Flagship Cluster Hiring Initiative

Flagship Cluster Hiring InitiativeComputational Science:Advancing Research, Societyand the Economy

Gabrielle Allen (PI)Thomas Sterling (Presenter/co-PI)Department of Computer ScienceCenter for Computation & Technology

Computational Science: Advancing Research, Society and the Economy, External Review, March 29th 2007

The Computational Science Cluster

• Computational science: new “third pillar” of science andengineering; revolutionizing research, education andeconomic development

• LSU has built strong, close-knit program (collaboration ofCCT, CS, ECE, Math); can be world-class

• Recruit 8 top faculty in computational science to LSU; buildone of the strongest and most visible groups in the nation

• Support and promote computational research effortsacross LSU: coastal science, physical sciences,engineering, arts & humanities; all disciplines impacted

• Leverage CCT and State initiatives, enhance economicdevelopment, contribute to computational sciencecurriculum


Principal Investigators• Gabrielle Allen, Associate Professor, Computer Science• Stephen D. Beck, Professor, Music• Susanne Brenner, Professor, Mathematics• Daniel S. Katz, Associate Research Professor, ECE• J. Ramanujam, Professor, ECE• Thomas Sterling, Professor, Computer Science• Key additional faculty: Acharya (Mechanical Engineering), Baumgartner

(Computer Science), Chen (Chemistry), Chen (Civil Engineering), Hirschheim(Information Systems and Decision Sciences), Karki (Computer Science),Koppelman (Electrical & Computer Engineering), Kosar (Computer Science),Lipton (Mathematics), Newcomer (Biological Sciences), Park (ComputerScience), Pullin (Physics & Astronomy), Tohline (Physics & Astronomy),Twilley (Oceanography and Coastal Science), Ullmer (Computer Science),White (Petroleum Engineering)


True Campus-Wide Initiative

CompSci Cluster driven by22 Faculty; 12 Departments; 6 Colleges


PITAC Report SummaryCompSci Cluster Responds

“Computational science -- the use ofadvanced computing capabilities tounderstand and solve complexproblems -- is critical to scientificleadership, economic competitiveness,and national security. It is one of themost important technical fields of the21st century because it is essential toadvances throughout society.”

“Universities must significantly changeorganizational structures:

multidisciplinary & collaborativeresearch are needed [for US] to remain

competitive in global science”


Cluster Objectives

• Build the strongest and most viablecomputational science group in thecountry

• A catalyst for breakthroughcomputational research in many otherareas important for LSU:

• Coastal & Environmental Modeling• Material Science & Biological Computing• Astrophysics• Petroleum Engineering• Business and Financial Modeling• Arts and Humanities

• Contribute to statewide economicdevelopment and education


Proposed Cluster Hires

• 5 International Leaders and 3 Junior hires• Areas strategically chosen for maximum strength• Departments chosen as appropriate; cross

appointments likely; all affiliated with CCT


Core Computational Science: Gabrielle Allen

Building on CCT Advances inComputational Sciences

ScientificComputing(Katz, ECE)

DistributedSystems

(Allen, CS)

ComputationalMathematics

(Brenner, Math)

Visualization(Ullmer, CS)

Coast to Cosmos (C2C) Joel TohlineNumerical Relativity

& Astrophysics(Tohline, Physics)

EngineeringApplications

(White, PetEng)

Coast &Environment

(Twilley, SCE)

Human & Social World (HSW): Steve BeckEmerging

Applications(Beck, Music)

Technology Adoption(Hirshheim, ISDS)

Material World: Jorge PullinMaterials Biology

(Jha, CCT)

Pro

ject

s, P

rogr

ams,

Initi

ativ

es

Director: Ed Seidel





DistributedSystems

(Allen, CS)


(Brenner, Math)





(White, PetEng)

Coast &Environment

(Twilley, SCE)





(Jha, CCT)

Pro

ject

s, P

rogr

ams,

Initi

ativ

es

Director: Ed Seidel

Coastal Forecasting





DistributedSystems

(Allen, CS)


(Brenner, Math)





(White, PetEng)

Coast &Environment

(Twilley, SCE)





(Jha, CCT)

Pro

ject

s, P

rogr

ams,

Initi

ativ

es

Director: Ed Seidel

Gamma-ray burst


Building on Success

• Rapid growth of CCT; just 3 years bring many newstrengths in CS, ECE, math, science, digital artsdisciplines– CS Dept dramatically strengthened

• New funding & proposals catalyzed through CCT– $50M LONI State project– $17M LBRN NIH– $12M NSF; $4M DOE EPSCOR projects– $70M NSF Track 2 proposals, $5M HPCOPS,

involvement in $500M Track 1 proposals– Many grants enabled by CCT collaborations, programs


NSF Blue Ribbon PanelSimulation-based Engineering Science Report

“Researchers and educators [agree]:computational and simulationengineering sciences are fundamentalto the security and welfare of the UnitedStates...We must

• overcome difficulties inherent in multiscalemodeling, the development of next-generationalgorithms, and the design...of dynamic data-driven application system…

• determine better ways to integrate data-intensive computing, visualization, andsimulation.

