INDUSTRY

The LSU Center for Computation & Technology, or CCT, will feature Ian Foster, director of the Computation Institute at Argonne National Laboratory and professor of computer science and mathematics at University of Chicago, as its distinguished lecturer. Foster will give a speech on “Scaling the e-Science Impact” at 11 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 27, in Room A101 of the Life Sciences Building Annex. Foster is known for his research on grid computing, which connects many computers together through a network for increased computational power to solve large-scale problems. By working collaboratively, these grids of computers can solve problems quickly and with greater accuracy than would be possible with a single computer. Foster’s research created a collection of software tools called Globus, which is considered the standard component to build such grids. As a result of his contributions in this area, Foster is often referred to as the “Father of Grid Computing.” Foster has received many national and international honors and awards recognizing his work, including the Lovelace Medal of the British Computer Society and the Gordon Bell Prize, one of the highest awards presented for high-performance computing. In his speech, Foster will focus on how scientists can transform the emerging field of high-performance computing by developing content that can be easily understood and used by all, rather than just scientists and computing specialists. For more information, please contact Kristen Meyer, CCT manager of public relations, at 225-578-3469.