Gaithersburg, MD—The National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) will be joined by the following technology collaborators in the Migration to Post-Quantum Cryptography Project:
Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS)
Cisco Systems, Inc.
Cryptosense SA
Crypto4A Technologies, Inc.
InfoSec Global
ISARA Corporation
Microsoft
Samsung SDS Co., Ltd.
SandboxAQ
Thales DIS CPL USA, Inc.
Thales Trusted Cyber Technologies
VMware, Inc.
During an initial phase, these collaborators will work with the NCCoE to demonstrate the use of automated discovery tools to identify instances of quantum-vulnerable public-key algorithm use, where they are used in dependent systems, and the function they support.
Each of these organizations responded to a notice in the Federal Register to submit capabilities that aligned with desired solution characteristics for the project. The selected collaborators signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), enabling them to take part in a consortium where they will contribute expertise and hardware or software to help create a reference design and build example standards-based solutions.
NASHVILLE, TN—Tennessee’s General Assembly reconvened January 11, 2022 and on April 14, 2022 the Tennessee Senate unanimously passedSenate Bill 2406 (SB 2406) requiring their Department of Education (DOE) to adopt standards for computer science education by the 2023-2024 school year. Under the new bill, by the 2024-2025 school year all high school students in Tennessee would be required to take a full year of computer science education in order to graduate and middle schoolers would have to take at least one computer science course.
CodeCrew Code School helps connect families and young adults in Memphis, TN. Photo courtesy: CodeCrew Memphis
SB 2406 and its companion bill in the Tennessee House of Representatives, HB 2153, stipulates Tennessee [DOE] will provide in-person and online computer science courses for public school students at no charge by the start of the 2023-24 school year. To this end, DOE would also provide a computer science education professional development program at no cost to educators. Additionally, SB 2406/HB 2153 creates new computer science requirements and stronger academic standards for K-12 students with a requirement Tennessee schools implement these standards beginning in the 2024-25 school year when enacted.
BDPA Alumni and BDPA Memphis Chapter Student Members with (L-R) Bryce Ellis, Naim Hakeem, Kareem Dasilva, Judy Lane, Melaati Jayah, Jada Thorium Mykaila Johnson. Photo: BDPA Memphis
Nebraska Advances High School Computer Science and Technology Bill
Nebraska lawmakers also approved a bill last month to ensure students receive computer science and technology education prior to high school graduation. Introduced by Senator Terrell McKinney of Omaha, LB 1112 would require every public school district in Nebraska to include computer science and technology education within legacy instructional programs of its elementary and middle schools beginning in school year 2024-25.
Nebraska’s students would be required to complete at least one five-credit high school course in computer science and technology prior to graduation. These courses can be provided across traditional in-person classroom settings or blended learning environments.
Upskilling JROTC with STEM Education and Cybersecurity Training for Workforce Pipelines
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2022, Public Law 117-81, authorized $187.6 million and modifies a grant program supporting science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education in JROTC to include quantum information sciences. NDAA 2022 also requires the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) to submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate (SASC) and the House of Representatives (HASC) a briefing on the status of the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) programs of each Armed Force. SECDEF’s briefing must include the following:
(1) an assessment of the current usage of the program, including the number of individuals enrolled in the program, the demographic information of individuals enrolled in the program, and the number of units established under the program
(2) a description of the efforts of the Armed Forces to meet current enrollment targets for the program
(3) If applicable, an explanation of the reasons such enrollment targets have not been met (4) a description of any obstacles preventing the Armed Forces from meeting such enrollment targets
(5) a comparison of the potential benefits and drawbacks of expanding the program; and
(6) a description of program-wide diversity and inclusion recruitment and retention efforts
Tech Industry Certifications Before High School Graduation
In Virginia, the commonwealth’s Board of Education has approved many exams for the purpose of awarding verified credit, specifically designated as “Student-Selected Verified Credit.” In Fairfax County, just outside of our Nation’s Capital, many Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses prepare students for industry certification opportunities. Students who desire this professional credential must pass an industry-developed, industry evaluated exam at the end of the CTE course. Earning an industry credential demonstrates professional skill levels students and JROTC cadets have achieved while providing industry-recognized proof that students are prepared for career-related responsibilities or post-secondary education or training.
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) provides a broad range of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) opportunities and academic opportunities that support pathways to STEAM jobs and careers. In Fairfax County, and across the National Capital Region, the greatest job growth continues to come largely from STEAM-related professions.
