INDUSTRY

BALTIMORE - SC2002's student volunteer program will offer students backstage passes to conference events while providing essential support for the meeting's administration. This year's conference, with the theme "From Terabytes to Insights," will convene Nov. 16-22 at the Baltimore Convention Center. While interacting with leaders in high performance computing and networking, student volunteers assist with SCinet (the conference's high performance network), exhibit set-up, registration, media relations, audiovisual equipment set-up, and a number of other functions. Apart from those assignments, student volunteers can attend technical presentations and hands-on tutorials. "Student volunteers interact with the conference organizers and presenters and meet other students from all over the world," said Phoebe Lenear, co-chair of student volunteers for the SC2002 planning committee. "Student volunteers have the opportunity to see and discuss the latest high-performance networking and computing technology and meet leading researchers from around the world while contributing to the success of this annual event." For SC2002, 176 students applied to the volunteer program and 75 were selected to participate. This year's volunteers constitute a particularly diverse group, according to Lenear. Thirteen different nationalities are represented and more than half of the students selected are women. Several students from minority serving institutions and Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) states are also participating. In exchange for 20 to 25 hours of service to the conference, the volunteers receive free conference registration, housing, most meals, conference goodies, and inclusion in conference social activities. Student volunteers will also be encouraged to participate in this year's Student Days program. This new program is two days, Wednesday, Nov. 20 and Thursday, Nov. 21, dedicated to the conference's student participants. The SC2002 Education Committee added Students Days to its education program to give students a first-hand opportunity to learn about high performance computing and opportunities within the field. The students will meet with educators, aresearchers, administrators, and potential employers.