September 5, 2024 Students IndySCC Students@SC Share this page: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Email By Breanna Powell This year’s IndySCC contestants will come from all over the world with various backgrounds, spanning computer engineering, electrical engineering, mathematics, statistics, data analytics, biotechnology, machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), and/or cybersecurity. In an odd twist, some of these students never heard of high-performance computing (HPC) before joining their IndySCC teams. All teams have six students and one advisor. There are three competing IndySCC categories: Fully Funded, Self-Funded, and Virtual. Spending the summer studying HPC fundamentals, many teams have rallied industry experts to their aid. Some are a collaboration of separate universities, while others are using resources from one institution. A few teams benefit from an established pipeline of previous contestants to mentor them. Meanwhile, other groups have opted to dive in for the first time, persevering through rigorous training schedules. As all these talented teams vie for the win, they are ready to prove their dedication to computing, spread the word about HPC, and cement their status as contenders at SC for years to come. Best of luck to all SC24 IndySCC teams! IndySCC Teams • Fully Funded California State University Channel Islands United States Team CSUCI High Performance Dolphins The scrappy CSUCI team came together due to the passion and vision of their Team Captain, Berkhan Berkdemir. After winning the 2023 HPC Winter Classic Invitational Cluster Competition, he wanted to attract other students to the world of HPC, so he started a club. The team includes three newcomers to HPC, a biotech student who dabbled in scientific computing, and another veteran of the 2024 Winter Classic Invitational. With the support of Coach Scott Feister, who formerly coached Team TexaCal at SC22’s SCC, they drilled on the fundamentals and took advantage of online training sessions from the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC), Argonne Leadership Computing Facility (ALCF), and ACCESS. A self-motivated group, they see participating in IndySCC as an essential way to gain experience in HPC. They want to enhance their school’s reputation, spread the word about the competition, and open unexplored opportunities in HPC to everyone at the university. The team members are grateful to the SC Committee for its support and the opportunity to showcase their skills. Berkham Berkdemir Taylor Mack Taylor Asplund Nicholas Pira Not Pictured Duc LeKohei Itokazu Scott Feister(Advisor) University of California, Merced United States Team PADSYS This team is made up of advisor Dr. Xiaoyi Lu’s research assistants from his Parallel and Distributed Systems (PADSYS) Lab and co-advisor Robert Romero’s HPC system administration student. Excited and optimistic about the competition, IndySCC will mark their first event together. Intrinsically motivated to learn during the whole process, they have taken a divide-and-conquer strategy by splitting into subgroups of HPL and MLPerf to become subject matter experts and learn from each other. Graduate students mentor the team, while they train on the campus’ HPC clusters. Each team member brings diverse talents and strengths. For half, this is the first time immersing themselves in HPC concepts. While Lu has a history of contributing to SC as a presenter and technical program committee member, all the students are new to SC. With a solid network of support from their institution, faculty, and staff, they hope to grow each student’s potential and inspire others toward HPC. Alex Villa Jeffrey Winters Daniel Xing Munir Khan Draven Medina Carolyn Cui Dr. Xiaoyi Lu(Advisor) IndySCC Teams • Self-Funded Carnegie Mellon University/University of Pittsburgh United States Team PSC’s Benchmark Beasts Composed of students from three countries and various U.S. states, this pilot team for the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC) is a special joint collaboration between Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh. Not only do the students come from diverse locations, but they bring different expertise and perspectives with backgrounds in computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, mathematics, statistics, and machine learning. For three days a week during the first half of the summer, the team learned about parallel computing, Linux systems, commands, SLURM, SPACK, networking, and the history of parallel computing and Linux. For the second half of the summer, they used hardware donated by Lenovo to explore NAMD and ICON applications and examined cybersecurity aspects. The team is thrilled to continue its educational experience, overflowing with deep learning and laughter. Tanvi Verma Yun Dong Thomas Eckrich Daniela Bellido Rodriguez Julia Zhang Jongyup Kim Valerie Rossi(Advisor) University of Bristol, University of Exeter, University of Warwick, and Durham University United Kingdom Team UKSCC Debuting at IndySCC, UKSCC combines the strength of multiple UK-based