For Year 2 of the PET component of the DoD HPCMP, the Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI) team consisted of Jackson State University (JSU), Central State University (CSU), and Clark Atlanta University (CAU). JSU, located in Jackson, MS, is the lead HBCU/MI at the CEWES MSRC. CSU, located in Wilberforce, Ohio, is the lead for the ASC MSRC, while Clark Atlanta University (CAU), located in Atlanta, Georgia, is the lead at the ARL MSRC. While each university plays the major role at its home MSRC, with respect to the HBCU/MI program, each institution is also committed to making technical contributions to the PET effort, and to the overall HPC modernization effort. This section describes how these institutions participated in PET initiatives at the CEWES MSRC during the second year of the program, and how the institutions were enhanced by their involvement. Training courses and ceminars conducted by the CEWES MSRC PET team at HBCU/MIs are listed in Table 8.
As the lead university at the CEWES MSRC, JSU is charged with developing and implementing strategies that allow a two-way exchange between the DoD and HBCU/MI communities. On the one hand, minorities are tremendously under represented in the Computational Technology Areas (CTAs) and other HPC efforts within the DoD. On the other hand, the existing pool of talent available to address current and future DoD challenges, using HPC technologies, is limited and decreasing. The PET program provides the DoD with an opportunity to identify and develop new sources of scientific, high-tech, and management personnel. In the opposite direction, PET affords faculty, staff, and students, at HBCU/MIs, an opportunity to acquire scientific and HPC related skills and expertise through interaction with DoD scientists and researchers. JSU's mission is to maximize mutual benefit for both sides by helping to create and maintain pathways between the CEWES MSRC and the HBCU/MI team. However, adequate access to HPC machinery, and other information technology resources, is critical to HBCU/MI participation in this endeavor.
1. Facilities at JSU
During Year 2, JSU made substantial upgrades to its computing and networking facilities through the CEWES MSRC PET program. In addition, JSU faculty members were able to collaborate with colleagues at major research universities, as well as with DoD scientists, researchers, and engineers. Three new staff members were hired and participated in training activities at both JSU and the CEWES MSRC. Students (a list of students impacted by the CEWES MSRC PET effort is given in Table 9) were the ultimate beneficiaries, receiving direct access to a state-of-the-art learning environment and curriculum enhancement. Students from JSU and other HBCU/MIs attended the 1997 Introductory HPC Summer Institute, sponsored by the CEWES MSRC, while JSU students received new course offerings.
2. Web-Based Distance Education at JSU
In collaboration with the Northeast Parallel Architectures Center (NPAC) at Syracuse University in the CEWES MSRC PET effort, JSU held web-Based Distance Education courses during the Fall 1997 and Spring 1998 semesters. Computer Science students, physically located at JSU, were taught "Programming for the Web" by instructors located at Syracuse University. The classroom was equipped, through the PET program, with sixteen personal computers, ergonomic furniture, and a T-1 line connection to the DREN through the CEWES MSRC. Mike Robinson was hired as JSU's Network Training Specialist, to set up and support the classroom hardware and software. This included configuring the T-1 router, coordinating and setting Internet addresses for the computers, and installing/maintaining NPAC's Tango/WebWisdom collaborative software. Robinson received training at both NPAC and the CEWES MSRC. In addition, two JSU Computer Science Assistant Professors, Drs Debasis Mitra and Qutaibah Malluhi, participated in the class as an on-site instructors. The classroom equipment, along with the experience gained by the JSU personnel, will allow JSU to deliver training to CEWES MSRC users over the Web. JSU is also now in a position to set up distance learning classrooms at other HBCU/MIs and deliver courses to them.
3. Scientific Visualization at JSU
JSU also participated in Scientific Visualization support at the CEWES MSRC during Year 2 in training and experimentation. Two areas of focus included 1) training JSU faculty, staff, and students, in addition to CEWES MSRC users and, 2) in partnership with the National Center for Supercomputer Applications (NCSA) at the University of Illinois, developing techniques for doing remote scientific visualization. Through the CEWES MSRC PET program, JSU was able to equip a "Sci Viz" lab with five high end graphics workstations, all connected to the DREN through the CEWES MSRC T-1 line. Mildred "Milti" Leonard and Edgar Powell were hired to provide hardware and software support, as well as to assist with training. Milti worked closely with the University of Illinois scientific visualization team during a three month extended visit to NCSA, during the Fall 1997 semester. Both Milti and Edgar maintained constant contact and interaction with the CEWES MSRC and administered workshops at JSU. Dr Gwang Jung, a JSU Associate Professor of Computer Science, worked closely with PET group, while Dr Mitra did preliminary development of a semester-long course. The scientific visualization equipment and personnel enhancements at JSU have placed the University in an excellent position to increase support to the CEWES MSRC and to other HBCU/MIs.
4. Other HBCU/MIs
Although an attempt is made to coordinate the HBCU/MI effort across the entire PET program, different universities assume lead roles at the individual MSRCs, as described above. Therefore, major enhancements at CSU and CAU were accomplished through the ASC and ARL MSRCs, respectively.
CSU did not have a direct involvement with the CEWES MSRC during Year 2. However, as a member of the HBCU/MI team, CSU was an early collaborator in the Web-Based Distance Education project. Through this collaboration, CSU's ability to receive courses from other institutions was significantly enhanced. In addition, CSU students were eligible to attend the HPC Summer Institute held at JSU.
During Year 2, CAU participated in PET at the CEWES MSRC through a technical project titled "Residual Capacity Evaluation and Visualization of Damaged Structures". This project allowed close collaboration between CAU faculty, staff, and students, and CEWES MSRC personnel. CAU's distance education and scientific visualization capabilities were enhanced greatly by involvement with JSU and the CEWES MSRC. CAU students were also invited to participate in JSU's HPC Summer Institute.