Louisiana Board of Regents Receives NSF Award to Connect Xavier with LONI
The Louisiana Board of Regents received more than $1 million in a two-year National Science Foundation award to connect an additional university to the Louisiana Optical Network Initiative, or LONI, extending high-speed networking capabilities in state.
Through this funding, LONI, which is administered through the Louisiana Board of Regents, will provide connection points to the high-bandwidth network for Xavier University, a historically black university in New Orleans. LONI already connects six research universities in the state, the two LSU Health Sciences Centers in New Orleans and Shreveport, and four public universities in Mississippi.
“LONI already provides a strong foundation for the research institutions in our state, and we are pleased to enhance the network by adding a new university,” said Donald Vandal, LONI Executive Director. “Through this connection, Xavier will have unprecedented access to a high-speed optical network, allowing faculty, staff and students there to conduct research faster and more efficiently than relying on traditional network capabilities, which will ultimately make the university more competitive for grants and collaborative projects.”
This project is part of a $20 million program, funded through the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the federal stimulus package), which the National Science Foundation is administering through its Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, or EPSCoR. The foundation’s EPSCoR program helps states that traditionally have lacked strong cyberinfrastructure for research by providing federal funding to expand use of high-performance computing, high-speed networking, advanced software, data management tools, and other scientific computing technology.
Louisiana Board of Regents is one of 17 state higher education entities to receive funding through this program.The complete list of recipients is available on the National Science Foundation’s Web site at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=117391&org=NSF&from=news.
Pats on the Back:
• Professor Thomas Sterling was invited to present seminars at the Tokyo Institute of Technology and at University of Tokyo. At the Tokyo Institute of Technology, he also met with Professor Satoshi Matsuoka to engage in technical discussions about the future of HPC, and to discuss possible collaborations between LSU and Tokyo Institute of Technology.
• Dr. Susanne Brenner and Dr. Li-yeng Sung received an award from the National Science Foundation titled "Fast Interior Penalty Methods.” The award is in the amount of $300,951 over three years.
• Dr. Bijaya Karki received an award from the Louisiana Optical Network Initiative (LONI) titled "Visualization of Oil Spill Related Data.” The award is in the amount of $10,000 over two months.
• Professor Thomas Sterling was invited to attend the Department of Energy's IAA Workshop on Custom, Commodity and Co-Design in La Jolla, California Aug. 24-27. Sterling also visited with collaborators at the San Diego Supercomputing Center on this trip.
• Dr. Gabrielle Allen received an award from the Louisiana Optical Network Initiative (LONI) titled "Modeling and Visualizing the Effect of Severe Storms on Oil Spill Trajectories with the Cactus Framework and LONI.” The award is in the amount of $10,000 over two months.
CCT Welcomes:
• Alex Pacheco will be joining the HPC group as an IT Analyst 3 (CTSS/Scripting Administrator).
• Vamshi Samudrala will be joining the IT Help Desk group as an IT Analyst (Audio Visual User Services).
CCT in the News:
LSU Research Group Part of DARPA Project to Create Advanced Computing Systems
Source: HPC Wire
ARRA Funds Bolster Broadband Access and Improve Connectivity among Institutions to Strengthen Scientific Collaborations
Source: National Science Foundation
LSU To Participate in DARPA UHPC
Source: insideHPC
NSF awards $20M to jazz up university research networks
Source: Network World
Please Note:
• Please plan to attend the All CCT Meeting Wednesday, Sept. 1, at 1:30 p.m. in 338 Johnston. This meeting is to welcome everyone to the new semester and catch up on accomplishments that occurred during the summer months. If you have any news to share at this meeting regarding research, new employees, grant funding, or anything else you'd like to share, please send this to Debra Waters at debra@cct.lsu.edu.
• The Red Stick International Animation Festival has partnered with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra (BRSO) to host a performance of the popular, interactive touring concert Video Games Live on Saturday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m. in the Baton Rouge River Center Arena. This will be the closing event of the sixth annual festival, which will take place Nov. 10-13, 2010. Video Games Live tickets go on sale Wednesday, Sept. 1 through the River Center ticket office at http://brrivercenter.com. Ticket prices range from $23 to $73 per person, depending on seating. Produced by renowned video game composer Tommy Tallarico, Video Games Live is the largest and most successful concert of its kind worldwide, having played in venues on five continents. The performance BRSO and Red Stick will host is the first time a Video Games Live show will take place in Baton Rouge. In this show, the symphony will perform alongside exclusive game footage synchronized to music and lights on giant interactive screens, with live-action stage performers, special effects and a synchronized laser show. Some audience members will join the orchestra onstage and play video games. There will be a pre-show meet-and-greet event at 5:30 p.m. for all ticket holders.
