IS&T RCS Fall 2025 Trainings
September 8 – October 2, 2025
Registration for the RCS Fall 2025 Training Series is now open! Recordings and slides from past tutorials by RCS staff and vendors are also available in the training section of the RCS website.
Note that we last Fall switched to using a new registration system, Terrier eDevelopment, that will send calendar invites to attendees, supports a waiting list, and has various other new features. For those who have taken our tutorials earlier, the new registration process is quite different. Follow the process outlined here to register for tutorials.
- Go to the tutorial you want to register for by clicking on its name or just scrolling down on this page.
- Click the appopriate green ‘Register for this session’ link.
- This will take you to a page on Terrier eDevelopment. Click the blue ‘Register’ button which will take you to another page on Terrier eDevelopment.
- Click the blue ‘Add’ button and then click the blue ‘Register’ button on the bottom right of that same page.
- If you wish to register for additional tutorials, return to this page and follow the same process for each.
- For hands-on sessions where you wish to use your own computer, please have the appropriate software installed on your computer before the session starts.
- Tutorials are tagged based on experience required (Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced), location (details below), and if they are new.
- Tutorial sessions are held either in-person or over Zoom. Note that Zoom sessions will be recorded; keep your camera off if you do not want your image recorded. The recorded sessions may be made available to the BU community.
The IS&T Research Computing Services (RCS) group offers a tutorial series on programming, data analysis, high performance computing, and domain specific topics three times each year. These tutorials are free and open to all members of the Boston University community.
RCS tutorials teach practical concepts, techniques, and tools for research computing that you can use in any environment. Many sessions are specifically designed to help you maximize your use of the Boston University Shared Computing Cluster (SCC). Additionally, RCS staff can provide customized tutorial sessions tailored to your course, research group, or lab’s specific needs. Please contact us at help@scc.bu.edu if you are interested.
Trainings Schedule
- Research Computing Basics Tutorials
Thu, Sep 11 1:00pm ‐ 3:00pm
Introduction to BU’s Shared Computing Cluster (Hands‐on)
Fri, Sep 12 1:00pm ‐ 3:00pm
Introduction to the SCC for Neuroimagers (Hands‐on) – This tutorial has been cancelled and may be rescheduled.
Mon, Sep 15 9:30pm ‐ 11:30am
Introduction to Linux (Hands‐on)
Fri, Sep 19 1:00pm ‐ 3:00pm
Data Preparation for Neuroimagers: BIDS, mriqc, and fmriprep (Hands-on)
Thu, Oct 2 10:00am ‐ 12:00pm
Intermediate Usage of the SCC (Lecture)
- Computer Programming Tutorials
Tue, Sep 9 10:00am ‐ 12:00pm
Introduction to Python, Part One (Hands‐on)
Thu, Sep 11 10:00am ‐ 12:00pm
Introduction to Python, Part Two (Hands‐on)
Tue, Sep 9 1:00pm ‐ 3:00pm
Natural Language Processing Basics (Hands-on)
Tue, Sep 16 1:00pm ‐ 3:00pm
Machine Learning with Python scikit-learn, Part One (Hands‐on)
Thu, Sep 18 1:00pm ‐ 3:00pm
Machine Learning with Python scikit-learn, Part Two (Hands‐on)
Tue, Sep 23 10:00am ‐ 12:00pm
Introduction to Julia, Part One (Hands-on)
Thu, Sep 25 10:00am ‐ 12:00pm
Introduction to Julia, Part Two (Hands-on)
Tue, Sep 23 1:00pm ‐ 3:00pm
Deep Learning with PyTorch, Part One (Hands‐on)
Thu, Sep 25 1:00pm ‐ 3:00pm
Deep Learning with PyTorch, Part Two (Hands‐on)
Thu, Oct 2 1:00pm ‐ 3:00pm
Open-Source Generative AI with Hugging Face (Hands‐on)
Mon, Sep 8 1:00pm ‐ 3:00pm
Introduction to MATLAB, Part One (Hands‐on)
Wed, Sep 10 1:00pm ‐ 3:00pm
Introduction to MATLAB, Part Two (Hands‐on)
Tue, Sep 16 10:00am ‐ 12:00pm
Numerical Computing in Python (Hands‐on)
Thu, Sep 18 10:00am ‐ 12:00pm
Python for Data Analysis (Hands‐on)
Mon, Sep 8 1:00pm ‐ 3:00pm
Introduction to GIS Theory (Lecture)
Mon, Sep 15 1:00pm ‐ 3:00pm
Introduction to QGIS (Demonstration)
Mon, Sep 22 1:00pm ‐ 3:00pm
Introduction to ArcGIS Online Portal (Hands-on)
Mon, Sep 29 1:00pm ‐ 3:00pm
Introduction to OpenStreetMap (Hands-on)
You may register for as many tutorials as you like. Registration is required and is accessed with your BU Kerberos password.
If you don’t have a Kerberos password, or if you find that a tutorial is full, or have any other questions, please send email to rcs-tutorial@bu.edu.
Tutorial Locations
Biological Science Center, 2 Cummington Mall, Room 107
Online over Zoom After you register, you will be sent a calendar invite that includes the Zoom link.
Tutorial Descriptions and Times
Research Computing Basics Tutorials
Introduction to BU's Shared Computing Cluster (Hands-on)
Instructor: Aaron Fuegi (aarondf@bu.edu)

