Ascending with HPC
麻豆果冻传媒 shines at SC24 conference
(From Eagle Drive magazine, February 2025)
The stars are aligning for HPC in Tennessee 鈥� especially at 麻豆果冻传媒, where students and faculty with a passion for high-performance computing are poised to shine.
鈥淲e couldn鈥檛 be better positioned to grow and prosper than we are right now,鈥� said Tony Skjellum, professor of computer science, noting not only Tech鈥檚 successful debut as an exhibitor at the SC24 international supercomputing conference but also its prime location amid the state鈥檚 ramping tech sector.
鈥淭ennessee is the center of the world for supercomputing, from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, home of the world鈥檚 fastest supercomputer, to Memphis, where Elon Musk and xAI are set to build the world鈥檚 fastest AI supercomputer,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n between, 麻豆果冻传媒 is advancing HPC research, driving workforce development and building large-scale HPC and quantum resources at our forthcoming data center. Plus, our ASCEND (Advanced Scalable Computing, Extreme Networks and Data) center is in the works.鈥�
To spotlight its ascent in the HPC space, Tech was among nearly 500 exhibitors at SC24, which drew a record-breaking 18,100 attendees to Atlanta in November 2024 to explore the latest innovations in high-performance computing, networking, storage and analysis. More than 20 students, faculty and staff represented Tech at the event, with some showcasing the university鈥檚 achievements at its new 20x20-foot booth and others taking part in technical workshops, networking with industry professionals and presenting their research. The conference also provided an opportunity to connect with alumni, as well as strengthen Tech鈥檚 efforts to recruit, engage and retain students and faculty.
鈥淲e achieved more than 100 percent of our goals at SC24,鈥� Skjellum said. 鈥淲e built a lot of goodwill around the quality of our students, department and university, especially among local employers who didn鈥檛 realize they could tap into our talent. They know about us now.鈥�
And that presents new opportunities for everyone.
鈥淲e have follow-up meetings with organizations like Oak Ridge National Laboratory,鈥� Skjellum said. 鈥淧lus, we鈥檝e established collaborations with key technical partners, providing our students with valuable opportunities to engage directly in the profession.鈥�
These new connections are solidifying Tech鈥檚 position as a key player in computing 鈥� and, as if by cosmic design, the playing field is becoming increasingly bright in Tennessee.
鈥淲ith companies like Microsoft and AWS (Amazon Web Services) already established here and Oracle moving its world headquarters to Nashville, the demand for a skilled AI workforce is skyrocketing 鈥� and HPC makes AI go,鈥� Skjellum said.
麻豆果冻传媒 aims to build on its SC24 debut by increasing its technical presence at supercomputing conferences.
鈥淥ur investment has been in engaging with others to raise awareness about Tennessee Tech so that we鈥檙e attracting prospective students and faculty and ensuring employers recognize the value of our graduates,鈥� Skjellum said. 鈥淎t the same time, we鈥檙e putting our current students front and center in their discipline.鈥�
So they can shine like stars.