Sources: Tennessee and Nebraska General Assemblies; FCPS; Code Crews; BDPA Memphis; and BDPA-DC. Cover photo credit: Charlie Perkins, National BDPA. BDPA Southern Minnesota Coding Team shown during National BDPA’s annual High School Computer Competition (HSCC).
WASHINGTON—As we enter a new era in research and development (R&D) or modeling and simulation, exascale computing will rapidly transform our abilities to do just about anything with any connected or remote device on, in, or near our planet.
Exascale systems and supercomputers are able to achieve over 1 quintillion operations per second. That’s 10 to the 18th power (10^18), or a “1” followed by 18 zeros. On National Exascale Day, National BDPA, local BDPA Chapters, bdpatoday, and PTTV celebrate our 10th month on its 18th day.
Our Exascale Era will have very profound impacts on all industry market segments from energy, health, manufacturing, logistics, and supply chain management to all modes of transportation, infrastructure, new technologies and policy.
So how will these advanced technologies all work together with our village and in your ‘hood? How could more data from satellites, sensors, devices, and people, really work well atop newly secured platforms with compute at the edge in our new era?
To view what a few Industry insiders have to say, visit our Exascale Day playlist and check out https://www.000000000000000000.com/ from HPE, one of National BDPA’s mission partners and longtime High School Computer Competition (HSCC) coding sponsor.
HOUSTON – September 1, 2021 –Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE) today announced that it has been awarded a $2B contract, that will be leveraged over a 10 year period, with the National Security Agency (NSA) to deliver HPE’s high performance computing (HPC) technology as a service through the HPE GreenLake platform.
The new collaboration will enable the NSA to harness rapidly growing AI and data needs more efficiently to create insights and other forecasting and analysis with optimal performance. By using HPE’s HPC solutions through the HPE GreenLake platform, which provides fully managed, secure cloud services on-premises, the NSA will benefit from an agile, flexible, and secure platform to meet their growing data management requirements.
The National Security Agency is gaining industry-leading HPC solutions to tackle AI needs with an as a service experience Share
“Implementing artificial intelligence, machine learning and analytics capabilities on massive sets of data increasingly requires High Performance Computing (HPC) systems” said Justin Hotard, senior vice president and general manager, HPC and Mission Critical Solutions (MCS) at HPE. “Customers are demanding HPC capabilities on their most data-intensive projects combined with easy, simple, and agile management. By using the HPE GreenLake platform, which delivers secure on-premises solutions as a service, the National Security Agency (NSA) is gaining industry-leading HPC solutions to tackle a range of complex data needs, but with a flexible, as a service experience.”
Photo credit: National Security Agency
Harnessing data growth with purpose-built HPC and AI solutions
The new service includes a combination of HPE Apollo systems and HPE ProLiant servers, which ingest and process high volumes of data, and support deep learning and artificial intelligence capabilities. As part of the HPE GreenLake service, HPE will build and manage the complete solution that will be hosted at a QTS data center, a hosting facility that delivers secure, compliant data center infrastructure and robust connectivity to support scaling of operations. The new service will go into use starting in 2022.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE) is the global edge-to-cloud company that helps organizations accelerate outcomes by unlocking value from all of their data, everywhere. Built on decades of reimagining the future and innovating to advance the way people live and work, HPE delivers unique, open and intelligent technology solutions delivered as a service – spanning Compute, Storage, Software, Intelligent Edge, High Performance Computing and Mission Critical Solutions – with a consistent experience across all clouds and edges, designed to help customers develop new business models, engage in new ways, and increase operational performance. For more information, visit: www.hpe.com .
ARMONK, NY—When IBM launched the IBM-HBCU Quantum Center last September, our goal was to collaborate with historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in a way that would advance not only quantum information science, but also STEM-based opportunities for these traditionally underrepresented communities. We are proud to report that this initiative in the quantum computing field is off to a fast start, as HBCUs, students, and faculty begin to explore the Center’s vast potential.
Membership has nearly doubled in less than six months to a total of 23 HBCUs. We have created a community of students and faculty, including the start of an undergraduate research program where students are exploring quantum computation with Qiskit, and have contributed to a pre-print on arXiv that investigates the use of machine learning and quantum computing to better understand unknown quantum systems.
