Since the late 1980s, the Scientific Computing and Visualization Group has been attending the annual SC international conference on high performance computing, networking, storage, and analysis. The conference is a great opportunity to learn from others in our field, share information with potential Boston University students and faculty, and meet with potential collaborators and representatives from funding agencies. This year’s conference was in Reno, Nevada November 9-16 and we, members of the Scientific Computing and Visualization Group (SCV) and the Center for Computational Science (CCS), had a research booth presenting work done at Boston University.
To continue to support and increase Boston University’s visibility in the research community, our booth featured visualizations and other demonstrations created by Boston University researchers, displayed in stereo on a scaled-down version of the Deep Vision Display Wall available in our Computer Graphics Laboratory. Some of the science demonstrated in our booth can also be seen on our SCV Visualization Gallery online: fan acoustics, neurology, space weather, and electrical heart defibrillation. We also demonstrated work from BU’s Archaeology Department. Using stereo visualizations is a valuable tool for many of these projects, as viewing stereo three-dimensional models can make it possible to better understand the data.
In addition to our booth activities, we also participated in the SC07 Technical Program. Roscoe Giles of CCS chaired a well-attended SC07 Panel, “How to Get a Better Job in Computing – And Keep It!” Panelists represented a diverse blend of industry, academia, national laboratories, and the National Science Foundation.
Behind the scenes, SCV’s Jennifer Teig von Hoffman was a member of the SC07 Executive Committee, chairing the Broader Engagement initiative, which seeks to broaden the engagement of individuals from groups that have traditionally been under-represented in high performance computing. During the conference she was also elected to the SC Steering Committee, to participate in long-range planning for the SC conference series.
And looking to the future, we’ve already selected our booth space for the SC08 conference, November 15-21 in Austin, Texas. The SC08 Technical Program is actively seeking content in the area of Biomedical Informatics, which of course is a strong area for Boston University and we hope to reflect in our booth. Please drop us a line if you’re interested in working with us, at scv@bu.edu.