"...CHREC researchers will investigate new efficient architectures and tools for high-performance reconfigurable computers. These are supercomputers that, in addition to having conventional microprocessors, have reconfigurable hardware processors that can change its hardware to fit the problems they are trying to solve. High-performance computing holds tremendous promise in addressing the needs of a broad range of applications including signal and imaging processing, bioinformatics, cryptology, communcations processing, data and text mining, optimization, and complex system simulations..." [Link]
MEDIA CONTACT: Wendy Carey
(202) 994-3087, wcarey@gwu.edu;
Joanne Welsh
(202) 994-2050, jwelsh@gwu.edu
GW'S SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND APPLIED SCIENCE RECEIVES SUPPORT FROM THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION TO DEVELOP HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING CENTER
New Partnership Aligns GW, University of Florida, Government and Industry Leaders to Further Research in Reconfigurable Supercomputing
WASHINGTON - The George Washington University's School of Engineering and Applied Science has joined with the the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop a national research center at GW that will offer one of the most advanced research test beds in the world for high-performance reconfigurable computers. The NSF awarded GW funding creating a NSF Industry/University Center, named the National Science Foundation Center for High-Performance Reconfigurable Computing (CHREC), effective December 1, 2006.
"Given the expertise we have in place at GW, the importance of high performance computing to our national security and national competitiveness, and the relationship of high performance computing to other priority research areas at GW, I feel very strongly that additional investment in this area will yield important results," said Donald R. Lehman, GW executive vice president for academic affairs.
CHREC researchers will investigate new efficient architectures and tools for high-performance reconfigurable computers. These are supercomputers that, in addition to having conventional microprocessors, have reconfigurable hardware processors that can change its hardware to fit the problems they are trying to solve. High-performance computing holds tremendous promise in addressing the needs of a broad range of applications including signal and imaging processing, bioinformatics, cryptology, communcations processing, data and text mining, optimization, and complex system simulations.
"This unique confluence of academics, government, and industry will greatly enhance the research opportunities in the area of reconfigurable supercomputering," said Tarek El-Ghazawi, GW professor of engineering and applied science and the GW CHREC site director. "GW is very fortunate to have this center and I am very grateful to the NSF along with our academic, government, and industry partners for their support."
A nationally distributed center, CHREC is a joint effort with the University of Florida, where another CHREC site is located. Brigham Young University and Virginia Tech also have submitted NSF proposals to create two more CHREC sites. El-Ghazawi serves as the GW site director and the national co-director. Alan George, professor of electrical and computer engineering, at the University of Florida is site director at Florida and the national director for CHREC.
CHREC is funded by NSF and through memberships from industry and federal labs and agencies. In addition to NSF, the CHREC founding members of the GW site are the Arctic Region Supercomputing Center, Hewlett Packard, Intel Corporation, Linux Network, National Cancer Institute, National Security Agency, Oak Ridge National Lab, and Silicon Graphics. In addition to its membership, Silicon Graphics has just provided the GW CHREC site with its state-of-the-art Altix/RASC 4700 reconfigurable supercomputer.
GW's School of Engineering and Applied Science prepares engineers to address society's technological challenges by providing outstanding undergraduate, graduate, and professional educational experiences and by stimulating and providing innovative, fundamental, and applied research activities.
For more information about GW's School of Engineering and Applied Science, visit www.seas.gwu.edu.
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