universities. With the goal of spreading HPC student involvement throughout the United Kingdom, team members were recruited from a large pool of applicants based on their diverse expertise. With the support from Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Isambard-AI, the national AI resource at the University of Bristol, they train on their own cluster with industry and academic experts. Using resources from all universities, the team members not only learn from each other as they vie for the win, but they enjoy taking these first steps together and having fun on the journey. They hope to make their mark as the first UK-wide university collaboration and become frequent competitors at SC for years to come. Jane Manning Ethan Ray Alex Do Sam Ezeh Orry Gooberman Toby Davis Joseph Moore(Advisor) Sun Yat-sen University China Team Sun Yat-sen University The Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) team has a longstanding tradition of engaging in supercomputing competitions. The university’s HPC club hosts an annual event that rallied them all together. This year, they earned second place at ASC24 and took home the winning prize at the online ISC24 championship. Using a detailed training plan, they study parallel programming models, system design, and optimization techniques. Expert alumni consult with them to provide technical talks about storage, compilers, networks, and heterogeneous computing. Grateful for the ample computational resources available from their university, the team performs hardware testing on their institution’s cluster. The excitement could not be greater because for many of the team members, this is the first and last chance to participate in IndySCC before graduation. They look forward to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to exchange ideas on an international stage and travel to the United States for the first time! Yibin Luo Lanshu Huang Yujie Huang Xianjie Chen Yu Wang Ye Huang Dan Huang(Advisor) Mississippi State University United States Team Mississippi State SIGHPC This is the inaugural outing as a team for the Mississippi State University Special Interest Group – High Performance Computing (SIGHPC). Due to the increasing need for HPC professionals, they created a community to help students earn hands-on experience in the HPC landscape. They gain insights into cluster management and operations by running and maintaining a cluster system provided by Dell. With two students from Nepal and another from Argentina, the team has a unique cultural perspective that enhances its problem-solving approaches. Together, they are aiming to incorporate their expertise gleaned at SC into a team curriculum to ensure its growth and future successes. Through their dedication, the group hopes to inspire and shine a light on HPC at Mississippi State University. Erin Harris Isha Shrestha Oliver Higginbotham Soyab Karki Timothy Helgerson Leonel Giacobbe Matthew Brockhaus(Advisor) National University of Singapore Singapore Team Kent Ridge Built with a combination of students from computer science and other specialties, this team from Singapore has a mix of first-year students and a core of experienced senior members. While new to HPC competitions, they have participated in Bumblebee and the International Cybersecurity Championship. Their weekly meetings keep them synchronized, while workshops from the National Supercomputing Centre Singapore (NSCC) provide a broad pipeline of collective knowledge from HPC enthusiasts. The group is proud to take part IndySCC’s groundbreaking challenge and are eager to learn directly from industry experts. They cannot wait to take this golden opportunity for networking and make lasting connections for their future pursuits. Jiefan Wang Akash Chandrasekaran Tze Han Lee Not Pictured Way Yan WinChien Hao TanHimaya Hewageegana Cristina Carbunaru (Advisor) California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo United States Team Fiat Slug A team of engineers, designers, and analysts met through a class in distributed computing and formed a dynamic and supportive environment. Although this is the team’s first time participating in IndySCC, some members have presented at SC workshops or other events. Technical training sessions, team-building exercises, and problem-solving workshops enhance their skills. They bring specialized expertise in AI, cybersecurity, and data analytics for a competitive edge. Having several multilingual members of the team enables them to partner with international clients and ease communication burdens. They are most excited to strengthen their bonds and boost their collaboration during IndySCC. Dylan Starink David Guerrero-Pantoja Clara Almeida Not Pictured Daniel GutierrezXiuyuan QiuKevin Woodman Maria Pantoja (Advisor) Georgia Institute of Technology United States Team Phoenix Having competed in SCC (2017, 2020, and 2021) and IndySCC (2022 and 2023), Team Phoenix is no stranger to the SC Conference. Six new members have prepared for the cluster competition through Georgia Tech’s Vertically Integrated Project (VIP) and via mentorship from previous