It is the workforce of the ALCF, and other centers like it, that propel significant achievements in the field of HPC. Computer scientists and other specialists do the work to modify the open-source compilers and libraries used by the scientific community, help scientists get their codes to work on the machines, and develop services that allow researchers to effectively use the machines and move large datasets around.
Having an inclusive and diverse workforce is key to enhancing creativity and productivity in the HPC domain. For the ALCF, this involves collaborating with colleagues from the HPC community to develop strategies for attracting people from underrepresented groups, organizing student camps to inspire young people to pursue STEM careers, and participating in outreach programs that promote diversity in the HPC field.
Broadening Participation
Argonne was highly involved in the DOE Exascale Computing Project’s Broadening Participation Initiative. This collaborative, multi-lab effort worked to establish a sustainable plan to recruit and retain a diverse HPC workforce by creating a supportive and inclusive culture within the computing sciences at DOE national laboratories. The initiative involved three complementary thrusts, or focus areas, that bolster such efforts in the HPC community.
ALCF led the Intro to HPC thrust, which focused on developing training materials to educate newcomers to HPC. Many undergraduate institutions lack comprehensive training in HPC. As a solution, the Intro to HPC group collaborated with DOE lab communities to identify important HPC topics and create educational materials that effectively convey them. With these materials, the group hosted the pilot Intro to HPC Bootcamp, a weeklong training program that allows undergraduate and graduate students to work on energy justice projects while learning about the fundamentals of HPC such as parallel computing, job scheduling, and data analysis techniques. For a recap of the 2023 program, read the article on our website.
The ALCF team also contributed to the two other Broadening Participation thrusts: the HPC Workforce Development and Retention Action Group, and Sustainable Research Pathways for HPC. The action group shares best practices and develops recommendations and strategies for improving the workforce pipeline through webinars and other outreach materials. Sustainable Research Pathways is an internship and mentoring program that pairs students with ECP teams at different institutions, including ALCF, to work on a variety of projects across application development, software technologies, and computing facilities.
Student Outreach
The ALCF is also working to strengthen the workforce pipeline by leading and contributing to various educational and outreach programs for students, including summer camps and internship opportunities. These efforts help to introduce students to Argonne scientists and the mission-driven, high-impact research conducted at the lab and beyond, giving them a glimpse of what a career in STEM looks like.
The facility helps put on several Argonne computing camps for middle school and high school students each year, including the CodeGirls@Argonne Camp. Aimed at teaching the basics of coding, the camp allows sixth and seventh-grade students to try out creative and computational thinking through hands-on activities with Argonne mentors. ALCF staff members also regularly contribute to Argonne’s annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day and Science Careers in Search of Women events. These events connect Argonne scientists with young women to introduce them research at the lab as well as potential STEM career paths.
Another effort includes ACT-SO (Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological & Scientific Olympics) High School Research Program, where ALCF staff members mentor local high school students participating in the regional DuPage County ACT-SO competition. With a mission to support the development of a diverse, talented workforce, the program pairs students with Argonne mentors for research projects that use the lab’s facilities and resources.
At the college level, the ALCF is reaching the next generation of AI practitioners through its “Intro to AI-driven Science on Supercomputers” training series. Aimed at undergraduate and graduate students, the series teaches attendees the fundamentals of using AI and supercomputers for scientific research.
Increasing Diversity at the ALCF and Beyond
The ALCF maintains a presence at many computing conferences and events to communicate career opportunities and recruit new team members. The facility continues to have a presence at the annual Grace Hopper Celebration, an event that brings the research and career interests of women in computing to the forefront. ALCF staff also regularly attend the Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing Conference, an annual event that seeks to bring together undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, researchers, and professionals in computing from all backgrounds and ethnicities to strengthen diversity in computing.
To provide a local resource and network for women interested in HPC, the ALCF collaborated with the University of Illinois Chicago to found a Women in High Performance Computing (WHPC) chapter, called Chicago WHPC. The chapter aims to increase the participation of women in the HPC field around Chicago, provide resources for women in HPC careers, and mentor students considering professional career paths in computing.
Together, these activities and initiatives are helping the ALCF to establish a diverse, inclusive work environment and talent pipeline that will fuel future innovations in HPC and the computing sciences.