LIGO- G020001-00-Z All-Hands April (2002)LSC Member Institution (UT Brownsville) 1 Education & Outreach Activities of the GriPhyN & iVDGL projects Manuela

All-Hands April (2002) LSC Member Institution (UT Brownsville) 1

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Education & Outreach Activities of the GriPhyN & iVDGL projects

Manuela Campanelli The University of Texas at Brownsville


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GriPhyN/iVDGL E/O Members

• E/O work team: UTB:

» Manuela Campanelli (GriPhyN/iVDGL coordinator)

» Joe Romano (GriPhyN investigator) » Sean Morris (undergrad student)» Jose’ Zamora (undergrad student)» Santiago Pena (grad student)

HU:» Keith Baker (iVDGL deputy)» Ken Cecire (QuarkNet)» Howard Brown (undergrad student)

SKC:» Tim Olson (iVDGL investigator) » 2 undergrad students

+» All GriPhyN/iVDGL Members!

• MSI and Tier3 Centers:

UT Brownsville:» Hispanic College and University » 9000 students (90% Hispanic American)» LSC institution (LIGO research)

Hampton University: » Historically Black College and University » 6000 students (mostly African American)» QuarkNet Center » ATLAS/COSM Center

Salish Kootenai College: » Tribal College » 2000 students (80% native American)» LSC institution (LIGO research)


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Activities at UT Brownsville

• E/O coordination for GriPhyN & iVDGL: » In Fall 2001, UTB hired of a full-time tenure-track faculty member,

Manuela Campanelli, to serve as GriPhyN E/O coordinator.» Coordinator helped to write the iVDGL proposal, which increases

the MSI participation in grid-related activities, and will also lead the iVDGL E/O effort.

• Development of E/O Web Site:» During Fall 2001, E/O coordinator developed the GriPhyN

Education and Outreach Center at http://www.phys.utb.edu/griphyn

» To serve as reference point for E/O to several students and teachers and also journalists. The site contains basic educational material about data grids, information about the physics experiments, E/O activities etc.

» We are now adding more technical support information (e.g., documentation, users manuals, “how-to” guides) as the VDT become ready.


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• Construct and grid-enable UTB Linux cluster:» UTB completed the benchmarking and construction of 96-node

Linux cluster complete in Fall 2001.» Primarily serving for LIGO data analysis, but also as a test bed for

GriPhyN/iVDGL software (VDT) and numerical relativity simulations (CACTUS).

» Now working with Scott Koranda (UW Milwaukee) and 2 undergraduate students, Sean Morris & Jose’ Zamora, at UTB to install and use the VDT (Condor, Globus etc). First test of VDT installation successful !

» Hiring a new graduate student, Santiago Pena, this summer, who is very excited to do grid-related work!

» UTB will provide help to grid enable HU and SKC clusters.» UTB selected as LIGO Tier 2 center. We are now working to find

grants to hire a full time system administrator and I2 connection.


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• Workshops and tutorials: » The “First E/O Meeting” was organized at UT Brownsville (March 1,

2002) . Several local schools and universities (e.g UTPANAM) were encouraged to participate, organizational plan discussed, inauguration of the beowulf cluster.

» We now propose to have “All-Hands Meeting” at MSIs to get a large number of minority students directly involved. UT Brownsville is volunteering to host such a meeting in Fall 2003.

• Spread News to Public and Media: – E/O Coordinator was interviewed in`Financial times’ in Germany

and ‘Brownsville Herald’ in Texas.– E/O Coordinator wrote an article `Grid Physics, the Virtual Data Grid

and LIGO’ to MOG (Patrick Brady & Manuela Campanelli) to reach a broader gravitational physics community.


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• Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU):» This Fall, Manuela Campanelli plan to submit a proposal for a REU

supplement from NSF to support 10 to 20 undergraduate students doing grid-related research during summer 2003 at several GriPhyN/iVDGL Institutions. In order to achieve this goal we need to know:

– Mentoring Institutions– Detailed Research Projects

» Possibly interested mentoring Institutions: iGOC, TransPAC group at Indiana U (James Williams, John Hicks), Caltech (Harvey Newman, Eric Aslakson), Fermilab (Ruth Pordes), UW Milwaukee (Bruce Allen).

» One idea for REU projects could be to build a soft version of the VDT and simple databases to allow an easier access to students and school teachers to the grid!

• NASA University Research Center (URC) proposal: » UTBRG group is in the process of submitting a proposal to NASA

URC. More students involved with grid-related research and possible connection with NASA grid effort.


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• Leveraging existing E/O programs» Manuela Campanelli and Joe Romano have been recently discussing

with EOT-PACI leaders, Roscoe Giles and Scott Lathrop, to explore ways to link E/O activities. GriPhyN/iVDGL researchers should give talks at special E/O workshops and conferences organized by EOT-PACI.