Expanding the IBM-HBCU Quantum Center
Today, we’ve announced a slate of new members for the Center, with 10 historically Black colleges and universities joining the Center’s 13 founding institutions. The new schools (in alphabetical order) are:
In addition to this rapid growth, we are honored to have distinguished faculty as members of the Center, including Howard University associate professor of physics Thomas Searles, winner of the inaugural Joseph A. Johnson III Award for Excellence; Serena Eley, an assistant professor of physics at the Colorado School of Mines and head of the Eley Quantum Materials Group; and Anderson Sunda-Meya, an associate professor of physics at Xavier University of Louisiana and recipient of the 2021 American Physical Society Excellence in Physics Education Award.
Professors Eley and Searles have also received grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) through the organization’s Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program. The program supports early-career faculty who have the potential to become academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in their department or organization.
Inclusion from the start
The Center is a multi-year investment designed to prepare and develop talent at HBCUs from all STEM disciplines. IBM’s goals are to build a sustainable quantum research and education program by increasing the number of Black students educated in Quantum Information Science and Engineering (QISE), strengthening research efforts of faculty at HBCUs in QISE, and providing opportunities for scholarship, fellowships, and internships for HBCU undergraduate and graduate students.
The IBM-HBCU Quantum Center’s mission is to educate, foster collaboration on joint research, and ultimately createa more diverse quantum-ready workforce for students studying everything from physics and chemistry to computer science and business. The Center’s members collaborate across their respective institutions, and are building regional interactions to strengthen both faculty and student engagement.
Black and Latinx students leave STEM majors at nearly twice the rate of white students, due largely to the lack of a support structure and access to resources as they pursue their academic goals, according to EAB, a Washington-based education research company. We see the need for an inclusive, supportive space where these students and their professors are able to collaborate and explore emerging technologies. This collaboration with HBCUs, which educate 27 percent of African American graduates with STEM degrees, will increase opportunities for faculty and students to identify and launch successful careers in the budding field of quantum computing.
Since IBM first put a quantum computer on the cloud almost five years ago, it has pushed the boundaries of both access and enablement for quantum computation at a global scale. One example is our Qiskit Global Summer School, which delivered an undergraduate-level course on quantum algorithms to a global audience of over 4,000 students in over 100 countries. Another example is our partnership with The Coding School expanding quantum education to high schools by educating thousands of students around the world for a full academic year.
We know that early touch points with new technology can help increase the likelihood of capturing interest in the subject and is critical for underrepresented communities. In return, we envision quantum computing benefitting greatly from a diverse community of researchers and industry professionals that can help advance the technology and identify commercial applications.
Looking forward
As the Center continues to develop, we are measuring success on a number of metrics, including student engagement, talent and workforce development, and research capacity. We hope to apply these best practices as we build the quantum workforce, especially at community colleges and undergraduate and minority-serving institutions, which all serve traditionally underrepresented communities in STEM.
Source and photo credits: IBM | February 22, 2021 | Written by: Dr. Kayla Lee and Benita Zazueta
Industry Presenter:Steve Heibein Steve Heibein is the Artificial Intelligence (Ai) Lead for Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Before HPE, he served as CIO, CTO, or VP Engineering for 20 years at several tech and media companies. In these roles, he oversaw Ai, machine learning, and data analytics projects in the areas of life science, fraud prevention, natural language processing, identity theft, cybersecurity, and energy forecasting. Steve advises organizations on the use and deployment of Ai solutions and regularly presents about high-performance computing and artificial intelligence.
Industry Moderator/Co-Host: Bryan Bemley Bryan Bemley is an IT security specialist with Accenture Federal Services (AFS) and CIO of Joint Educational Facilities (JEF), Inc. Since the age of four, Bryan has always been fascinated with technology, beginning his leap with learning and understand DOS. Since then, Bryan has immersed himself in many different areas in Computer Science and Information Technology including Artificial Life, High Performance Computing (HPC), Web and Graphic Design, Cloud Computing, and Cyber Security. Using his experience and love of research and technology, Bryan strives to teach and mentor anyone who has an interest in IT to increase their body of knowledge.
Summary:Exascale Day is 18 October 2020 Exascale Day is the day we celebrate people and organizations actively using supercomputing and computational science to change the world for the better.
