The discovery of the Higgs boson. The first picture of a black hole. The Covid-19 vaccine. Many recent scientific advances, such as these, owe much to a largely unsung hero: high-performance computing.

Vandana Janeja (Marlayna Demond ’11/UMBC)

Yet the use of high-performance computing is generally limited to a niche group. “Some researchers are very sophisticated in the use of these tools, but many are not,” says Vandana Janeja, a professor of information systems at UMBC.

Janeja is on a mission to spread advanced computing know-how far beyond its current borders. “It’s not just for the elites,” she says.

She was recently awarded a nearly $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) that will help further that mission. The grant is part of a larger NSF collaborative award with the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences (UMCES).

Janeja and her UMBC and UMCES colleagues will work to connect a wide range of students and faculty with high-performance computing experts, creating and nurturing what has been called the cyberinfrastructure pipeline. The ultimate goal is to facilitate the flow of knowledge. 

“Once one person gains experience, they can turn around and help someone else,” Janeja says. “It’s about supporting and connecting people with resources and not just about setting up the hardware and software.”

Building a high-performance computing workforce

The need for fast computers in research is driven in part by a modern deluge of data. For example, NASA estimates that it will soon have accumulated hundreds of petabytes of Earth science data, from sources such as satellites flying overhead and sensors installed on the ground. Making full use of all that data requires new approaches to computing. While traditional computers generally perform calculations one at a time, high-performance computing facilities break up the work between multiple computing nodes and run processes in parallel.

UMBC has its own high-performance computing facility, which houses computing equipment that can process data significantly faster than a standard laptop. University researchers have employed the fast computers to study topics as diverse as weather modeling, cancer treatment, and flight dynamics.

“Learning how to use high-performance computing is not straight-forward,” says Janeja. Users have to gain a good understanding of the infrastructure of the computers, and also hone their skills in identifying the best techniques to take full advantage of that infrastructure.

People with a good understanding of how these machines and their software work will be in high demand, Janeja adds.

Many modern AI algorithms, which are used by scientific researchers and big tech companies alike, require high-performance computing to operate. “While everyone is running toward the shiny object of AI, many don’t realize that there is a backbone, called cyberinfrastructure, that runs AI,” says Janeja. 

Part of Janeja’s goal with the new grant is to educate students who may pursue careers building, maintaining, utilizing, and improving that cyberinfrastructure backbone. She also cares deeply about ensuring diverse groups of people have access to these roles. 

“We are trying to democratize the use of cyberinfrastructure and make it accessible to people who have never used it,” Janeja says.

Jack Suess, ‘81, M.S. ‘94, UMBC’s vice president of information technology, says he is excited for his division to play a key role in the award, helping shape best practices and build a national cyberinfrastructure support structure. “I look forward to watching how this work informs not just how we support faculty, but how we train and support advanced undergraduates and graduate students to evolve into these roles,” he says.

Tackling environmental challenges

While there is no shortage of scientific questions that might be tackled with high-performance computing, Janeja and her colleagues on the new grant will test-run their collaborative initiatives with projects in environmental science. 

Changes to the ice and snow in Greenland could contribute to sea level rise. (Image credit: NASA)

Janeja is also director of iHARP, an NSF-funded institute that aims to harness big data and advanced computing tools to better model how climate change will affect the polar regions. As part of the new grant, iHARP and UMCES researchers will partner with cyberinfrastructure professionals to explore environmental science questions, such as in iHARP investigating how to predict the rate of snow melting in Greenland.

Scientists increasingly rely on big data and high-performance computing to understand and predict changes in the environment. As human activities continue to put pressure on natural systems, it will be more important than ever to forge collaborations between researchers and computing experts that advance the science. 

“I’m excited to leverage high-performance computing to solve real-world problems and make it accessible to students and researchers of all backgrounds,” Janeja says.

Featuring Tanguy Ringoir

Thursday, November 2, 2023

5:30 pm EST

University Center, Room 312

UMBC

Join online

"The Growing Influence of Hospital Market Concentration: Impacts on Quality, Profitability, and Medicaid Expansion"

Tanguy Ringoir is a Public Policy Ph.D. student from Belgium. He obtained both his BS in Financial Economics and his MA in Economic Policy Analysis from UMBC. His areas of interest include health economics and antitrust policy, and he is currently working with Public Policys Dr. Mir Usman Ali as a graduate assistant. He is the coach of the UMBC Chess Team and his doctoral research investigates the impacts of hospital market concentration.

