ACADEMIA

The Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC) together with the Pittsburgh Technology Council will present "An Introduction to High Performance Computing: A Symposium for Regional Industry" on Friday, April 20 at the Sheraton Station Square. The event will showcase high-performance computing (HPC) technology as a tool for innovation in small- to medium-sized businesses. The Council and PSC together invite western Pennsylvania business and technology entrepreneurs to participate. Keynote speaker for the half-day symposium (which includes lunch) is Suzy Tichenor, vice-president and HPC project director for the Council on Competitiveness (CoC), a national organization of CEOs, university presidents and labor leaders committed to promoting U.S. economic growth. "The emergence of supercomputing tools has been and will be a powerful enabler for increased innovation and productivity," says Steven Zylstra, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Technology Council. "A critical challenge now is to bring HPC and all of its benefits to our small- and medium-sized businesses." "There's wide research and experience to show that information technology is transformational in many industries," says PSC outreach manager Cheryl Begandy, "and the Council on Competiveness sees computation as a key to success in the global market. Its 'High-Performance Computing Systems Initiative' aims to harness HPC across the private sector." Zylstra, a member of the CoC (as are Carnegie Mellon University President Jared Cohon and University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Mark Nordenberg), and PSC executive director Beverly Clayton, member of the CoC HPC Advisory Committee, organized the April 20 symposium to introduce the capabilities and benefits of HPC to companies in western Pennsylvania. This symposium will include industry-specific breakout sessions in life science, materials/manufacturing, and service sector/technology. Presenters along with Tichenor include Zylstra, scientific director Ralph Roskies and others from PSC, along with speakers from Burt Hill, MEDRAD, PPG and others. The symposium is sponsored by ANSYS, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC and Highmark. To register, call: 412.918.4229 More information: its Web site See Steven Zylstra's article "Computing Powerhouse!" in the December 2006 issue of TEQ Magazine: its Web site