WEBINAR: Since 1982, HP, HPE, and Joint Educational Facilities, Inc. (JEF) have been Industry mission-partners with National BDPA and the High Performance Computing (HPC) Community. In this webinar and advance planning briefing for Interns and Industry (APBi) series, we highlight “Artificial Intelligence” or “Ai” along with, HPE, our HPC Community, and achievements across Industry featuring BDPA and JEF collaborations and related success stories. Our question and answer (Q&A) segment is facilitated by Bryan Bemley (JEF.org) and Perry Carter (bdpatoday.com).
Up next with JEF and BDPA: Autonomous Operations: Ai and Compute at “The Edge” and “Edge-to-Core Analytics” (our next sessions featuring HPE are November 7th and 14th).
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
Joint Educational Facilities, Inc. • High Performance Computing (HPC) in the Community • JEF.org
ARMONK, NY―This week, IBM announced its first IBM Quantum education and research initiative for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), aimed at driving a diverse and inclusive quantum workforce. Led by Howard University and 12 additional HBCUs, the IBM-HBCU Quantum Center will offer access to its quantum computers, as well as collaboration on academic, education, and community outreach programs.
In addition, as part of the company’s continued efforts around diversity and inclusion, IBM will make a $100M investment in technology, assets, resources and skills development through partnerships with additional HBCUs through the IBM Skills Academy Academic Initiative.
Driving Diversity and Inclusion in Quantum Computing
“We believe that in order to expand opportunity for diverse populations, we need a diverse talent pipeline of the next generation of tech leaders from HBCUs. Diversity and inclusion is what fuels innovation and students from HBCUs will be positioned to play a significant part of what will drive innovations for the future like quantum computing, cloud and artificial intelligence,” said Carla Grant Pickens, Chief Global Diversity & Inclusion Officer, IBM.
The IBM-HBCU Quantum Center is a multi-year investment designed to prepare and develop talent at HBCUs from all STEM disciplines for the quantum future. It will emphasize the power of community and focus on developing students through support and funding for research opportunities, curriculum development, workforce advocacy, and special projects.
“Diversity is a source of competitive advantage, essential to create a thriving quantum industry,” said Dario Gil, Director of IBM Research. “We could not be more excited about partnering with our HBCU colleagues to help educate and empower the first generation of quantum computing native students and researchers.”
The 13 HBCUs intending to participate in the Quantum Center were prioritized based on their research and education focus in physics, engineering, mathematics, computer science, and other STEM fields. They include: Albany State University, Clark Atlanta University, Coppin State University, Hampton University, Howard University, Morehouse College, Morgan State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Southern University, Texas Southern University, University of the Virgin Islands, Virginia Union University, and Xavier University of Louisiana.
“Howard University has prioritized our efforts to support our students’ pathway to STEM fields for many years with exciting results as we witness more and more graduates becoming researchers, scientists and engineers with renown national companies. Our faculty and students look forward to collaborating with our peer institutions through the IBM-HBCU Quantum Center. We’re excited to share best practices and work together to prepare students to participate in a quantum-ready workforce,” said President Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., MBA.
Investing in Under-Represented Talent to Drive Innovation
As part of the Skills Academy Academic Initiative in Global University Programs, a multi-year program, IBM is donating more than $100M in assets, including university guests lectures, curriculum content, digital badges, software and faculty training to select HBCUs by the end of 2020. The IBM Skills Academy is a comprehensive, integrated program designed to create a foundation of diverse and high demand skill sets that directly correlate to what students will need in the workplace. The learning tracks address topics such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, blockchain, design thinking and quantum computing.
The HBCUs who are part of the Skills Academy Academic Initiative include: Clark Atlanta University, Fayetteville State University, Grambling State University, Hampton University, Howard University, Johnson C. Smith University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, Southern University System, Stillman College, Virginia State and West Virginia State University.
The response to combating systemic racism in the US must be timely, strategic and more than a statement of support. The response needs to be tangible action. IBM’s investment in HBCUs is part of the company’s efforts around social justice and racial equality by creating equitable, innovative experiences for HBCU students to acquire the necessary skills to unlock economic opportunity and prosperity.
ARLINGTON, VA — The Consumer Technology Association (CTA)® today announced CES 2021® — January 6-9, 2021 — will be an all-digital experience connecting exhibitors, customers, thought leaders and media from around the world. The new format will allow participants to hear from technology innovators, see cutting-edge technologies and the latest product launches, and engage with global brands and startups from around the world.
