Education & Outreach Activities of the GriPhyN & iVDGL projects

1. Education & Outreach Activities of the GriPhyN & iVDGL projects Manuela Campanelli The University of Texas at Brownsville LSC Member Institution (UT Brownsville)

2. E/O work team: UTB: Manuela Campanelli (GriPhyN/iVDGL coordinator) Joe Romano (GriPhyN investigator) Sean Morris (undergrad student) Jose’ Zamora (undergrad student) Santiago Pena (grad student) HU: Keith Baker (iVDGL deputy) Ken Cecire (QuarkNet) Howard Brown (undergrad student) SKC: Tim Olson (iVDGL investigator) 2 undergrad students + All GriPhyN/iVDGL Members! MSI and Tier3 Centers: UT Brownsville: Hispanic College and University 9000 students (90% Hispanic American) LSC institution (LIGO research) Hampton University: Historically Black College and University 6000 students (mostly African American) QuarkNet Center ATLAS/COSM Center Salish Kootenai College: Tribal College 2000 students (80% native American) LSC institution (LIGO research) GriPhyN/iVDGL E/O Members LSC Member Institution (UT Brownsville)

3. Activities at UT Brownsville • E/O coordination for GriPhyN & iVDGL: • In Fall 2001, UTB hired of a full-time tenure-track faculty member, Manuela Campanelli, to serve as GriPhyN E/O coordinator. • Coordinatorhelped to write the iVDGL proposal, which increases the MSI participation in grid-related activities, and will also lead the iVDGL E/O effort. • Development of E/O Web Site: • During Fall 2001, E/O coordinator developed the GriPhyN Education and Outreach Centerat http://www.phys.utb.edu/griphyn • To serve as reference point for E/O to several students and teachers and also journalists. The site contains basic educational material about data grids, information about the physics experiments, E/O activities etc. • We are now adding more technical support information (e.g., documentation, users manuals, “how-to” guides) as the VDT become ready. LSC Member Institution (UT Brownsville)

4. Activities at UT Brownsville • Construct and grid-enable UTB Linux cluster: • UTB completed the benchmarking and construction of 96-node Linux cluster complete in Fall 2001. • Primarily serving for LIGO data analysis, but also as a test bed for GriPhyN/iVDGL software (VDT) and numerical relativity simulations (CACTUS). • Now working with Scott Koranda (UW Milwaukee) and 2 undergraduate students, Sean Morris & Jose’ Zamora, at UTB to install and use the VDT (Condor, Globus etc). First test of VDT installation successful ! • Hiring a new graduate student, Santiago Pena, this summer, who is very excited to do grid-related work! • UTB will provide help to grid enable HU and SKC clusters. • UTB selected as LIGO Tier 2 center. We are now working to find grants to hire a full time system administrator and I2 connection. LSC Member Institution (UT Brownsville)

5. Activities at UT Brownsville • Workshops and tutorials: • The “First E/O Meeting” was organized at UT Brownsville (March 1, 2002) . Several local schools and universities (e.g UTPANAM) were encouraged to participate, organizational plan discussed, inauguration of the beowulf cluster. • We now propose to have “All-Hands Meeting” at MSIs to get a large number of minority students directly involved. UT Brownsville is volunteering to host such a meeting in Fall 2003. • Spread News to Public and Media: • E/O Coordinator was interviewed in`Financial times’ in Germany and ‘Brownsville Herald’ in Texas. • E/O Coordinator wrote an article `Grid Physics, the Virtual Data Grid and LIGO’ to MOG (Patrick Brady & Manuela Campanelli) to reach a broader gravitational physics community. LSC Member Institution (UT Brownsville)

6. Activities at UT Brownsville • Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU): • This Fall, Manuela Campanelli plan to submit a proposal for a REU supplement from NSF to support 10 to 20 undergraduate students doing grid-related research during summer 2003 at several GriPhyN/iVDGL Institutions. In order to achieve this goal we need to know: • Mentoring Institutions • Detailed Research Projects • Possibly interested mentoring Institutions: iGOC, TransPAC group at Indiana U (James Williams, John Hicks), Caltech (Harvey Newman, Eric Aslakson), Fermilab (Ruth Pordes), UW Milwaukee (Bruce Allen). • One idea for REU projects could be to build a soft version of the VDT and simple databases to allow an easier access to students and school teachers to the grid! • NASA University Research Center (URC) proposal: • UTBRG group is in the process of submitting a proposal to NASA URC. More students involved with grid-related research and possible connection with NASA grid effort. LSC Member Institution (UT Brownsville)

