CRCD: Integration of High Performance Computing in Nanotechnology: A Combined Research in the Curricular Development

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0203481Lloyd L. LeeUniversity of Oklahoma"CRCD: Integration of High Performance Computing in Nanotechnology: A Combined Research in the Curricular Development"This is a multi-institutional (University of Oklahoma and Worcester Polytechnic Institute) and multi-disciplinary project, involving departments of chemical engineering, computer science, and educational technology. The project addresses the integration of the fields of nano-technology and computational science; areas of science and engineering that have experienced fast-paced developments in the past few years. The project synthesizes these two disciplines by establishing a curriculum that will combine the latest developments in high performance computing with computational nano-technology. A three-year curriculum consists of five elements: (1) nano-materials manufacture and characterization; (2) high performance computing and molecular simulation; (3) wet laboratory experiments for manufacture and testing of nano-structured materials; (4) design of nano-devices with the help of the National Nanofabrication UsersNetwork (NNUN); and (5) lectures from invited guest speakers in nano-technology. The computational science materials are packaged as portable modules that can be applied to other scientific disciplines, such as computational fluid dynamics and bio-informatics. In the context of computational science, the project has several goals: (1) It inculcates a sufficient level of interest in performance and an appreciation for the associated issues, so that students will develop the habit of incorporating performance issues into every aspect of software design, and especially in initial design phases; (2) Students will learn about the fundamental issues of performance, especially parallel performance, thereby creating the ability to improve and evaluate software optimization. (3) Students will be educated in the methodologies required to transform a problem from physical description to mathematical representation, then to algorithmic specification, and finally to software implementation; (4) Students will acquire the means and understanding necessary for proper testing, validation and evaluation of their software. In this context, performance involves two aspects: algorithm and implementation. (5) It undertakes the professional development of students, cultivating their abilities in interdisciplinary project management. In particular, the students will learn to leverage the synergies between engineering, mathematics and computer science, in order both to fully exploit available resources and to evaluate the resources required for future endeavors.