“Amid the pandemic and growing global health concerns about the spread of COVID-19, it’s just not possible to safely convene tens of thousands of people in Las Vegas in early January 2021 to meet and do business in person,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CTA. “Technology helps us all work, learn and connect during the pandemic — and that innovation will also help us reimagine CES 2021 and bring together the tech community in a meaningful way. By shifting to an all-digital platform for 2021, we can deliver a unique experience that helps our exhibitors connect with existing and new audiences.”
CES 2021 will be a new immersive experience, where attendees will have a front row seat to discover and see the latest technology. This highly personalized experience will bring a global event to the comfort and safety of your home or office.
For over 50 years, CES has been the global stage for innovation. CTA’s goal for CES 2021 is to provide an engaging platform for companies large and small to launch products, build brands and form partnerships, while prioritizing health and safety. Members of the tech community thrive by coming together, sharing ideas and introducing products that will shape our future.
Mark your calendars for the first week in January and be on the lookout for more exciting news about CES 2021. CES plans to return to Las Vegas for CES 2022, combining the best elements of a physical and digital show.
WASHINGTON — Terry Brox, a native of Philadelphia PA, holds degrees in Computer Science from La Salle University, Information Security from Peirce College and a Masters Certificate in Instructional Design from George Mason University. Employed by KPMG, she is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and a Certified Information Security Auditor (CISA).
As a child, Terry always wanted to be a teacher and although she started her career teaching computer programming in Philadelphia, PA, the opportunity to work in Silicon Valley as a Computer Scientist was the best decision she ever made. She currently resides in Northern Virginia, is married with three children, and has two grandchildren.
More “hidden figures” with countless success stories continue to evolve from Philadelphia’s Germantown and West Oak Lane communities in spite of known challenges chronicled from the late 1960’s through the turn of the century. Skirmishes between Brickyard, Clang, Dogtown, Haines Street, Somerville, and other turf rivalries across Philadelphia were emblematic of the struggles of inner-city youth that transcended Ms. Brox’ childhood communities.
Founded in 1975 by Earl A. Pace, Jr. not too far away in the Nicetown section of Philadelphia, BDPA (formerly known as Black Data Processing Associates) gives Ms. Brox an opportunity to give back to her communities while doing something which she dreamed of doing since childhood.
This year as a volunteer and sponsor, Ms. Brox served as a Coach, a Mentor, and “Team Mom” to 2019’s High School Computer Competition (HSCC) team from the National Capital Region. Training, coding, and application development sessions were conducted on weekends. BDPA-DC’s HSCC Student Member finalists successfully captured their third national HSCC coding championship in Atlanta, GA during BDPACon19. Twelve other U.S. HSCC teams competed.
The trade association’s annual Tech and Media Reception and Community Technology Awards is Thursday evening, November 21, 2019, from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm at Samsung Electronics Future Center on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
LEMONT, IL (BDPA Chicago) — The world’s most powerful computer ever built in the United States will make its home at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) in 2021, the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) and Intel announced last quarter. Aurora, the United States’ first exascale computer, combines unprecedented processing power with the growing potential of artificial intelligence (Ai) to help solve the world’s most important and complex scientific challenges. Take a quick tour viewing this video.
Argonne is a multidisciplinary science and engineering research center, where teams of world-class researchers work alongside experts from industry, academia, and other government laboratories to address vital national challenges in clean energy, environment, technology, and national security. This engaging environment makes Argonne a great place for undergraduates to participate in cutting-edge research and develop a dynamic skill set for the next stage in their careers.
STEM Outreach
To inspire students to consider pursuing a career in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) field, Argonne Educational Programs supports and encourages STEM Outreach. Through facilitating competitions, sending scientists to physically or virtually visit classrooms, and showcasing Argonne research at local STEM fairs and expos for students and families, Argonne Educational Programs commits itself to broadening the impact of STEM awareness in our community.
Internships
Select here for additional outreach information and internship opportunities. DoE’s Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program (MSIPP) offers internships to help develop our future workforce in critically important areas of science, engineering, technology, and mathematics (STEM). We invite you to help us tackle our unique and often-unprecedented scientific and technical challenges, which are engaging some of the finest scientists and engineers in the nation.
— Source and photos: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)
As a child, Terry always wanted to be a teacher and although she started her career teaching computer programming in Philadelphia, PA, the opportunity to work in Silicon Valley as a Computer Scientist was the best decision she ever made. She currently resides in Northern Virginia, is married with three children, and has two grandchildren.