7. Activities at UT Brownsville • Leveraging existing E/O programs • Manuela Campanelli and Joe Romano have been recently discussing with EOT-PACI leaders, Roscoe Giles and Scott Lathrop, to explore ways to link E/O activities. GriPhyN/iVDGL researchers should give talks at special E/O workshops and conferences organized by EOT-PACI. • Coordinatorhave been talking with Harvey Newman and Eric Aslakson to develop special challenge projects based on application sciences and grid technology. Provide interesting data sets for ThinkQuest competitions. • Alex Szaley and Jordan Raddick (Johns Hopkins U) have been talking to Manuela Campanelli and several schools teachers in Brownsville to use SDSS Skyserver in their classroom. • International: Last year, the Coordinator made contacts with heads of dissemination programs for European data grid projects, e.g. DataGrid, EuroGrid etc. Possible joint project for creating a E/O video documentary … LSC Member Institution (UT Brownsville)

8. Activities at Hampton University • E/O Deputy for iVDGL: • Keith Baker will help E/O coordinator to lead the iVDGL E/O effort. • Construction of a Linux Cluster • HU is currently using the BNL Linux cluster to do ATLAS/COSM research. They have I2 connection and good facility resources. • HU is planning to construct a small (32-node) cluster next year. • Howard Brown is already learning about linux cluster and participating to the iVDGL facilities telecons. HU has funds to support additional undergraduate and graduate students. LSC Member Institution (UT Brownsville)

9. Activities at Hampton University • Leveraging existing E/O programs • HU is a QuarkNet center and ATLAS/COSM center, therefore it should incorporate grid-related components into already QuarkNet and ATLAS/CMS E/O activities. Keith Baker will lead this activity with the help of a QuarkNet investigator, Ken Cecire. The aim is to target K-12 students and teachers to do grid research. • Workshops and tutorials: • HU is proposing to hold a E/O meeting or workshop in conjunction with QuarkNet activities. We need a date … • An undergraduate student, Howard Brown would like to participate at EOT-PACI workshop this summer. LSC Member Institution (UT Brownsville)

10. Activities at SKC • Leveraging other E/O programs: • Recently became a LSC institution to contribute to LIGO research. • This summer, Tim Olson will submit a proposal for the creation of a NISBA center for excellence in teaching. If funded, he will be able to hold summer workshops and national educational meetings at SKC, where GriPhyN/iVDGL researchers could participate by giving talks and tutorials. • Tim Olson is using SDSS Skyserver in his Astronomy courses. • Construction of Linux cluster at SKC: • Tim Olsonis attending iVDGL facilities telecons and participating to Linux cluster construction workshops. • Construction of small (32-nodes) Linux clusters at SKC is planned for January 2003. The planning of the construction will start this summer. LSC Member Institution (UT Brownsville)

11. Activities for All GriPhyN/iVDGL members • Dissemination: • All GriPhyN/iVDGL senior investigators should give talks at interested MSIs, Educational workshops and conferences. Please, see a list of conferences and MSIs at the E/O web site and let the E/O coordinator aware of your contributions. • Course development: All GriPhyN/iVDGL senior investigators could include grid concepts in the classes we are teaching. • Mentoring REU students during summer months. • Provide data samples and research projects to E/O coordinators. LSC Member Institution (UT Brownsville)

12. Summary of Organization and Responsibilities • UTB Tier 3 Center: • Coordination and planning (GriPhyN, iVDGL Tier 3 Centers). • Web Pages and CVS repositories. • Prepare a proposal for REU supplement. • Explore connection with E/O programs of LIGO and SDSS. UTB has strong interest in E/O astronomy because of the NASA URC and ENLACE programs. • Provide links toEOT-PACI andThinkQuest. • Keep in touch with other European Projects (e. g. DataGrid, EUDG etc). Possible video documentary with members of European DataGrid and PPDG. • Organize how-to workshops and tutorials, All-Hands at MSI and special E/O days at UTB. • Construction and grid-enabling Linux clusters and introducing students to VDT and grid-related research projects. LSC Member Institution (UT Brownsville)

13. Summary of Organization and Responsibilities • SKC Tier 3 Center: • Work in E/O of SDSS ( e.g. SkyServer, Virtualsky) and LIGO. • Provide links to K-12 students and teachers via the NISBA or other programs. • Construction and grid-enabling Linux clusters and introducing students to VDT and grid-related research projects. • HU Tier 3 Center: • Work with E/O programs of CMS/ATLAS, PPDG, and QuarkNet. • Construction and grid-enabling Linux clusters and introducing students to VDT and grid-related research projects. • All iVDGL/GriPhyN Members: • Give talks at other US institutions, in particular MSI (All-Hands meetings at MSI is an opportunity!) • Introduce grid concepts in their courses. • Mentoring REU students during summer months. • Provide data samples and research projects to E/O coordinators. LSC Member Institution (UT Brownsville)