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Chuck Thompson on ‘The Evolving Vision for Illinois Computes’


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The Evolving Vision for Illinois Computes: Enhancing Research Access Across All Disciplines
By Chuck Thompson, Director of Illinois Computes

In my first three months as director of Illinois Computes, I’ve had the opportunity to meet with a range of people across our campus community and gain insights into how Illinois Computes can better serve the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the broader system’s research needs. Key themes have emerged from these discussions, providing valuable insights as we look to the future of the project.

Director of Illinois Computes Chuck Thompson

First and foremost, simplicity is essential. I have frequently heard, “It’s hard to [blank].” Whether it’s hard to find available resources, hard to understand how to access them, hard to know whom to ask for help, or hard to use the tools once provided, the challenges are pervasive. This is particularly true for researchers unfamiliar with traditional computational tools. Given the critical role technology does and can play in research across every discipline, improving the overall experience – making resources easier to find, access and use – will be a central focus of Illinois Computes moving forward.

Second, there are gaps in the awareness among many researchers of how to use computing technology to enhance and accelerate their research. The AI explosion has likely enlarged this gap as it has expanded the number of disciplines where researchers can benefit from using computing technology. We need to assist the “compute curious” or “AI curious” researchers: those who recognize the potential but are unsure how to leverage it. This presents a clear opportunity for Illinois Computes to build greater awareness and foster a community around the use of AI and other computing technology in research across a broader array of fields.

Third, our offerings need to evolve to meet the diverse needs of researchers across all disciplines. While Illinois Computes currently provides robust traditional research computing resources, such as Linux-based batch-submission systems, these tools do not align with the needs of researchers in all fields. Examples of additional offerings might include Windows-based applications like ArcGIS, large language models (LLMs) as a service and specialized platforms like Omeka for online digital collections. We aim to diversify our offerings to make cutting-edge technologies more approachable and useful to a wider range of researchers.

This evolution of what Illinois Computes offers, and how it offers it, will not come at the expense of the traditional resources many researchers still rely on. Illinois Computes will continue to support the growing demand for high-performance computing, particularly in AI research, while ensuring adequate capacity for emerging needs, such as secure computing. As we broaden our offerings, we also recognize the continued, and increasing, importance of expert support to help researchers navigate this evolving landscape.

Nine years ago, the “Year of Cyberinfrastructure” final report identified “access to expertise” as the number one need for researchers using computing resources. I believe this remains true today. Moving forward, we will build a more cohesive support ecosystem that connects researchers with the expertise they need – regardless of their field or technical background – without requiring them to navigate the complexities of our diverse campus infrastructure on their own.

Illinois Computes has made significant strides in its first two years, but we are only just beginning. Our mission is to ensure that every researcher on campus, regardless of discipline, domain or computing experience, has access to computing technology and support to advance their work. The evolving vision for Illinois Computes is squarely focused on this mission.

Whether you are already a regular user of our resources or just beginning to explore how computing can benefit your research, now is the perfect time to engage with us. I encourage you to explore the resources we have available and let us know what additional tools and support you need. Together, we can continue to push the boundaries of research excellence at Illinois!


ABOUT ILLINOIS COMPUTES

Illinois Computes offers computing and data storage resources, technical expertise and support services to researchers from all domains across the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus. Through the campus-funded program, NCSA will learn what additional assets are needed to fulfill the computing demands of the university and adjust the cyberinfrastructure strategy while continuing to make access to systems, interdisciplinary and technical knowledge, and support infrastructure easy to obtain. Illinois Computes removes barriers for all Illinois researchers – especially those typically underserved – to access NCSA’s growing assemblage of research computing tools and world-class staff, furthering their innovative and novel work while ensuring NCSA is a leader in the global research community.

Check out the Illinois Computes website and sign up for the monthly newsletter for more information.

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