MANUFACTURING

Creating novel solutions to many real-world problems requires breakthroughs in high-performance computing (HPC). As a result, the area of HPC continues to grow in its application to key areas of science and engineering as well as in the advancement of the technology itself.

Recognizing the need to advance and coordinate research and education activities in the field of HPC, the Georgia Institute of Technology has established the Georgia Tech Institute for Data and High Performance Computing (IDH).

“As we look to high performance computing to drive breakthroughs in science, health, energy and other industries, leveraging Georgia Tech’s strongest assets — world class researchers in computing, experts across nearly every problem domain, and low barriers to collaboration — is what will set us apart,” said Mark Allen, senior vice provost for research and innovation at Georgia Tech. “The creation of the Institute for Data and High Performance Computing provides the organizational foundation to harness our strategic capabilities and attack the most challenging problems that face society today.”

A key mission of IDH will be to enhance Georgia Tech’s scientific contributions, reputation and impact, focusing on the exploitation of HPC technology coupled with the development of novel computational methods. The institute will promote the development of software and tools to enhance multidisciplinary research and enable discovery and innovation. In addition, it will work closely with Georgia Tech’s Office of Information Technology to ensure effective, faculty-driven governance concerning the acquisition and use of HPC resources on campus.

Ron Hutchins, chief technology officer for Georgia Tech, will ensure effective, faculty-driven governance concerning the acquisition and use of HPC resources on campus for the new Georgia Tech Institute for Data and High Performance Computing. (Click image for high-resolution version. Credit: Jennifer Tyner)

The institute’s interim director will be Richard Fujimoto, Regents professor and head of the School of Computational Science & Engineering in the College of Computing. One important objective for Fujimoto will be to focus on developing innovations made in computational methods into useable tools and software to advance research in the application domain. Creating computational tools that provide value to application researchers and can be exported beyond the Georgia Tech campus provides a critical avenue to maximize the impact of Georgia Tech research innovations.

“Georgia Tech has made substantial infrastructure and personnel investments in high performance computing, and achieved many important successes, over the last five years,” said Fujimoto. “I fully anticipate that IDH will enable us to advance beyond prototypes to new levels of accomplishment in the high performance computing area.”

Key participants in the preliminary groundwork leading to the creation of the institute include David Bader, professor in the College of Computing, and Ron Hutchins, chief technology officer for Georgia Tech. Their expertise and community-building activities helped bring together the various Georgia Tech constituencies with interests in the HPC area, and they will remain active players in IDH as it develops and grows.

The Georgia Tech Institute for Data and High Performance Computing will begin operation immediately.

For more information about Georgia Tech’s activities in HPC, visit http://hpc.gatech.edu.