Introduction to Linux (Hands-on)
Instructor: Augustine Abaris (augustin@bu.edu)

Data Preparation for Neuroimagers: BIDS, mriqc, and fmriprep (Hands-on)
Instructor: Kyle Kurkela (kkurkela@bu.edu)

Intermediate Usage of the SCC (Lecture)
Instructor: Katia Bulekova (ktrn@bu.edu)

- Customizing your environment
- Parallel computing on the SCC
- Jobs monitoring and profiling: CPU and GPU utilization, memory usage
- Profiling programs for performance optimization
- General optimization strategies
Computer Programming Tutorials
Introduction to Python, Part One (Hands-on)
Instructor: Brian Gregor (bgregor@bu.edu)

This is an introduction to the essential features of Python. This first part of the tutorial includes an introduction to basic types, if-statements, functions, lists, dictionaries, loops, and modules. The tutorial includes the use of a popular Python development environment and covers setting up Python on your own computer in addition to using Python on the SCC. This is a two-part tutorial so please remember to sign up for both sessions.
If you do not have Python installed on your home machine, please read and follow these instructions prior to attending the tutorial.
Introduction to Python, Part Two (Hands-on)
Instructor: Brian Gregor (bgregor@bu.edu)

This tutorial is a continuation of "Introduction to Python, Part One" and introduces more features of the language, common libraries such as numpy and matplotlib, and the basics of debugging Python programs. Please make sure you sign up for part one as well.
If you do not have Python installed on your home machine, please read and follow these instructions prior to attending the tutorial.
Natural Language Processing Basics (Hands-on)
Instructor: Josh Bevan (jbevan@bu.edu)

Machine Learning with Python scikit-learn, Part One (Hands-on)
Instructor: Atish Kamble (akamble@bu.edu)

This is the first part of a two-part tutorial series. Be sure to also register for Part Two on Thursday, Feb 6 from 1:00pm to 3:00pm to continue building your knowledge.
What to Expect: This session introduces Scikit-Learn, a powerful Python library for machine learning. Scikit-Learn supports supervised and unsupervised learning and offers tools for:
- Data preprocessing
- Model fitting
- Model selection
- Evaluation
- And much more
Through hands-on exercises with real datasets, you'll learn to develop models using modern algorithms, including:
- Linear regression
- Decision trees and random forests
- K-means clustering
- Dimensionality reduction
We'll also provide an overview of the general machine learning workflow and wrap up with guidance on further ML resources.
Preparation: If Python is not installed on your machine, follow these instructions.
A conda environment file with all necessary packages will be shared before the session, along with activation instructions.
Prerequisites: Experience with Python programming using Jupyter Notebook and familiarity with libraries like NumPy, Pandas, and Matplotlib.
Get ready to explore the capabilities of Scikit-Learn and start building practical machine learning solutions!
Machine Learning with Python scikit-learn, Part Two (Hands-on)
Instructor: Atish Kamble (akamble@bu.edu)

