Speakers

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  Prof. Neeraj Rai (Website)

  Mississippi State University

  
  

  Neeraj Rai is the Ergon, Inc. Distinguished Professor in the Dave C. Swalm School of Chemical Engineering and the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems at Mississippi State University. His research integrates molecular modeling, high-performance computing, data science, and machine learning to study interfacial molecular science for catalysis and to design and develop optoelectronic materials. He also develops computational tools and training resources that broaden access to advanced computing and enable data- and computation-intensive research. He led the establishment of i-CoMSE, the NSF-supported Institute for Computational Molecular Science Education, which trains the next generation of scientists and engineers in computational molecular science and engineering.

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  Dr. Irina Dolinskaya (LinkedIn)

  National Science Foundation

  
  

  Irina Dolinskaya, Ph.D., is directorate head for the U.S National Science Foundation Computer and Information Science and Engineering (NSF CISE) Directorate at the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). Prior to becoming a directorate head, she served as a deputy division director in NSF’s Computing and Communication Foundations division, and as program director in NSF’s Division of Civil, Mechanical & Manufacturing Innovation. Prior to joining NSF, Irina Dolinskaya was a faculty in the Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences department at Northwestern University. She obtained M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan, and a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Florida.

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  Dr. Amy Walton

  National Science Foundation

  
  

  Amy Walton is the Deputy Directorate Head for the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE). Prior to her current role, she was a Program Director in the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure, contributing to several cross-foundational activities in which NSF has a leadership role: Harnessing the Data Revolution, emphasizing data-intensive research in science and engineering; enabling Quantum Leap, through foundries for quantum materials science, engineering and information; Cyberinfrastructure for Sustained Scientific Innovation, focused upon the availability and interoperability of science data cyberinfrastructure; and EarthCube, an integrated geoscience research program.

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  Dr. Benjamin Brown (Contact)

  Department of Energy

  
  

  Dr. Benjamin (Ben) Brown is the Director of the Facilities Division in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science, Advanced Scientific Computing Research program. Ben leads and executes the conception, construction, and operation of DOE’s world-leading research supercomputing, data, and networking infrastructure to enable the DOE mission and the national research enterprise. Ben is the federal executive lead for the American Science Cloud, the open science infrastructure for the Genesis Mission Platform, and is the lead architect of the Department’s Integrated Research Infrastructure effort to achieve seamless interoperability of experimental, observational, computational, network, and data infrastructure.  Ben has been a member of the federal Senior Executive Service since 2020.  He has over twenty years of government service with extensive experience in research infrastructure strategy, budget formulation, risk management, and project management.  He is a Ph.D. experimental physicist with specialization in ultrafast optics, ultracold atomic physics, and quantum information science.

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  Dir. Katie Antypas (OAC Website)

  National Science Foundation

  
  

  Katie Antypas is NSF’s Director of the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure which supports the development and deployment of advanced data, computing, and networking infrastructure, as well as the software, tools, services, and training for the research community. It is also the Office responsible for the launch and deployment of the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) Pilot. Prior to joining NSF Katie spent 17 years at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center in a variety of leadership roles leading the deployment of large-scale high-performance computing systems and supporting the scientific research community using them. She has an M.S. in CS from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor degree in Physics from Wellesley College.

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  Prof. Kenneth Merz (Website)

  Cleveland Clinic

  
  

  Kenneth M. Merz Jr., Ph.D. is a Quantum Molecular Scientist in the Center for Computational Life Sciences at Cleveland Clinic. His research interests include computational chemistry, molecular simulation, drug discovery, and quantum computing applications in the life sciences. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic, he served as a University Distinguished Professor and the Joseph Zichis Chair in Chemistry at Michigan State University and held faculty appointments at the University of Florida and Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Merz is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling and has authored more than 400 scientific publications.

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  Prof. Alan Sussman (Website)

  University of Maryland, College Park

  
  

  Alan Sussman is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he also serves as the Associate Chair for Undergraduate Education. He previously served as a Program Director at the NSF within the CISE Directorate. He focuses on parallel and distributed systems, high-performance computing, and computer science education.