STEM-Trek News

By: C1C Anna Little, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Have you ever looked around the room and noticed the scarcity of female colleagues? U.S. Air Force Academy cadets have taken note of how few women there are in our undergraduate classrooms – especially in computing. That is why the Rocky Mountain Celebration of Women in Computing (RMCWiC’22) conference was a welcome change for Tia Kolakowski, Jenna Breeden, me and Alison Thompson (above, from left) who were able to attend thanks to STEM-Trek and RMCWiC’22.  

Air Force Cadet Anna Little with her poster

This September conference in Boulder, Colorado, was modeled after the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing – only on a smaller scale – to provide networking and learning opportunities for university …

Agenda:

Friday, November 11, 4-7 p.m. Dallas Convention Center Room A302/303

Welcome – Elizabeth Leake (Boise State University).

Distribute affinity gear and introductions.

Pete Beckman (Argonne) – Description of program presented on Saturday.

Isango – Elizabeth Leake. Composable, mobile and affordable compute platform.

Saturday, November 12, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. same room:

10 a.m. to 12 noon: Shawana Johnson (Global Marketing Insights, Inc.) – Satellite engagement – presentation followed by flash talks, and a panel with “Postcard” submitters – Dr. Johnson and others will advise on the topics of remote, edge-related compute and data challenges. Postcards From the Edge 5-minute lightning talks (delegates will share edge challenges).

10-11 p.m. Keynote by Dr. Mary-Jane Bopape (South African EON)

11-12 p.m. Shawana Johnson – Satellite integration specialist.

Noon to 1 p.m.: Lunch (on your own; bring it back to the room to eat)

1-2:30 p.m.: Postcard flash talks and …

By Cesar Cardenas Ruiz (Virginia Tech)

Cesar Cardenas Ruiz (Virginia Tech)

PEARC22 in Boston was the first time I have attended a high-tech conference. I’m not a computer scientist or researcher – I’m in a different engineering field. However, I realized a long time ago that it is important and necessary to learn about data science and analytics. I have a strong interest in high performance computing (HPC), and significant experience with scientific simulation. I was eager to learn all that I could. 

I attended talks where I learned about recent and novel developments in the field. Industry representatives participated in the student program speed networking event. I spoke with a representative from a national laboratory about my PhD research, and we discussed …

By Antorip Sahu (Virginia Tech)

Antorip Sahu (VT)

I was super-excited when I was selected as a student volunteer for PEARC22. Finally, I would be travelling to Boston! The cherry on top was our venue: the iconic Boston Park Plaza Hotel.

On July 10, there was a student program orientation session. We were given the necessary information for student volunteer duties and sessions that we were scheduled to attend. At the end of the orientation, we got a walking tour of the conference rooms in the hotel. I have to say that it was quite confusing to find one’s way through the labyrinthine architecture of the hotel. After this session, we …

Carlie Oakenshield (Southwest Oklahoma State University)

I’m writing this two weeks since returning from PEARC22 and I still don’t have the words to describe the event properly, but I guess it’s time to try.

I landed in the world of high-performance computing (HPC) quite by accident. At my small university, SWOSU, we don’t have a true HPC department. However, we do have one professor who is passionate about making computers, specifically clusters, run as fast as possible. After having Dr. Jeremy Evert, the professor I just described, for two computer science classes, he alluded to the need of another student worker. I was conveniently looking for work and inquired further. The only description of HPC work I would be doing, was his statement, “I need a student who wants to make big computers talk, and FAST.” After being encouraged to do anything other than take him up on his offer, …

By Dinuka De Silva (Indiana University)

Dinuka De Silva

I’m glad I received financial support to attend the PEARC22 conference through the student program. Being an international student from Sri Lanka, and having come for higher studies during the pandemic, it’s not easy to socialize and network with others. So, it was an exciting opportunity for me!

I’m glad I received financial support to attend the PEARC22 conference through the student program. Being an international student from Sri Lanka, and having come for higher studies during the pandemic, it’s not easy to socialize and network with others. So, it was an exciting opportunity for me!

First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to Prof. Marlon for encouraging me to …

By Praneeth Chityala (Indiana University)

I am currently pursuing master’s in computer science at Indiana University Bloomington. I was accepted to the Student Program at PEARC’22 conference. I received a STEM-Trek award and National Science Foundation support for the conference fee and lodging. Below is my experience at PEARC’22 as part of the student program.

To start with, it was my first ever in-person conference, and I could say that after attending the student program, I will definitely pursue these opportunities again in the future. I could break down the perks of student program into three major takeaways as described below:

Networking is something that I have enjoyed throughout the conference. There were networking events with co-students, organizers and corporate recruiters. I was able to meet a wide range of people from different backgrounds. I could learn and expand the length and breadth of my knowledge through interactions with many …

By Janet Jiang (Trinity University), in the above photo with Elizabeth Leake (STEM-Trek/Boise State University).

For my first conference, I would say that I enjoyed every bit of the PEARC22 Student Program! It was my first time in Boston, first time to board an airplane alone, first time to ride on public transportation, and many more firsts. PEARC22 broadened my horizons in many new ways.

Granted, I had a steep learning curve once I arrived learning how to navigate airport shuttles and the train; generally feeling out of my element in a city that is quite different from my hometown. Nonetheless, even with COVID-19 precautions, this conference was completely enjoyable.

As an undergrad with little high-performance computing (HPC) experience, I didn’t know what to expect. I had been advised by mentors at my university to network, explore the wide range of computationally-intensive research that is presented at the conference, …

by Ruth Hammond, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

The best things a student can do for their career are (1) Connect with a dedicated mentor, (2) Learn how to network both vertically and horizontally, and (3) Expand your knowledge by learning new skills. At PEARC22, I had the amazing opportunity to do all three through the Student Program! 

I originally applied to the program because I had an interest in high-performance computing (HPC) but was unsure of how to pursue a career in the field. I was very nervous about attending the conference because I felt that my background was a bit untraditional – my major is Mechanical Engineering and my school, which is an excellent engineering institution, does not have many HPC resources due to its small size. 

However, the PEARC22 Student Program was very welcoming and encouraging toward students from non-traditional backgrounds. There were students from a variety of …

By Janei Elliston (Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University; FAMU)

In the latter part of the Spring 2022 semester, my research professor in my Computer Science Master’s program encouraged me to apply for the Practice & Experience in Advanced Research Computing (PEARC22) Conference Student Program, July 10-14. Prior to this, I had no idea about this conference. For context, I was a Mathematics major as an undergraduate student and completed one year of graduate study in an Applied Mathematics Ph.D. program before deciding to switch to Computer Science. Since then, I have been exposed to innovative technologies and programs, and PEARC22 was the first lens through which I could see the computing world with professionals and students sharing a common interest in High-Performance Computing (HPC).

Thankfully, my application for the student program was accepted and I also received a STEM-Trek award. That meant that all fees for the conference, travel and …