cohorts. They have learned the fundamentals of system administration using the Linux command line and focused on other topics in HPC, such as job scheduling, benchmarking, file systems configuration, build systems, and compilers. Team Phoenix has hands-on cluster management experience on a 9-node bare metal cluster that combines CPU and GPU resources, Intel Optane Memory, and reconfigurable storage nodes. Not Pictured Ananth VivekanandElizabeth HongAlexander IchetovkinSean ChalmersDaniel MendesAlex Kim Not Pictured Charles Ross Lindsey(Advisor) Virtual IndySCC Teams Southern University of Science and Technology China The Cyprus Institute’s computation-based Science and Technology Research Center is fielding a well-rounded team for SCC at SC24, bringing together students with a mix of experience and enthusiasm for high-performance computing (HPC). The team includes members like Yicheng Xiao, Haoyang Qin, and Hemu Liu, who have competed in ASC24, and captain Bingzhen Wang, a veteran of ASC22-23 and IndySCC at SC22. Although they are familiar with each other and share a strong foundation in HPC, this is the first time all six members have teamed up for such a competition. The team meets regularly, both on- and off-line, to ensure everyone stays on track and to facilitate knowledge exchange. These meetings include experience-sharing sessions, where more seasoned members help newcomers get up to speed on competition tasks and HPC skills. During the summer break, the team organized sessions focused on benchmark testing, application optimization, and parallel training for large language models (LLM). This team is characterized by its diverse mix of sophomores, juniors, and seniors, each bringing a fresh perspective to the competition. Captain Bingzhen’s experience in IndySCC and ASC, along with Yicheng’s participation in IndySCC at SC23, strengthens the team. Wang Ziheng focuses on applying deep learning in MICS (Multi-steps, Inverse Consistency and Symmetric), while Hemu is passionate about cloud computing, HPC, and machine learning. Together, they are well-prepared to tackle the challenges as part of the IndySCC at SC24. Bingzhen Wang Ziheng Wang Hemu Liu Yicheng Xiao Haoyang Qin Not Pictured Qiwen Xiao Jiahua Zhao(Advisor) Shanxi University China This year marks Shanxi University’s debut in the IndySCC competition. The team includes members from different grades and majors. Some have experience in ASC, but most are new to the competitive HPC scene. From the moment they formed the team, they have diligently divided tasks and developed their specialties. However, they understand that teamwork is crucial, and regular meetings are central to their strategy. These sessions help them stay aligned, tackle challenges, and adjust their approach as needed, ensuring everyone knows their role in achieving the team’s goals. The team meets regularly, whether in small conference rooms or offline, to discuss progress and troubleshoot any issues. This ongoing communication helps them stay connected and collaboratively address any challenges that arise. As first-time participants in IndySCC, the team is full of curiosity and enthusiasm. They are eager to connect with teams from different countries and regions, ready to learn, and want to share experiences with their peers in the global HPC community. Not Pictured Guoyuan LiZonghao ZhangJing XuZiheng XuWenjie ZhaoMengxiang Yang Not Pictured Prof. Jiawei Gao(Advisor) Durham University England ClusDur is a vibrant team of Durham University students who share a deep passion for HPC. Though ClusDur has only been around for two years, the team has already logged significant core hours together. This year, they will enter IndySCC with a group of nearly all newcomers – none of whom have participated in IndySCC before. The team was formed through word of mouth, attracting the most dedicated and enthusiastic students eager to dive into the world of HPC. ClusDur’s preparation centers on hands-on training through advisor-led courses, vendor collaboration, and self-paced learning. With access to HPC resources like the Hamilton supercomputer and COSMA8 cluster, the team sharpens its skills. Knowledge is shared via student-led teaching and mini challenges, while regular meetings and Slack keep everyone aligned and ready. ClusDur maintains a commitment to never competing with the same team twice. They continuously onboard new members, giving everyone – regardless of background or experience – a chance to compete in a real SCC. This year, the new members are eager to take on IndySCC, and the team is excited to get ClusDur on the leaderboard once again. Charles Dubois-Veltman Christian Keiran Dejelo Barnes Nam Hoang Le Not Pictured Edward Andrew JacksonMichal PlutaOliver Turner Tobias Weinzierl(Advisor) Universidad Nacional de Córdoba Argentina After a great learning experience at IndySCC last year, the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba team was eager to return and apply the lessons they learned. Three members from last year’s team were motivated to compete again, so they quickly recruited three new members, including