrough that could lead to faster computer processing and storage. The research has implications for the development of spintronics technology, which relies on rapidly switching magnetic fields to control both the spin and the electrical charge of electrons to store data. "We may expect faster writing in hard drives and faster reading and writing in [computer memory] with even less power used," says Ames scientist Jigang Wang. The researchers shone super-short pulses of laser light on an unusual magnetic material, bumping the atoms in the material into an excited state and changing their spins. Their big breakthrough was being able to achieve this about a thousand times faster than current technology. Wang says the technology eventually could be used to show very fast high-definition movies. To read further, please visit http://news.yahoo.com/physicists-nudge-electrons-move-toward-crazy-fast-computers-193935936.html.

World’s Most Detailed 3D Computer Model of Heart Chambers
University of Auckland

University of Auckland researchers say they have developed the world's most detailed 3D computer models of the heart's upper chambers. The researchers, led by Jichao Zhao, spent two years processing data from 700 thin image slices of the atria to use in their computer model. The model shows a detailed and realistic 3D image of the arrangement of muscle fibers throughout the heart's atrial chambers down to the cellular level. In order to achieve this, the researchers developed a suite of image-processing tools which enabled them to extract structural information from the images and examine the effects of the arrangement of muscle fibers on electrical signals in the atria. To read further, please visit http://www.abi.auckland.ac.nz/uoa/home/news/template/news_item.jsp?cid=557350.

Educator Opportunities and Information

Bootstrap: Algebraic Videogame Programming
July 17, 2013 - Boston, Massachusetts

Bootstrap is a free curriculum, targeted to students ages 12-16, which teaches them to program their own videogames using purely algebraic and geometric concepts. Our mission is to use students' excitement and confidence around gaming to directly apply algebra to create something cool.  Bootstrap has been integrated into math and technology classrooms across the US, and is aligned to Common Core Standards for Mathematics, as well as those for Mathematical Practice. For more information and to register, please visit http://www.bootstrapworld.org/workshops/.

Online App Inventor Workshop for Educators
Beginning June 30, 3013

The College of St. Scholastica is pleased to announce that it will be offering a free 4-week online workshop on using Android App Inventor, supported through Google's CS4HS initiative (css.edu/cs4hs).  App Inventor is free software used through your browser to create cell phone apps by snapping together blocks of code (see demo at http://youtu.be/8ADwPLSFeY8).  It is an engaging and fun way to interest middle school, high school and college students in computing.  The workshop will begin on June 30th with a Getting Started unit on how to use the course tools and be followed by 4 weekly units on integrating App Inventor into curricula, finishing the last week of July.   Interested? Please see more details and register online at http://css.edu/cs4hs.

Creating Software to Enhance Diversit

 

Admissions deans have long described their work as a blend of art and science. Juan E. Gilbert has designed a tool to enhance the latter. Call it the diversity algorithm. The story began 10 years ago, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on the landmark admissions cases at the University of Michigan. After the decisions came down, Mr. Gilbert turned on CNN. Two commentators with opposing views of affirmative action were claiming victory. Both had it wrong, he thought. "They were saying race, gender, and national origin was the issue," says Mr. Gilbert, chairman of Clemson University's human-centered computing division. "But the issue has to do with capacity—there are more qualified applicants than available slots, so you're going to turn away someone who's qualified." To read further, please visit http://chronicle.com/article/Software-to-Enhance-Diversity/138789/.

Student Engagement and Information

Expanding the Pipeline: Hispanic Momentum in Computing
Computing Research News

With careers in computing topping the average U.S. growth rate, it is vital to boost the population of Hispanics who complete computing programs and acquire high-status, lucrative positions. A dearth of Hispanic faculty, role models, and mentors underscores Hispanics' underrepresentation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (CAHSI) was organized to reverse this trend through consolidation of the founding Hispanic-serving institutions' strengths, resources, and concerns. CAHSI's primary purpose is to mainstream mentoring and the construction of structured, academic networks for students that ready them for success in coursework from entry level through graduate school and, thereafter, into the STEM workforce. To read further, please visit http://cra.org/resources/crn-archive-view-detail/expanding_the_pipeline_hispanic_momentum_in_computing/.

Blazing The Trail For Female Programmers
NPR

has been the only woman on a team of computer programmers a few times in the more than two decades she has worked in the field. Most notably, she led the team — as the lone female programmer — that created Flash video, the dominant technology for streaming video on the Web. Since only about 20 percent of all programmers are women, her experience isn't uncommon, and now she's trying to bring more women into the field. A little over four years ago, Allen founded , which does design and development of software for mobile devices. The company's mix of 10 programmers and designers work with entrepreneurs and help them take an idea and turn it into software that works. To read further, please visit http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2013/04/29/178810467/blazing-the-trail-for-female-programmers. To listen to this story, please visit http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=178810467&m=179763245.

A New Wrinkle in Online Education
MIT News

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is offering i2.002, an online version of its core mechanical engineering course, 2.002, with search functionality that enables students to view videotaped lectures at specific moments when searched-upon concepts are mentioned. The online course includes videotaped lectures, recitations, and a discussion forum. “It’s like Googling your class,” says MIT professor Ken Kamrin. “It’s a clickable, searchable index of videos...something that might be considered as part of the next generation of textbooks.” Kamrin and MIT professor Pedro Reis created the i2.002 videotapes by recording the 2.002 lectures and organizing the videos with a tree of clickable topics and subtopics; this allows students to watch lectures sequentially or to search topics and watch related videos on that subject's “branch.” To read further, please visit http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2013/2002-mechanics-and-materials-online-0403.html.

