LSU Offers HPC Course in HDTV to Multiple Sites over LONI, AREON, NLR, CESNET and StarLight

January 17, 2007

CHICAGO, IL (January 17, 2007) — The first session of Thomas Sterling's HPC course was presented January 16 via a customized L1/L2 network on LONI, the AREON, the NLR, CESNET, and StarLight.

LSU Center for Computation & Technology (CCT) Professor Thomas Sterling believes supercomputing is the technology of the future for business and industry, and he wants to make sure many college students have the opportunity to learn about it.

This is the theory behind Sterling's "Introduction to High-Performance Computing" course, which will be offered at LSU for the first time during the Spring 2007 semester. This course, which offers an interdisciplinary look at using high performance computing, will be the first use of high-definition video over the Internet for distributed classroom instruction in the United States.

The course will be offered for credit through LSU to students at Louisiana Tech University, the University of Arkansas and Masryk University in the Czech Republic. Sterling's lessons will be broadcast via HDTV to students at these sites.

Sterling conducted a demonstration of the technology that will be used for this class on Monday, Dec. 18, at the University of Arkansas for Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and other distinguished guests.

As part of the demonstration, CCT Director Ed Seidel conversed with Gov. Huckabee from LSU via the HDTV connection over the Internet. "High performance computing is affecting every business and every aspect of life," said Seidel, giving a presentation on different companies using supercomputing to improve their products. "And, it's an area where the South is poised to take a leadership role."

Seidel also said that high-speed optical networks such as the Louisiana Optical Network Initiative (LONI) here and the Arkansas Research and Education Optical Network (ARE-ON) allow universities to collaborate, improving research and education. "The dream of HDTV classroom instruction would not be possible without these networks in place," said Seidel.

About the International Center for Advanced Internet Research
The International Center for Advanced Internet Research at Northwestern University (iCAIR) accelerates leading-edge innovation and enhanced global communications through advanced Internet technologies, in partnership with international and national research communities. iCAIR designs and implements in prototype new communication services, architecture, technologies, and large scale advanced communications facilities. iCAIR manages StarLight, an international advanced communications exchange in Chicago, in partnership with the Electronic Visualization Lab of the University of Illinois at Chicago, Argonne National Laboratory, CANARIE (Canada) and SURFnet6 (Netherlands).
(www.icair.org, www.startap.net/starlight)

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