This is the second part of a two-part tutorial series. Be sure to also register for Part One on Tuesday, Feb 4 from 1:00pm to 3:00pm.
What to Expect: This session introduces Scikit-Learn, a powerful Python library for machine learning. Scikit-Learn supports supervised and unsupervised learning and offers tools for:
- Data preprocessing
- Model fitting
- Model selection
- Evaluation
- And much more
Through hands-on exercises with real datasets, you'll learn to develop models using modern algorithms, including:
- Linear regression
- Decision trees and random forests
- K-means clustering
- Dimensionality reduction
We'll also provide an overview of the general machine learning workflow and wrap up with guidance on further ML resources.
Preparation: If Python is not installed on your machine, follow these instructions.
A conda environment file with all necessary packages will be shared before the session, along with activation instructions.
Prerequisites: Experience with Python programming using Jupyter Notebook and familiarity with libraries like NumPy, Pandas, and Matplotlib.
Get ready to explore the capabilities of Scikit-Learn and start building practical machine learning solutions!
Introduction to Julia, Part One (Hands-on)
Instructor: Josh Bevan (jbevan@bu.edu)

Introduction to Julia, Part Two (Hands-on)
Instructor: Josh Bevan (jbevan@bu.edu)

Deep Learning with PyTorch, Part One (Hands-on)
Instructor: Atish Kamble (akamble@bu.edu)

This is the first part of a two-part tutorial on PyTorch. Be sure to also register for Part Two on Thursday, February 13, from 1 PM to 3 PM to continue building your knowledge.
What to Expect: This session introduces PyTorch, a popular and versatile Python library for deep learning, optimized for acceleration processing using GPUs. You’ll gain hands-on experience building and training neural networks for binary classification.
Key Topics Covered:- Why PyTorch?
- GPU acceleration using PyTorch Tensors
- PyTorch Autograd for automatic differentiation
- Working with Data
- Datasets and Data Loaders in PyTorch
- Building Neural Networks
- Developing deep learning models for binary classification using PyTorch
- Experience with Python programming, especially using Jupyter Notebook, is required.
- Before the tutorial, ensure Python is installed on your machine. Detailed setup instructions and a conda environment file with the required packages will be shared.
- If you plan to use your own computer, the conda environment must be installed and activated in advance.
- Familiarity with Python NumPy library.
- Basic understanding of machine learning and deep learning concepts and experience in using them.
Additional Recommendation: For those new to machine learning, consider attending the preceding tutorials on Machine Learning with Python Scikit-Learn to build foundational knowledge.
Get ready to dive into PyTorch and create powerful deep learning models!
Deep Learning with PyTorch, Part Two (Hands-on)
Instructor: Atish Kamble (akamble@bu.edu)

This is the second part of a two-part tutorial on PyTorch. Be sure to also register for Part One on Tuesday, February 11, from 1 PM to 3 PM.
What to Expect: This session introduces PyTorch, a popular and versatile Python library for deep learning, optimized for acceleration processing using GPUs. You’ll gain hands-on experience building and training neural networks for binary classification.
Key Topics Covered:- Why PyTorch?
- GPU acceleration using PyTorch Tensors
- PyTorch Autograd for automatic differentiation
- Working with Data
- Datasets and Data Loaders in PyTorch
- Building Neural Networks
- Developing deep learning models for binary classification using PyTorch
- Experience with Python programming, especially using Jupyter Notebook, is required.
- Before the tutorial, ensure Python is installed on your machine. Detailed setup instructions and a conda environment file with the required packages will be shared.
- If you plan to use your own computer, the conda environment must be installed and activated in advance.
- Familiarity with Python NumPy library.
- Basic understanding of machine learning and deep learning concepts and experience in using them.
Additional Recommendation: For those new to machine learning, consider attending the preceding tutorials on Machine Learning with Python Scikit-Learn to build foundational knowledge.
Get ready to dive into PyTorch and create powerful deep learning models!
Open-Source Generative AI with Hugging Face (Hands-on)
Instructor: Atish Kamble (akamble@bu.edu)