» Coordinator have been talking with Harvey Newman and Eric Aslakson to develop special challenge projects based on application sciences and grid technology. Provide interesting data sets for ThinkQuest competitions.

» Alex Szaley and Jordan Raddick (Johns Hopkins U) have been talking to Manuela Campanelli and several schools teachers in Brownsville to use SDSS Skyserver in their classroom.

» International: Last year, the Coordinator made contacts with heads of dissemination programs for European data grid projects, e.g. DataGrid, EuroGrid etc. Possible joint project for creating a E/O video documentary …


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Activities at Hampton University

• E/O Deputy for iVDGL: » Keith Baker will help E/O coordinator to lead the iVDGL E/O

effort.

• Construction of a Linux Cluster» HU is currently using the BNL Linux cluster to do

ATLAS/COSM research. They have I2 connection and good facility resources.

» HU is planning to construct a small (32-node) cluster next year.

» Howard Brown is already learning about linux cluster and participating to the iVDGL facilities telecons. HU has funds to support additional undergraduate and graduate students.


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Activities at Hampton University

• Leveraging existing E/O programs » HU is a QuarkNet center and ATLAS/COSM center,

therefore it should incorporate grid-related components into already QuarkNet and ATLAS/CMS E/O activities. Keith Baker will lead this activity with the help of a QuarkNet investigator, Ken Cecire. The aim is to target K-12 students and teachers to do grid research.

• Workshops and tutorials:» HU is proposing to hold a E/O meeting or workshop in

conjunction with QuarkNet activities. We need a date …

» An undergraduate student, Howard Brown would like to participate at EOT-PACI workshop this summer.


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Activities at SKC

• Leveraging other E/O programs: » Recently became a LSC institution to contribute to LIGO

research.» This summer, Tim Olson will submit a proposal for the

creation of a NISBA center for excellence in teaching. If funded, he will be able to hold summer workshops and national educational meetings at SKC, where GriPhyN/iVDGL researchers could participate by giving talks and tutorials.

» Tim Olson is using SDSS Skyserver in his Astronomy courses.

• Construction of Linux cluster at SKC:» Tim Olson is attending iVDGL facilities telecons and

participating to Linux cluster construction workshops.» Construction of small (32-nodes) Linux clusters at SKC is

planned for January 2003. The planning of the construction will start this summer.


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Activities for All GriPhyN/iVDGL members

• Dissemination: » All GriPhyN/iVDGL senior investigators should give talks at

interested MSIs, Educational workshops and conferences. Please, see a list of conferences and MSIs at the E/O web site and let the E/O coordinator aware of your contributions.

» Course development: All GriPhyN/iVDGL senior investigators could include grid concepts in the classes we are teaching.

» Mentoring REU students during summer months.» Provide data samples and research projects to E/O

coordinators.


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Summary of Organization and Responsibilities

• UTB Tier 3 Center: » Coordination and planning (GriPhyN, iVDGL Tier 3 Centers).» Web Pages and CVS repositories.» Prepare a proposal for REU supplement.» Explore connection with E/O programs of LIGO and SDSS.

UTB has strong interest in E/O astronomy because of the NASA URC and ENLACE programs.

» Provide links to EOT-PACI and ThinkQuest.» Keep in touch with other European Projects (e. g. DataGrid,

EUDG etc). Possible video documentary with members of European DataGrid and PPDG.

» Organize how-to workshops and tutorials, All-Hands at MSI and special E/O days at UTB.

» Construction and grid-enabling Linux clusters and introducing students to VDT and grid-related research projects.


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Summary of Organization and Responsibilities

• SKC Tier 3 Center: » Work in E/O of SDSS ( e.g. SkyServer, Virtualsky) and LIGO.» Provide links to K-12 students and teachers via the NISBA or other

programs. » Construction and grid-enabling Linux clusters and introducing

students to VDT and grid-related research projects.

• HU Tier 3 Center: » Work with E/O programs of CMS/ATLAS, PPDG, and QuarkNet.» Construction and grid-enabling Linux clusters and introducing

students to VDT and grid-related research projects.

• All iVDGL/GriPhyN Members:» Give talks at other US institutions, in particular MSI (All-Hands

meetings at MSI is an opportunity!)» Introduce grid concepts in their courses. » Mentoring REU students during summer months.» Provide data samples and research projects to E/O coordinators.

Documents

LIGO- G020001-00-Z All-Hands April (2002)LSC Member Institution (UT Brownsville) 1 Education & Outreach Activities of the GriPhyN & iVDGL projects Manuela