XSEDE EMPOWER: Engaging Undergraduates in the Work of Advanced Digital Services and Resources

Workshop:Seventh SC Workshop on Best Practices for HPC Training and Education

Authors: Aaron Weeden (Shodor Education Foundation)

Abstract: To address the need for a diverse and capable workforce in advanced digital services and resources, the Shodor Education Foundation has been coordinating an undergraduate student program for the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE). The name of the program is EMPOWER (Expert Mentoring Producing Opportunities for Work, Education, and Research). The goal of the program is to engage a diverse group of undergraduate students in the work of XSEDE, matching them with faculty and staff mentors who have projects that make use of XSEDE services and resources or that otherwise prepare students to use these types of services and resources. Mentors have coordinated projects in computational science and engineering research in many fields of study as well as systems and user support. Students work for a semester, quarter, or summer at a time and can participate for up to a year supported by stipends from the program, at different levels depending on experience. The program has run for ten iterations since summer 2017. The 244 total applicants have been 29% female and 31% underrepresented minority. The 98 total participants have been 27% female and 30% underrepresented minority. We are pleased that the selection process does not favor against women and minorities but would also like to see these proportions increase. At least ¼ of the students have presented their work in articles or at conferences, and multiple students credit the program with moving them towards graduate study or otherwise advancing them in their careers.

Back to Seventh SC Workshop on Best Practices for HPC Training and Education Archive Listing

Back to Full Workshop Archive Listing