Acquisition of High Performance Computational Infrastructure for Image Analysis, Visualization, and Game Development

Louisiana State University Shreveport, Shreveport LA

Investigators

Abstract

"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)." Proposal #: 09-59583 PI(s): Celebi, M Emre, Cvek, Urska, Trutschl, Marjan, Williams-Hart, Itara T. Institution: Louisiana State University Shreveport, LA 71115-2301 Title: MRI-R2/Acq: High Performance Computational Infrastructure for Image Analysis, Visualization, and Game Development Project Proposed: This project, acquiring high-performance and storage infrastructure, services research projects requiring the use of high performance resources for image analysis, visualization, game development, and other advanced applications. The specific instrumentation is a blade server system with a storage area network (SAN) subsystem for use by faculty and students mainly in Computer Sciences, Biological Sciences, and Physics/Astronomy. Key characteristics follow. - Provides high performance computing and storage infrastructure to support large image databases, visualization research, and access to vast amount of experimental data from outside the institution; - Promotes multidisciplinary use of common equipment and infrastructure; - Enhances current research efforts and creates new synergy among the various groups involved. These key characteristics should lead to scholarly publications and additional research ideas. Hence, new research ideas and initiatives are expected to emerge that will lead to additional high quality interdisciplinary research activities with potential to enhance socioeconomic progress in the state and beyond. Broader Impacts: The instrument greatly enhances this primarily undergraduate, non-doctoral institution that serves under represented students in an EPSCoR state. The institution has a long history of involving undergraduates in research. Thus, the acquisition and utilization of the system supports an improved learning environment that integrates research and education fostering collaborations within the university, and across institutions. It directly benefits approximately 150 undergraduate students, and at least 15 graduate students per year. Moreover, the supported research and education should contribute to the development of a skilled workforce. The acquisition and utilization of the new blade server system expands opportunities for a diverse community of faculty and students in an underserved area of U.S.