AsianScientist (Mar. 21, 2022) – Augusta Ada Byron, extra generally often known as Ada, Countess of Lovelace, was a mathematician extensively lauded as the primary pc programmer. Regardless of naysayers doubting her contribution to Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine machine, in the present day, her identify and legacy stand out as a shining celebration of ladies in science, expertise, engineering and arithmetic (STEM).
Regardless of computing being considerably male- dominated, girls pioneers have made their mark within the historical past of the sector. An all-woman crew programmed ENIAC, the primary large-scale digital machine that sparked the pc age, with Admiral Grace Hopper inventing the primary high-level pc language.
As lately as 2017, nevertheless, girls have represented solely ten p.c of all excessive efficiency computing paper authors. Whereas there may be not but an abundance of ladies in HPC, their contributions have been impactful and far-reaching. Supercomputing Asia spoke to 2 feminine researchers who’ve made a reputation for themselves within the sector, not solely as girls in computing, however as distinguished specialists of their fields.
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Computing on a regular basis chemistry
A computational chemist by coaching, Dr. Freda Lim of Singapore’s Company for Science, Expertise and Analysis (A*STAR) seeks to know the interactions of client care formulations, like ache reduction patches or skincare merchandise, on customers. Her analysis results in efficient options that transcend the lab bench and onto the toilet shelf.
As a younger scholar pursuing her undergraduate diploma, Lim was not totally satisfied of her future in computing. Uninspired by what she perceived to be mundane, repetitive and unguided work on the time, Lim had all however made up her thoughts to by no means pursue a profession in computational chemistry.
It wasn’t till her graduate research, influenced by the endurance and intelligence of her supervisor, that she found the enjoyment of constructing, refining and testing modeled electrons, atoms and molecules inside a system—the core of computational chemistry.
Right this moment, Lim conducts analysis within the space of client care merchandise whereas enjoying a number one position in A*STAR’s Institute of Excessive Efficiency Computing (IHPC) as senior scientist, innovation lead and deputy division director. Her many hats culminate in advancing HPC within the client care business and in the end formulating the merchandise we use in our bogs day-after-day.
“My first ‘actual’ computational chemistry venture in graduate college concerned semiconductor supplies whereas my second was looking for catalytic supplies for carbon monoxide oxidation at IHPC,” defined Lim. “Although each subjects intrigued me, nothing fascinated me greater than wanting into the chemistry and interactions behind client care merchandise as a result of these are what we come into intimate contact with day-after-day.”
Harnessing the ability of HPC, Lim and her crew examine the interactions between polymers and different elements like nanoparticles, surfactants and even different polymers. Through the use of molecular dynamics simulations, Lim can be in a position to perceive how these completely different formulations work together with gentle materials like hair and pores and skin—contributing to the event of efficient and secure merchandise for folks to make use of.
As a mentor to younger researchers and a speaker at conferences like Supercomputing Asia and within the Pores and skin Analysis Society Singapore webinars, Lim performs an lively position in advancing Singapore and Asia’s HPC panorama.
“The Asian presence within the discipline of HPC has been rising constantly over the past decade with with Japan’s Okay pc and Fugaku, and China’s Tianhe programs,” she stated. “My hope for the approaching years is for the ability of HPC to be democratized and accessible to college students in additional components of Asia, in order that we will profit from a wholesome and steady pool of expertise that may be educated for careers in HPC.”
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A crew sport
Along with being boosted by accessible training and mentorship, the world of HPC can be spurred by collaboration between academia, business and authorities entities as they work to handle international challenges like local weather change and public well being.
A powerful proponent of one of these collaboration, and one of many changemakers main the hassle, Dr. Christine Ouyang holds a number of titles at IBM as a distinguished engineer, grasp inventor and IBM programs CTO lead. Equally obsessed with training in HPC, a part of Ouyang’s work has revolved across the IBM World College Applications designed to construct relationships with tutorial establishments.
“We’ve supplied applied sciences together with {hardware} and software program, course supplies, IBM PhD fellowships, school awards and different tutorial awards to help analysis and abilities growth,” Ouyang shared.
Launched over six a long time in the past, the partnerships cast with faculties world wide, from Switzerland to Pakistan, have helped develop the expertise pool for personal enterprises and authorities companies, speed up innovation from analysis to market and drive financial growth with startups within the area.
In actual fact, from 2012 to 2013, IBM established 13 Collaborative Innovation Facilities (CICs) to advance rising tech fields like huge knowledge, superior analytics and cloud computing. One such partnership Ouyang labored on continues to bear fruit on the Nationwide College of Singapore (NUS).
With the launch of this CIC, IBM supplied NUS with analytics and synthetic intelligence (AI) software program, computing {hardware} in addition to industrial use circumstances from shoppers and mentors for college kids. These are all assets which can be put to good use in nurturing HPC expertise in Singapore.
With 21 years at IBM below her belt, Ouyang has witnessed first-hand what every stakeholder can convey to creating new applied sciences for superior computing. She believes that when assets are mixed, what emerges shouldn’t be solely helpful for all events however usually exceeds the outcomes that anyone group might have achieved alone.
“Every stakeholder brings one thing distinctive to an issue,” she defined. “Academia will present curious minds wanting to work on an issue with an expert community to assist them develop. Authorities companies sometimes provide funded challenges that drive academia. Expertise suppliers provide assets like funding and entry to consulting. Lastly, business can convey real-world challenges and its subject material experience.”
With the HPC market persevering with its regular rise and anticipated to achieve almost US$56 billion by 2028, it’s no marvel that faculties and organizations all around the world need to encourage extra girls to affix the sector. A 2020 examine by AnitaB.org—a non-profit that builds upon the work of Anita Borg, a pioneer within the HPC business, to recruit and advance girls in expertise—discovered that total illustration of ladies in tech has been rising steadily and was up 2.9 p.c since 2018.
As we proceed to know the traits, spotlight the trailblazers and encourage aspiring younger pc scientists, researchers like Dr. Freda Lim and Dr. Christine Ouyang symbolize highly effective examples of the success that may be achieved within the HPC house—irrespective of your gender.
This text was first printed within the print model of Supercomputing Asia, January 2022.
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Copyright: Asian Scientist Journal. Illustration: Oi Keat Lam/Asian Scientist Journal.
Disclaimer: This text doesn’t essentially replicate the views of AsianScientist or its employees.
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