Faculty News and Opportunities

NASA Accepting Proposals for NASA Innovations in Climate Education - Tribal (NICE-T) under EONS 2013-14 NASA Research Announcement
Notice of Intent Deadline - May 22, 2013.
Full Proposal Deadline - July 24, 2013.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Education is accepting proposals in response to the Education Opportunities in NASA STEM (EONS) 2013-14 NASA Research Announcement.  This new announcement is an umbrella announcement for opportunities under the Minority University Research and Education Program (MUREP)/ Eligibility Information: Proposals will be accepted from Tribal Colleges and Universities. NASA centers and other organizations may apply through partnership with the lead organization in some cases. For more information regarding this opportunity, please visit the EONS page on the NSPIRES website at http://go.nasa.gov/14So8d6.

2013 NASA EONS Solicitation
Proposal Deadline - July 24, 2013.

NASA's Office of Education is accepting new proposals under the Education Opportunities in NASA STEM (EONS) 2013 NASA Research Announcement. This is an umbrella announcement for opportunities under the Minority University Research and Education Program, or MUREP, and includes calls for proposals in the following program elements for FY 2013-2014:  Tribal Colleges and Universities Experiential Learning Opportunities (TCU ELO) and NASA Innovations in Climate Education – Tribal (NICE-T).  For more information regarding these opportunities, please visit the NASA EONS page on the NSPIRES website at http://go.nasa.gov/14So8d6.

Essay-Grading Software Offers Professors a Break
New York Times

The EdX consortium has unveiled automated software that grades student essays and short written answers using artificial intelligence, and it will freely offer the program online to any institution. EdX president Anant Agrawal expects the assessment tool to help students repeatedly take tests and write essays to improve the quality of their answers, enhancing the learning process with instant feedback. The tool requires human graders to first grade 100 essays or essay questions, and then employs various machine-learning methods to train itself to automatically grade any number of essays or answers almost instantly. The software assigns a grade according to the scoring system developed by the teacher, and provides general feedback. To read further, please visit http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/05/science/new-test-for-computers-grading-essays-at-college-level.html?_r=0.

Career Opportunities

Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth Seeks Summer Instructors
2013 Program Core Dates:
*     Session 1: June 20 - July 13, 2013
*     Session 2: July 13 - August 3, 2013

The Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth (CTY) is seeking instructors their summer programs. CTY offers challenging academic programs for highly talented elementary, middle, and high school students from across the country and around the world. They are currently seeking individuals with graduate course work and expertise in Computer Science related subjects:
*     Foundations of Programming (CMPS) (7th grade and above)
*     Fundamentals of Computer Science (FCPS)  (7th grade and above)
For detailed course descriptions, please visit: http://cty.jhu.edu/jobs/summer/courses/math_computer_science.html.
More Information
*     CTY summer programs: www.cty.jhu.edu/summer.
*     Instructor position (job description, terms of employment, desired qualifications): http://cty.jhu.edu/jobs/summer/positions/residential/instructor.html.
*     Employment with CTY: http://cty.jhu.edu/jobs/summer/.
Questions? Contact us at (410) 735-6185 or send questions and resumes to pedro.lozada@jhu.edu

Creative Software Developer
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory - Req # 75566

n the upcoming year, the Scientific Networking Division will embark on an important challenge: expanding its program in applied research, development and integration. With the vision to be a pioneer in developing innovative network technologies, the Division is seeking an exceptionally-competent, flexible and innovative software engineer that is willing to think beyond the conventional. We are working at the leading edge of software-defined networking, OpenFlow, dynamic network infrastructure, network visualization, network knowledge plane, multi-domain and multi-layer architectures. The successful candidate will be the one that brings strong and diverse coding skills, focus, and ability to work with a fast-paced team. For more information and to apply, please visit
https://lbl.taleo.net/careersection/2/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=75566,

On the Lighter Side _ Computational News of Interest

As Web Search Goes Mobile, Competitors Chip at Google’s Lead
New York Times

People increasingly want to use their mobile devices to find all types of information, which is fueling a shift in the nature of search. Consequently, Google and others are developing smarter search apps designed to generate more customized and relevant results. “What people want is, ‘You ask a very simple question and you get a very simple answer,’” says University of Washington professor Oren Etzioni. "We want to know the closest sushi place, make a reservation, and be on our way.” Google has changed its search model to display answers rather than just links if a person uses search terms such as “March Madness” or “weather.” In 2012, Google debuted the knowledge graph, which employs semantic search to comprehend and find meanings of and linkages among people, places, and things. To read further, please visit http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/04/technology/as-web-search-goes-mobile-apps-chip-at-googles-lead.html.

Bet You're a Liam--Software Puts Names to Faces
New Scientist

Cornell University researcher Andrew Gallagher believes it is possible to take an educated guess at someone's name with just one look at their face. Gallagher's team used tagged photos from the Flickr website to build up a database of named faces and then trained a computer to recognize the contributing factors. For example, Alejandras tend to have darker hair and skin than Heathers. The researchers tested the system using faces belonging to people with the top 100 names in the United States. Although the computer was only able to guess the correct name about 4 percent of the time, that mark is four times as good as the success rate achieved by random guesses and is about a third better than human guesswork. To read further, please visit http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21829116.300-bet-youre-a-liam--software-puts-names-to-faces.html

If there's one mandate that all IT and business professionals can agree on, it's the need for security. For the largest systems in the world, keeping IT assets safe presents a unique set of challenges. Take the NCSA Blue Waters supercomputer as an example. The machine must be open and accessible to a collaborative-leaning scientific community while guarding against malicious activity. The person in charge of this balancing act is Adam Slagell. As Chief Information Security Officer for the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) at the University of Illinois, Slagell is part of a team responsible for securing this massive resource. To read further, please visit http://www.hpcwire.com/hpcwire/2013-05-03/blue_waters:_security_at_scale.html.