| quantum computing

Exascale Day with BDPA!

It’s October 18^th 2021. Happy Exascale day!

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 10^th month on its 18^th 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.

^{— Sources: HPE and bdpatoday}

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Hewlett Packard Enterprise wins $2B HPE GreenLake contract with the National Security Agency

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.”

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.

For more information on HPE GreenLake, please visit: https://www.hpe.com/us/en/greenlake.html.

About Hewlett Packard Enterprise

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 .

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#BDPACON22 • Visit BDPA.org • corpsales@bdpa.org • fedsales@bdpadc.org

The IBM-HBCU Quantum Center grows rapidly in size and scope

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:

Distinguished faculty

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 create a 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.

Read more on Qiskit Medium: How Howard University Students Are Hoping to Change the Future of Quantum Computing

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}

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**Tablets For Teens •** **www.tabletsforteens.org**

HPE, JEF, and BDPA Commemorate “Exascale Day” ― 10^18

Webinar + APBi: 17 OCT 20 10:00 am ET

Link to recorded webinar (October 17, 2020):
View webinar → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ptj2yiciZiU&list=PLwwkfkXZ4yRqAiMIDUYDxJ3GQWruLPwwa

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).

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IBM Establishes First Quantum Education and Research Initiative for Historically Black Colleges and Universities

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.

For more about the IBM-HBCU Quantum Center, read HBCU Center Driving Diversity and Inclusion in Quantum Computing.

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.

To learn more about IBM’s 100 years of work on diversity, inclusion and equality in the workplace, visit: https://www.ibm.com/employment/inclusion/

^{― Source and photos: IBM}

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CES 2021 Moves to an All-Digital Experience

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.

: “Implementing Diversity from the Top” at CES 2020. (L-R) Tiffany Moore, CTA; Carmalita Yeizman, Bosch; Lesley Slaton Brown, HP; Ben Hasan, Walmart. © 2020 bdpatoday

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.

**— Source and photos: CTA and BDPA**

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Tech ‘Team Mom’ is 2019’s Member of the Year

2019 Member of The Year (BDPA-DC)

The Real SV: From Somerville to Silicon Valley

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.

— Source: BDPA of Greater Washington, D.C.

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Supercomputer Opportunities at Argonne National Laboratory

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)

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NIST Reports on Computer Systems Technology

WASHINGTON—The Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) promotes the U.S. economy and public welfare by providing technical leadership for the Nation’s measurement and standards infrastructure. ITL develops tests, test methods, reference data, proof of concept implementations, and technical analyses to advance the development and productive

use of information technology. ITL’s responsibilities include the development of management, administrative, technical, and physical standards and guidelines for the cost-effective security and privacy of other than national security-related information in federal information systems.

NIST is in the process of selecting one or more public-key cryptographic algorithms through a public competition-like process. The new public-key cryptography standards will specify one or more additional digital signature, public-key encryption, and key-establishment algorithms to augment FIPS 186-4, Digital Signature Standard (DSS), as well as special publications SP 800-56A Revision 2, Recommendation for Pair-Wise Key Establishment Schemes Using Discrete Logarithm Cryptography, and SP 800-56B, Recommendation for Pair-Wise Key-Establishment Schemes Using Integer Factorization. It is intended that these algorithms will be capable of protecting sensitive information well into the foreseeable future, including after the advent of quantum computers.

Select here to view or download a Status Report.

—Information source: NIST.gov

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Accelerating America’s Leadership in Artificial Intelligence

“Continued American leadership in Artificial Intelligence is of paramount importance to maintaining the economic and national security of the United States.”

President Donald J. Trump

WHITE HOUSE (02.11.19) — In his 2019 State of the Union address, President Trump stressed the importance of investing in the cutting-edge Industries of the Future. Emerging technologies are driving the creation of the Industries of the Future, and none more so than artificial intelligence (AI). AI technologies are transforming nearly every area of our lives, from transportation to healthcare to education to security. Even now at the earliest stages of commercializing these technologies, we have seen the power and potential of AI to support workers, diagnose diseases, and improve our national security.

Americans have profited tremendously from being the early developers and international leaders in AI. However, as the pace of AI innovation increases around the world, we cannot sit idly by and presume that our leadership is guaranteed. We must ensure that advances in AI remain fueled by American ingenuity, reflect American values, and are applied for the benefit of the American people.

The American AI Initiative

Today, President Trump is doing just that by signing an Executive Order launching the American AI Initiative. This Initiative will focus the resources of the Federal government to develop AI in order to increase our Nation’s prosperity, enhance our national and economic security, and improve quality of life for the American people. This initiative takes a multi-pronged approach to accelerating our national leadership in AI, and includes five key areas of emphasis:

1. Investing in AI Research and Development (R&D)

The initiative focuses on maintaining our Nation’s strong, long-term emphasis on high-reward, fundamental R&D in AI by directing Federal agencies to prioritize AI investments in their R&D missions. These investments will strengthen and leverage America’s unique and vibrant R&D ecosystem of industry, academia, and government, and prioritize Federal AI spending on cutting-edge ideas that can directly benefit the American people.

2. Unleashing AI Resources

The initiative directs agencies to make Federal data, models, and computing resources more available to America’s AI R&D experts, researchers, and industries to foster public trust and increase the value of these resources to AI R&D experts, while maintaining the safety, security, civil liberties, privacy, and confidentiality protections we all expect. This action will drive our top-notch AI research toward new technological breakthroughs and promote scientific discovery, economic competitiveness, and national security. These efforts will work in concert with the President’s Management Agenda and implementing the Open, Public, Electronic, and Necessary, (OPEN) Government Data Act.

3. Setting AI Governance Standards

As part of the American AI Initiative, Federal agencies will foster public trust in AI systems by establishing guidance for AI development and use across different types of technology and industrial sectors. This guidance will help Federal regulatory agencies develop and maintain approaches for the safe and trustworthy creation and adoption of new AI technologies. This initiative also calls for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to lead the development of appropriate technical standards for reliable, robust, trustworthy, secure, portable, and interoperable AI systems.

4. Building the AI Workforce

To prepare our workforce with the skills needed to adapt and thrive in this new age of AI, the American AI Initiative calls for agencies to prioritize fellowship and training programs to help American workers gain AI-relevant skills through apprenticeships, skills programs, fellowships, and education in computer science and other growing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. This action will help educate the AI R&D workforce our Nation needs to create and embrace new AI technologies.

5. International Engagement and Protecting our AI Advantage

The Trump Administration is committed to promoting an international environment that supports AI R&D and opens markets for American AI industries while also ensuring that the technology is developed in a manner consistent with our Nation’s values and interests. Federal agencies will also develop and implement an action plan to protect the advantage of the United States in AI and technology critical to United States national and economic security interests against strategic competitors and foreign adversaries.

The American AI Initiative is accelerating our Nation’s leadership in AI. By driving technological breakthroughs in AI, breaking barriers to AI innovation, preparing our workforce for the jobs of the future, and protecting America’s advantage in AI we are ensuring that AI technologies continue to improve the lives of our people, create jobs, reflect our Nation’s values, and keep Americans safe at home and abroad.

Category: quantum computing

Exascale Day with BDPA!

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Hewlett Packard Enterprise wins $2B HPE GreenLake contract with the National Security Agency

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