Supercomputing 2022
Blog by Adebowale Adelekan
Monday Nov 14
I flew into Dallas,TX on the 14th of November, 2022, as the only non-competing student sponsored by the Pervasive Technology Institute. This opportunity gave me the chance to experience the SuperComputing Conference without the pressure of the competition. Going into the Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, I was amazed by the size of the conference. Special networking was provided to service the internet needs of the thousands of people that were in attendance. There were people from all over the country, and all over the world. I met a few Computer Science students like me who had also been sponsored by their schools to attend the conference. I was indeed very glad to be experiencing this for the first time.
Tuesday Nov 15
Tuesday was probably when the true excitement started for me. I got to really experience the technologies being exhibited by the scores of companies present at the conference. From top of the line GPUs to the most advanced cooling technologies, saying there was too much to learn wouldn’t be an exaggeration. SuperComputing is relevant to so many fields and this was reflected in the number and diversity of companies that attended the conference. I had the opportunity of networking with employees from Intel, Microsoft, Dell, NASA, and a lot of other companies. I even ended up winning a Jetson Nano developer kit from the Microsoft booth.
Wednesday Nov 16
I’d like to describe Wednesday as an inquiry into how I might fit in the Supercomputing/High-Performance Computing world. Starting with the career fair, I got to network with companies and get a better insight into what opportunities in supercomputing are available for undergraduates at my level. I also got to hear back from the companies and learn what type of skills they were looking for in the ideal candidate. This was super helpful as it taught me what skills would be most important if I decided to work in that field. In the spirit of networking, I should also mention that I met a number of Indiana University graduates who were working at these companies. I didn't hesitate to connect with them on LinkedIn as well as take a picture.
Blog by Christine Campbell
Monday Nov 14
Arriving to the conference center in Dallas, TX on the 14th of November, 2022 was one of the most exciting feelings. As a new professional, I had never experienced a conference this large, and the energy is incredibly contagious as all of the attendees begin flooding in. Exhibitors from all ends of the High Performance Computing realm were buzzing with rapport, filling the conference center with connections that could last a life time. It is exhilarating to be a part of a community such as this one, especially because of my roots within Indiana University. I had the pleasure to meet with all kinds of new people as well as reconnecting with partners from all around the nation.
Tuesday Nov 15
The second day was even more fulfilling than the first. I had the opportunity to check in with the INPack Student Cluster Competition team, connect with some of my colleagues from different institutions (such as Ohio State University, Georgia Tech, and Purdue), and was even able to sit in on one of the panel presentations about HPC and the environment. I even had some time to explore the exhibit floor more in depth and have more meaningful conversations with the exhibitors. It is easy to become over whelmed with everything that is going on so I even took the time to stop by the quiet room in between activities.
Wednesday Nov 16
The final day was filled with bittersweet end-of-conference feelings. I had the pleasure to help facilitate the Indiana University career fair booth, where I had the privilege of meeting many new High Performance Computing and Cyberinfrastructure professionals. As an Indiana University alum, it has really felt like a full circle experience being able to help students and new professionals find opportunities to develop their careers. Not only did I make many new connections, I was able to stay informed on all of the up and coming technologies and advances in the HPC industry. If you get the opportunity, experiencing Super Computing at least once in a life time is an absolute must.
