Eighteen Ohio high school students will be spending two weeks this summer at the Ohio Supercomputer Center’s 30th annual Summer Institute, June 16-28 at The Ohio State University. The students will investigate complex science and engineering problems while discovering career opportunities in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Since 1989, Summer Institute (SI) at the Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC) has provided high school students with real-world, hands-on experience in the high performance computing (HPC) and networking fields. SI attendees work in small groups to solve complex problems using OSC resources. Students hear from experts in various fields about STEM topics, giving them an insider’s view of the day-to-day life in these careers and how HPC can enhance opportunities.
Alan Chalker, director of strategic programs at OSC and an SI alumnus, said the program can be a life-changing experience for students.
“As part of our affiliation with OSU and ODHE, an educational mission is inherent in much of what OSC does,” Chalker said. “The Summer Institute program helps us fulfill that goal by exposing students to a variety of computational science-related fields and careers at a stage in their life where they are just beginning to plan for their future vocations. This exposure helps build awareness of our resources both now and in the future – when SI participants might become our clients.”
SI students take science- and engineering-related field trips to the nearby Center for Automotive Research and Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center, as well as complete science-based research projects. Past projects have included conducting network forensics to catch hackers, studying the spread of the bird flu, and designing computer games. Students also receive a behind-the-scenes look at Ohio State’s campus and experience a taste of college life by living in dorms.
OSC provides supercomputing, cyberinfrastructure, research and educational resources to scientists and engineers in Ohio and beyond, including those found in schools, universities, industries, health care centers and state/local government offices.
Each year, OSC also holds a STEM enrichment summer program for middle school-aged girls through the Young Women’s Summer Institute (YWSI).
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EDITORS: The following identifies the students selected for SI. The list is arranged alphabetically by last name and identifies each student’s high school.
Panya Bhinder - Columbus Academy
Neha Chellu - Beachwood High School
Sawyer Danne - Dublin Jerome High School
Hayden Ernst - Walnut Hills High School
Gabriella Howard - Canal Winchester High School
Soham Joshi - Columbus Academy
Soham Konar - Thomas Worthington High School
Raaghav Malik - Columbus Academy
Meghana Malur - Dublin Jerome High School
Drishti Mittal - Stow Munroe Falls High School
Lisha Nawani - Dublin Jerome High School
Dhiya Pereira – Olentangy Liberty High School
Frank Portman - Hudson High School
Kevin Ren - William Mason High School
Vedarsh Shah - William Mason High School
Dorian Tricaud - Olentangy Liberty High School
Ellie Zhang - New Albany High School
Tairan Zhang - Centerville High School
The Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC), a member of the Ohio Technology Consortium of the Ohio Department of Higher Education, addresses the rising computational demands of academic and industrial research communities by providing a robust shared infrastructure and proven expertise in advanced modeling, simulation and analysis. OSC empowers scientists with the vital resources essential to make extraordinary discoveries and innovations, partners with businesses and industry to leverage computational science as a competitive force in the global knowledge economy, and leads efforts to equip the workforce with the key technology skills required to secure 21st century jobs. For more, visit www.osc.edu.
