Ohio Supercomputer Center hosts 28th annual Summer Institute

Twenty Ohio high school students were selected to attend the Ohio Supercomputer Center's 28th annual Summer Institute, June 4-16 at The Ohio State University. These academically gifted students will investigate complex science and engineering problems while discovering the many career opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

The Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC) began the Summer Institute (SI) in 1990 to provide high school students with real-world, hands-on experience in high performance computing (HPC) and networking fields. In small groups, SI students apply the scientific method to solve complex problems using OSC resources. OSC is inviting experts from science, engineering, HPC, and networking fields to speak with the students about STEM topics and careers, and to give students an insider's view of these fields.

Brian Guilfoos, HPC client services manager at the Ohio Supercomputer Center, explained how the Summer Institute can be a life-changing experience for students.

"The Summer Institute allows students to gain a better understanding of what scientists and engineers do," Guilfoos said. "SI gives students real-world knowledge and experience that they can use for the rest of their lives."

SI students take science- and engineering-related field trips, as well as complete projects such as conducting network forensics to catch hackers, studying the spread of the bird flu and designing computer games. Students also receive a behind-the-scenes experience of OSU's campus, and experience a taste of campus life by living in dorms.

Birce Onal, who has been an SI residential adviser and career panelist, has witnessed the benefits of SI for its students. "I see the campers get really excited about these activities," Onal said. "By the end of the week the campers have all had a chance to talk with women and men who got their degrees in physics, computer science, statistics, mathematics, and engineering. They start learning about all the different career options that are out there."

OSC also provides programs for STEM enrichment through the Young Women's Summer Institute for middle school-aged girls, which allows them to engage in scientific research while working with some of the nation's best supercomputers.

Provided by Ohio Supercomputer Center