Beowulf Boot Camp for Louisiana High School Students, BRCC Students, & Louisiana Teachers
July 7-11, 2014
Louisiana State University
Registration Closed. Click here to visit the 2015 camp page.
The LSU Center for Computation & Technology (CCT) will host the seventh Beowulf Boot Camp, July 7-11, on the LSU campus. This exciting course offers students and teachers a unique opportunity to work with advanced research technology not usually available in a typical classroom setting.
During Beowulf Boot Camp 2014, students will work hands-on with a number of LSU professors as they learn how to build and use supercomputers. Regular participants include: Dr. Steven Brandt, a computational scientist in the CCT who specializes in programming; Dr. Jim Chen who studies hurricanes, tsunamis, and coastal science; Dr. Brygg Ullmer, who's work in genetics has been featured in Nature; Dr. Peter Diener, who uses supercomputers to simulate colliding black holes; and when available, Dr. Thomas Sterling, a former NASA scientist who invented the Beowulf supercomputing cluster.
Students will engage in the following activities:
• building a computer cluster from scratch
• installing the Linux operating system on the computer they've built
• connecting computers put together by their peers to make a mini-supercomputer
• learning how to program a mini-supercomputer in parallel with Python
• interactive activities to help understand how Parallel computing works in Supercomputing
• running performance benchmarks to determine how your cluster ranks in comparison with the fastest and largest supercomputers in the world.
WHO: Louisiana High School Students, BRCC* Students, and Louisiana Teachers
*BRCC = Baton Rouge Community College
Priority will be given based on the best essays. In the event that essays are of relatively equal quality, priority will be given to the earliest submitted. **Teachers are exempt from essays.
This camp is introductory so students do not need a strong computational science background to participate. Some knowledge of programming a plus.
Note to Teachers: The content of this workshop is eligible for up to 25 hours of CLUs (Continuing Learning Units). Participants must complete the entire course for the full 25 hours. With the certificate and the agenda from the workshop, participants should apply to their parish school board for CLU credits. An individual's school district gives final approval for awarding of CLUs.
For more information on the Beowulf Boot Camp and its curriculum, click here for a sample itinerary.
REGISTRATION & COSTS: Registration is now closed. (After submission, you will be contacted when a decision has been decided as to your acceptance--this could take several weeks.) To be placed on the first call list for next year's camp, email kjones@cct.lsu.edu.
This camp is free to qualified participants. CCT will provide workspace, parking accommodations and meals during the camp, but participants are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from LSU’s campus. The CCT can assist with dorm rooms at no cost to participants if needed for those outside of the Baton Rouge and surrounding areas. Please contact Karen Jones, LSU CCT, at 225-578-0595, or by e-mail: kjones@lsu.edu if you need to make these arrangements.
WHERE: Louisiana State University, Digital Media Center, 340 East Parker Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70803. Map it!
DONATIONS: Mail donations, payable to: LSU Foundation (for: CCT Beowulf Camp) to: LSU Center for Computation & Technology, Attn: Karen Jones, Digital Media Center Room #1045, Baton Rouge, LA 70803.
SPONSORS: