MRI: Acquisition of High-Performance Computing Cluster for Research in Engineering, Science, and Technology

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This award funds the acquisition of a high-performance computing (HPC) cluster for research in engineering, science, and technology (CREST) at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMUCC). CREST consists of 40 state-of-the-art compute nodes, eight powerful GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) nodes, two large memory nodes, and two large storage arrays connected through an InfiniBand switch. It can handle compute-bound, memory-bound, and data-intensive jobs efficiently. The powerful system supports state-of-the-art science and technology research at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMUCC) through its five STEM departments, two research institutes, and beyond. CREST enables solutions to research problems of national and regional significance. Further, the project unlocks the potential of researchers and educators at TAMUCC and other neighboring institutions, Texas A&M University-Kingsville and Del Mar College, by creating a shared high-performance computing resource for collaborations in research and educational endeavors.CREST immediately impacts over 16 innovative research projects, 22 graduate and 12 undergraduate courses, and facilitates regional research advances in environmental sustainability, economic well-being, and safety of coastal communities across the globe. New analysis of big data sources such as climate data, genomic data, data from smart environments, coastal and marine data, and data on coastal resiliency enables scholarly work, knowledge generation, and innovation in varied subjects. Immediate research impact occurs in an array of fields requiring HPC resources, including marine genomics, climate prediction, atmospheric remote sensing, hydrodynamic modeling, sea-level rise modeling, coastal resiliency, computational fracture mechanics, wave energy behavior analysis, computational fluid dynamics, global air and ocean circulation modeling, DNA analysis, and renewable energy storage. Research advances facilitated by CREST in these fields will bring many benefits to environmental sustainability, economic well-being, and safety of coastal communities in South Texas as well as many other coastal communities across the globe. Broadly, CREST creates experiences students, faculty, and research teams have never imagined. The project directly impacts TAMUCC's strategic goal to develop critical thinking, problem solving, and leadership skills necessary to excel in a global economy. CREST enriches NSF’s commitment to accessibility and inclusivity for underrepresented communities through direct access to TAMUCC’s diverse student body consisting of approximately 50% Hispanic (mainly first generation) students as well as students from Del Mar College where 70% are Hispanic students, Texas A&M University-Kingsville with its 69% Hispanic students, and other partner institutions of the Computing Alliance for HSIs (CAHSI). Finally, CREST can attract world-class researchers and recruit highly qualified, diverse students and faculty for the university's new doctoral programs in Coastal and Marine System Science, Marine Biology, and Geospatial Computer Science, and a forthcoming doctoral program in Data Science. Additional information about the CREST project, including objectives, detailed computing resources, research and education activities, and project reports are available at http://hpc.tamucc.edu/crest.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.