• The 2011 application for National Science Foundation East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students is now available: www.nsfsi.org. This is a flagship international fellowship program for developing the next generation of globally engaged U.S. scientists and engineers knowledgeable about the Asian and Pacific regions. Fellows are supported to participate in eight-week research experiences at host laboratories in Australia, China, Japan (10 weeks), Korea, New Zealand, Singapore and Taiwan from June to August. The program provides a $5,000 summer stipend, round-trip airfare to the host location, living expenses abroad, and an introduction to the society, culture, language, and research environment of the host location. The deadline for the application is November 10, 2010. The program is intended for U.S. graduate students pursuing studies in fields supported by the National Science Foundation. Women, minorities, and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. Applicants must be enrolled in a research-oriented master's or Ph.D. program and be U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents by the application deadline date. Should you have any questions, please contact the EAPSI Help Desk by email at eapsi@nsfsi.org or by phone at 1-866-501-2922.
• Prior approval is required for Special Meal Requests. Employees who make meal purchases without prior approvals may find that they must cover the cost of any monies spent for an unapproved event out of pocket, especially now that state funds are under a spending freeze. Please contact Susie Poskonka (susie@cct.lsu.edu) prior to any special meal with visitor(s) to file the appropriate request for approval. Prior approval could take up to one week, so please plan accordingly.
• LSU Day, a celebration of the University’s sesquicentennial anniversary that highlights the various research and education accomplishments of different areas of campus, will take place on Saturday, Nov. 13 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., concurrent with LSU Homecoming. At LSU Day, CCT will host a “Visualize This!” exhibit showcasing student research projects and visualization work in the LSU Union computer laboratory. Additionally, the Red Stick International Animation Festival will provide a Best of the Fest reel to screen for audiences in the Union Theatre, and Professor Rudy Hirschheim will perform with Capital Gains, a band comprised of faculty from the E.J. Ourso College of Business. If you would like to participate, please contact CCT PR Manager Kristen Sunde at ksunde@cct.lsu.edu.
• The fall 2010 training schedule is available for you to view. Training will be held on Wednesdays from 1-3 p.m. in 338 Johnston Hall and on the Access Grid this semester. The first training will be on Wednesday, Sept. 8 from 1-3 p.m. in 338 Johnston Hall on Introduction to HPC: account allocation and management. To register, visit: http://www.hpc.lsu.edu/training/tutorials/index.php#fall2010-introhpc . If you have any questions or suggestions email Kathy Traxler at ktraxler@cct.lsu.edu.
• Supercomputing Conference 2010 Information and Deadlines:
o NOTE: CCT has rooms remaining in the center’s SC10 reservation block at the Hampton Inn (Ernest N. Morial Convention Center). These rooms are $175/night. If you wish to reserve one of these rooms for your stay at SC10, please contact Karen Jones at kjones@cct.lsu.edu as soon as possible.
o Follow SC10 with social media to get the latest news, information, and deadlines -- Twitter @ SuperComputing; Facebook group: SC10.
o The 3rd Annual SC10 Student Job Fair will take place during the conference from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov.17. Exhibitors should confirm participation in the SC10 Student Job Fair by Tuesday, Aug. 31. Please contact Yolanda Rankin at student-job-fair@info.supercomputing.org or yarankin@us.ibm.com with the name of your organization and your representative(s).
o SC conference attendees are welcome to attend Broader Engagement and Education Program sessions and presentations, including attendees who only have exhibit badges. SC10 also is introducing new registration categories for conference attendees who would wish to participate in associated meals, catered events, or receive program logo merchandise. For more information or to sign up for these programs, please visit:
Registration: http://sc10.supercomputing.org/?pg=registration.html
Broader Engagement: http://sc10.supercomputing.org/?pg=broadeng.html
Education: http://sc10.supercomputing.org/?pg=edprog.html
• Please remember to send your news concerning grants, awards, conferences, or other pertinent information to PR Manager Kristen Sunde at ksunde@cct.lsu.edu.
• Follow CCT with social media to access photos and see news, events or updated information. These pages are public; you do not need an account to view the information.
o Facebook group : LSU Center for Computation & Technology
o Twitter : LSUCCT
o YouTube channel : LSUCCT
Upcoming Grant Deadlines:
Note: Please check the CCT deadline Web site, since it is updated daily.
Expeditions in Computing
September 10 2010 10:00 am
At Least $ 10,000,000.00 available
CISE Cross-Cutting Programs: FY 2011
December 17 2010 10:00 am
At Most $ 3,000,000.00 available
Publish Date:
08-31-2010