What to Expect
This tutorial introduces Hugging Face, the leading open-source platform where the machine learning community collaborates on models, datasets, and applications. Best known for its Transformers library for natural language processing, Hugging Face also provides a vibrant ecosystem for sharing, exploring, and deploying machine learning models.
You will gain hands-on experience navigating the Hugging Face platform, exploring models that meet specific criteria, and building tools using these models. By the end, you’ll understand how Hugging Face supports modern AI development and how to leverage its tools effectively in your own projects.
Key Topics Covered:- Introduction to Hugging Face and its role in open-source AI
- Navigating the Hugging Face ecosystem and model hub
- Finding and evaluating models based on specific requirements
- Understanding the platform’s tools, libraries, and community features
- Hands-on practice: selecting models, working with them in Python, and building simple applications
- Prior experience with Python programming (especially Jupyter Notebooks) is required
- Ensure Python is installed on your machine; detailed setup instructions and a conda environment file will be provided in advance
- If you plan to use your own computer, install and activate the conda environment ahead of time
- Familiarity with the NumPy library
- Basic understanding of machine learning and deep learning concepts with some practical experience
If you are new to machine learning, consider attending the preceding tutorials on Machine Learning with Python (Scikit-Learn) and Deep Learning with PyTorch to build a solid foundation.
Get ready to explore Hugging Face, experiment with open-source models, and build your own AI-powered applications!
Data Analysis Tutorials
Introduction to MATLAB, Part One (Hands-on)
Instructor: Josh Bevan (jbevan@bu.edu)

Introduction to MATLAB, Part Two (Hands-on)
Instructor: Josh Bevan (jbevan@bu.edu)

Numerical Computing in Python (Hands-on)
Instructor: Brian Gregor (bgregor@bu.edu)

Python is now widely used for numerical calculations and data analysis. This tutorial is an introduction primarily to the Numpy library which provides data structures and algorithms that are optimized for numeric data. The Numpy library is the basis for a wide variety of numeric and graphics libraries in Python. The usage of the numpy multi-dimensional array type will be covered in detail. The Scipy library and how it can be effectively used with Numpy arrays and other Python data structures will be discussed. This tutorial assumes familiarity with Python.
Prerequisite: If you are new to the Python programming language we strongly recommend that you also register for the "Introduction to Python" two-part tutorial.
If you do not have Python installed on your home machine, please read and follow these instructions prior to attending the tutorial.
Python for Data Analysis (Hands-on)
Instructor: Brian Gregor (bgregor@bu.edu)

This tutorial will introduce the basics of Data Analysis with Python and its powerful libraries such as Pandas and Matplotlib.
What you will learn:- Importing and Exporting the data
- Basic data processing, cleaning, and manipulation
- Basic inferential statistical analysis
- Data Visualization techniques
Domain Specific Tutorials
Introduction to GIS Theory (Lecture)
Instructor: Dennis Milechin (milechin@bu.edu)

- What is GIS?
- Geographic Coordinate Systems & Projections
- Spatial Data Models
- Data Layers
- Overview of spatial data files
- Example of a GIS workflow
- Overview of available GIS software and libraries
Introduction to QGIS (Demonstration)
Instructor: Dennis Milechin (milechin@bu.edu)

QGIS is an open source GIS desktop application that can be downloaded for free and it provides a collection of tools for managing, analyzing, and visualizing spatial data. This application has a resemblance to commercial GIS products ArcGIS Pro and ArcMap. In this session I will introduce you to the user interface of QGIS and go through simple workflows to get you started on using the software, such as importing data, symbolizing data, adding labels, and more.
Prerequisite: Introduction to GIS Theory
Related Tutorials:- If you plan to use the SCC for your GIS needs, I recommend taking "Introduction to BU’s Shared Computing Cluster".
If you do not have QGIS installed, please read and follow these instructions prior to attending the tutorial.
Introduction to ArcGIS Online Portal (Hands-on)
Instructor: Dennis Milechin (milechin@bu.edu)

Introduction to OpenStreetMap (Hands-on)
Instructor: Dennis Milechin (milechin@bu.edu)