 

Dr. Judith Ann "Judy" Shinogle was a former Senior Research Scientist with the Maryland Institute for Policy Analysis and Research and Adjunct Associate Professor of Public Policy, who passed away in May 2012. Judy's work for MIPAR included studies on gambling, childhood obesity, and wellness initiatives. Her published work includes articles on the effects of mental health insurance coverage on employees disabilities, mental health parity in insurance, economic costs of obesity, and pharmaceutical use among persons with disabilities.

 

The Judith A. Shinogle Memorial Fellowship is chosen by a faculty panel and awarded each year to a Health Policy doctoral student for their notable contribution to research in Health Policy. Each year in November, the student recipient presents their work at the Judith A. Shinogle Memorial Award Lecture.

 

Reception immediately following the lecture.

TO APPLY

Interested candidates should apply via LinkedIn by November 20.
Reach out to Professor Lynch (mlyn1@umbc.edu) for more info!!!

The Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) is the non-profit, non-partisan voice of all 24 Maryland counties promoting effective, efficient government through advocacy, education, and collaboration. The Association is involved in a variety of policy areas affecting county government, including but not limited to: budgets, taxation, business affairs, finance, procurement, labor relations, public works, elections, education, environment, public health, planning and zoning, public safety, corrections, public information, and ethics. The policy fellowship may include research and writing in any of these areas. Commensurate with abilities, the policy fellowship may also include delivering oral testimony to the General Assembly.

The policy fellow will be considered a member of the MACo policy team and will work closely under their mentorship to support the advocacy efforts of the team. In turn, the Fellow will learn firsthand about a range of policy issues affecting local governments and the advocacy process in front of the Maryland General Assembly.

If applicable, this policy fellowship may be eligible for course credit. A letter of recommendation will be provided upon successful completion of the fellowship.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

• The behind-the-scenes legislative process in Annapolis - see what goes into building effective public policy
• How to read bills, fiscal notes, and reports regarding pending legislation
• Methods for analyzing pending legislation to assess its impact and outcomes
• How to efficiently summarize legislation for the public
• Negotiation and relationship-building best practices
• Public speaking and testifying skills
• Ways to connect with potential employers and employment opportunities in public policy, advocacy, and government

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Virtually attend weekly meetings of the MACo Policy Team to review and analyze pending legislation and strategize around goals and outcomes
• Conduct online research regarding introduced and proposed legislation, including retrieval of relevant information from online bill files in Senate and House committees
• Write articles for MACo's blog, Conduit Street, summarizing positions on legislation and testimony and on other topics of county interest
• Assist with reports and materials to be presented to MACo's Legislative Committee, which meets weekly throughout Session
• Assist with surveys conducted by Policy staff, MACo leaders, or General Assembly members, as requested
• Conduct additional in-depth research on topics as required by the Policy Team
• Track briefing dates and prepare weekly reports on briefing schedule
• Attend (virtually or in-person) public bill hearings, budget hearings, and meetings as needed; writing summaries and analyses for distribution to policy staff and MACo members

QUALIFICATIONS

• Applicant must be self-motivated, possess a level of maturity and interest necessary to initiate and complete research requirements with minimal supervision, and possess strong writing, communication, and computer skills - particularly around online meeting platforms.
• Graduate students are preferred, though undergraduates are also encouraged to apply. Specialization or coursework in law, political science, public affairs, economics, history, or public policy is preferred. Knowledge of state and local government issues and structure is a plus for this position.
• The ability to work approximately 20 hours per week during normal business hours is required - this position is not a good fit for a professional already working a full-time job.
• The MACo office and the General Assembly buildings are in downtown Annapolis. This is a hybrid position - the majority of the responsibilities can be completed remotely, but some participation on-site in Annapolis, MD, may be required, depending on the House and Senate decisions on holding virtual or on-site Committee hearings and floor sessions.

SCHEDULE

The policy fellowship runs from January to mid-April. The policy fellowship includes approximately 20 hours per week, and additional hours may be considered. This is a largely remote position, with some on-site participation potentially required. Weekday daytime business hours are required. Potential evening hours may also be mutually agreed upon.

COMPENSATION

This is a paid, contract position at $18/hour. Other related expenses will be covered.

The Schedule of Classes for the Philosophy Department is now live!