Broader Engagement (BE) Program

SC08 is committed to broadening participation in the conference and to the engagement of individuals from around the globe, in groups that traditionally have been underrepresented in high performance computing or at the SC Conference series, such as African-Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, the physically challenged and women. The breadth and depth of SC08 will provide unparalleled opportunities for learning about innovations in high performance computing, networking, storage and analysis. The Broader Engagement (BE) Program strives to identify and involve those individuals from underrepresented communities who have an interest in high performance computing.

The Broader Engagement Program will support more than 80 participants at SC08. We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of  National Science Foundation, Broadening Participation in Computing Program;  National Science Foundation Office of Cyberinfrastructure. The Coalition for Academic Scientific Computation; Sun Microsystems; and Ethernet Alliance in making this possible.

Want to be a part of Broader Engagement? You can:

• Help BE spread the word about this SC08 opportunity
• Encourage students, faculty, and young professionals from your organization to apply for travel grants
• Sponsor an individual or a group of participants in the program
• Be a mentor or provide mentors for students
• Help sponsor a reception or lunch where you can network with participants
• Meet with students nearing graduation to discuss employment possibilities
• Join us for special sessions, designed specifically for students and early-career faculty and professionals
  

Mentorship Program

In close collaboration with the Education Program, the Student Volunteers Program, and SC exhibitors, BE is endeavoring to grow its mentorship program. Many of these participants are attending SC for their first time, which is an exciting, and sometimes overwhelming experience. To help make the most of their experience, we plan to match each participant with a mentor who has attended SC before, and who can share their experience. We also aim to match participants and mentors with similar technical backgrounds. The mentor gives the participant as little or as much time as they can fit into their schedule, anything from a cup of coffee and a chat, to a tour of the exhibit floor, to a day-long shadowing experience. They also set their own schedules, so it can be arranged at the mentor’s convenience. We encourage you to volunteer – it will be a rewarding experience, and you may meet your next new hire or collaborator!

FAQ for Mentors Participating in Mentor Program

Specialized Sessions

Broader Engagement will host two days of sessions designed specifically for students and early-career faculty and professionals. Highlights include:

• Research Projects in the Entertainment Industry: Joe Marks, VP, Disney Imagineering
• Meeting the Challenges that Face the Nation - National Labs & Supercomputing Centers
• Robots to Molecules: Randomized Motion Planning for Scientific Problems: Shawna Thomas, Texas A&M
• Panels on Graduate School opportunities and experience

While our sessions will be of most interest to students and first-time SC attendees, all registered SC08 attendees are welcome to participate. The schedule is available online.

Networking Opportunities for Job-Seekers

Several activities will connect students with opportunities for internships, summer jobs, and permanent employment. SC08 Broader Engagement will arrange face-to-face networking events with all participating students, host a job fair for students interested in a summer job or permanent employment, and provide potential employers with a supporting resume book and  website via Linked In with students' information and resumes. BE is seeking exhibiting companies to participate in the job fair and to help provide funding for the networking opportunities. All students participating in the SC08 conference are welcome to visit our Job Fair, which will be held on Wednesday, November 19, from 1PM – 4PM in Convention Center Room 9ABC.

Participation Grants

Grants are available through the BE Program to support participation in the SC08 Technical Program. In addition to the complementary conference registration, grant recipients will be reimbursed for their SC08 lodging and transportation expenses.

We encourage applications from all computing-related disciplines, including those with backgrounds in research, education and industry. Primary consideration will be given to applicants from groups that traditionally have been underrepresented in high performance computing, such as African-Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, the physically challenged and women.

Participation grant applications opened May 15, 2008 and were due August 31, 2008.