• overhaul our educational system to fosterinterdisciplinary study...

The payoffs for meeting thesechallenges are profound.”

ref: www.nsf.gov/pubs/reports/sbes_final_report.pdf


Contributing to LSU Flagship Agenda

Recruit interdisciplinary faculty toLSU who will have broad impactacross the campus

Increase LSU ability to securelarge federal funding

LSU will be a center of excellencefor IT and its applications

Promoting research excellence in areas important forLouisiana

New program will attract the best undergrads, graduatestudents, postdocs and faculty to LSU

Build new interdisciplinary educational programs incomputational science and associated fields


Leveraging State Investments• Vision 20/20

– $25M annual IT investmentacross 5 campuses

– CCT: catalyzing changeacross LSU and State

• LONI– $50M optical network and

computing environment– $30M PKSFI LONI Institute

proposal supported by 6campuses; led by LSUfaculty through CCT

• Other Cluster proposals– CompSci Cluster impacts all

other proposals, makes themstronger

With this CompSci clusterLSU will maintain and

build on a strongleadership role in theState in informational

technology andcollaborative

computational sciences.


Raising National Profile of LSU

Already have distinguished ComputationalScience faculty: e.g. 2006 IEEE SidneyFernbach; 3 Gordon Bell Prize winners;

dozens of keynote speakers, etc.

Build on internationally visibleprojects: e.g. Cactus, SAGA,Stork/Condor, GridSphere,HARC, EnLIGHTened,SCOOP, Phosphorous

Leverage our leadership in high impactinitiatives: e.g. SURA, LONI, NSF Track

I/II & connections to leading universities &labs to capitalize on opportunities, e.g.

LIGODelta Consortium


Educating our Future Workforce

• We are committed to developing acoherent computational sciencescurriculum at LSU.– New interdisciplinary courses in IGERT– New HD course on HPC

• LSU will play a national role inComputing Education

“The number of graduates fromcomputational science programs is

inadequate to meet even current demand’’,“New structures, programs, and institutional

incentives are urgently required.”- PITAC Report 2005


Economic ImpactCouncil on Competitiveness & PITAC Reports

“In the marketplace, computational science provides acompetitive edge by transforming business andengineering practices”

“The overwhelming majority [of businesses] saidcomputational science was not only beneficial but also

essential to company survival”

“A dearth of qualified computational scientists was asignificant impediment”

“Companies indicated that the most important aspects oftheir partnerships were access to HPC resources and

computational science expertise”


Economic Development• CCT/LONI/LED will assist in partnering with local &

national companies for economic development– Industry internships for students, integrated into curriculum– Corporate partnerships for research– University-Industry Research Centers (URICs)

• Will seek partnerships with strong players inLouisiana– Schlumberger, Northrop-Grumman, etc– New start ups– Already in discussion with Schlumberger, Intel, IBM, …

• New state initiatives: e.g. “RedStick” supported by CCT/LSU and BR.


Endorsements“it is clear that LSU has the potential to become a leading force in this

expanding and pervasive field in a short period of time. CCT hasquickly developed into a center with a national reputation, and itsvision for a comprehensive program should impact disciplines acrossthe spectrum of research.” Jack Dongarra, University of Tennessee

“If this proposal is funded I expect that you will develop one of the topgroups nationally, and you will become a center for collaborationsacross the country.” Mary Wheeler, University of Texas at Austin

“This is a unique program with the potential to lead not only theuniversity, but also programs across the country, in the developmentand use of 21st century cyberinfrastructure and computingenvironments.” Manish Parashar, Rutgers

“… CCT has the best opportunity among all the academic sites to developinto a center with a major research agenda. Other academic sites seem to

have either a facility orientation or a struggling research program. In the lastdecade, places like Princeton, Harvard, Chicago, ... have tried and not

succeeded. Remarkably, LSU has gotten farther than any of these places ina very short period.” Jim Pool, Former Exec Dir CACR


LSU Cluster Hire Initiative

Advancing National Flagship Agenda through– Significantly promoting the scholarly productivity

of our faculty;• CompSci Cluster supports disciplines precisely where

major advances will be made and funding will be found– Enhancing grad and undergrad research;

• CompSci Cluster provides education seen as criticalfor nation’s future

– Improving LSU’s national reputation;• LSU is already on the map. CompSci Cluster will

make it among most visible/powerful in nation

Flagship Cluster Hiring Initiative

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