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Lessons Learned from Minority Computational Science Research and Education Project

Dr. Xiaoqing (Cathy) Qian and Dr. Z.T. Deng Department of Mechanical Engineering Alabama A&M University, Normal, AL 35762 Xiaoqing.Qian@aamu.edu, Zhengtao.Deng@aamu.edu

Abstract

This paper describes lessons learned from U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored minority computational science research and education project at Alabama A&M University (AAMU). Project strategies, activities and outcomes were evaluated in the following areas: (1) High Performance Computing Research and training using the high performance computing laboratory at AAMU; (2) DOE Computational Science scholarship program at AAMU; and (3) Minority undergraduate summer research interns at the computational science division of Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL). The collected data in the past six years were analyzed. Challenges and improvement strategies to get average student involvement in the summer research internship and scholarship programs were presented.

Background

According to the US 1990 census, the total US population was 248,709,873 in 1990. Of these, approximately 51% were women, 29,986,060 (or 12%) were African American, 22,354,059 (or 9%) Hispanic, and 1,878,285 (or 1%) Native American. In 1995, of the total 132 million U.S. civilian labor forces, only 5500 African American who had Ph.D. degree in Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology (SMET) were employed in the SMET field. Only 5.6% of the enrollment in SMET of graduate schools were African American, Hispanic American and Native American (AAHANA) students. There is an urgent need to train minority students in SMET field. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are the primary source of African-American scientists in the US, and HBCU participation in training of students in SMET field is critical.

To respond to this critical need, the Mathematics, Information and Computational Sciences (MICS) division of the U.S. Department of Energy created an Alliance for Computational Science Collaboration in 1997. In 1999, the office of Advanced Scientific Computing at DOE awarded a grant to Alabama A&M University to conduct High performance computational science research and education. In 2005, a continuation grant was awarded. The objective of the project at AAMU was to enhance computational science research and education activities in AAMU. Specifically, collaborative research and education efforts between ORNL and AAMU were created. AAMU also provided computational science training to minority students, and to prepare top minority science and engineering students for computational science graduate study and future employment with DOE.

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Qian, X., & Deng, Z., & Seweryniak, G. (2008, June), Lessons Learned From Minority Computational Science Research And Education Project Paper presented at 2008 Annual Conference & Exposition, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 10.18260/1-2--3478