a computer science transfer student with hardware expertise and a physics student interested in computational physics. The team came together just in time, driven by their shared enthusiasm for HPC. The team has been actively preparing by attending key HPC training sessions. Five members participated in a week-long HPC course at the esteemed Escuela de Ciencias Informáticas (ECI), taught by Bernd Mohr, where they covered the basics of supercomputing and gained hands-on experience with a Jülich supercomputing cluster. They also plan to join Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s HPC Innovation Center tutorials and attend CARLA 2024, Latin America’s leading HPC conference. In Argentina, HPC-specific courses and resources are scarce, making the team’s commitment to learning and sharing knowledge even more important. By reforming the team around veteran members, they aim to achieve a better performance than last year. They bring experiences from ECI and invaluable guidance from experts. The team is grateful for these opportunities and determined to give their best at IndySCC during SC24. Not Pictured Lara KurtzAlejandro Ismael SilvaMilagros CarabelosÁlvaro Roy SchachnerJavier Mercado AlcobaLautaro Augusto Rodríguez Not Pictured Carlos Bederián(Advisor) Southwest Petroleum University China The Southwest Petroleum University team for IndySCC is a blend of experienced competitors and passionate newcomers. Initially formed by two students who excelled in the ASC finals, they added two other teammates with HPC competition experience and two enthusiastic newcomers. All team members belong to the university’s HPC club, making this their first invitation to participate in IndySCC. The experience gained from this competition is crucial for the team as they hope to pave the way for future successes in both IndySCC and SCC. The team’s preparation has been comprehensive, involving hands-on training with the Network and Information Center at Southwest Petroleum University. They were guided through the supercomputer cluster’s physical setup, including assembling a small cluster and configuring the InfiniBand network. The team prides itself on its diverse expertise in HPC, artificial intelligence, and data science. This diversity fosters rich idea exchanges and innovative solutions. Collaboration and communication are key with each member’s input valued and integrated to enhance creativity and efficiency. Hongzhang Liao Jialing Yang Zhiyu Ding Panyi Liu Yunhe Zheng Zhongling Guan Bo Peng(Advisor) University of Kansas United States The University of Kansas (KU) IndySCC team is composed of members from the newly formed, student-led KU Supercomputing Club. While this is their first year competing in IndySCC, the team is not new to cluster competitions. Almost all the members participated in the 2024 Single Board Cluster Competition, and half of them also competed in SCC at SC23 before the club was established. The team is excited to bring their growing experience to IndySCC at SC24 and share what they learn with the broader KU community. Throughout the summer, the team has been holding remote meetings every Saturday afternoon to prepare for the competition. These sessions have allowed members to experiment with benchmarks and applications while leveraging resources provided by their mentors and the university. They have used cluster resources donated by faculty and learned about HPC architecture and scientific applications from experts, ensuring the team is well-prepared for the challenges ahead. The team is thrilled to be competing in IndySCC and eager to make the most of this opportunity. Abir Haque Yara Al-Shorman Shad Ahmed Shahul Hameed Owen Krussow Michael Oliver Not Pictured Wazeen Hoq Amin Mamandipoor(Advisor) University of California, Berkeley United States This year marks the first time the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) is competing in the SCC at SC, possibly a first for the institution. The team emerged from a splinter group within the Computer Science Undergraduate Association, the hub for all things computing on campus. What began as an exploration of how to optimize their GPU cluster led to the discovery of SCC. With industrial-grade solid-state drives still out of reach, the team found IndySCC to be an exciting and accessible opportunity. The team has been holding monthly meetings to review past submissions and conduct workshops on common HPC techniques. They are also practicing with frameworks such asOpenMP, MPI, and CUDA.The team presently is seeking hardware and application partners to support their efforts. This diverse team, composed of members from various identities and backgrounds, is breaking new ground in supercomputing representation at UC Berkeley. Bby starting an (Indy)SCC team, they hope to inspire future generations of UC Berkeley students to explore and fall in love with HPC. Jasmine Tang Jay Yoo Not Pictured Ethan HuEllie ZuoAilsa Sun Laurence Lu(Advisor) Student Cluster Competition SC also hosts the Student Cluster Competition. Meet the competing teams and learn more. Student Cluster Teams