ACSC 2024 Provides Transformational Student Experiences‘Advanced Computing for Social Change’ program in Atlanta provided research experience in data science, technical growth, awareness of social challengesbyDamian Hopkins Jan. 16, 2025 Feature StoryMultimediashare this: Thirty students participated in the 2024 Advanced Computing for Social Change undergraduate student program, sponsored by the U.S. National Science Foundation Leadership-Class Computing Facility and led by the Texas Advanced Computing Center. A group of college students aspiring to become astronauts, video game developers, veterinarians, and teachers—among many other great professions—participated in the 2024 Advanced Computing for Social Change (ACSC) undergraduate student program, sponsored by the U.S. National Science Foundation Leadership-Class Computing Facility (NSF LCCF) led by the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC).ACSC offers participants from various backgrounds, disciplines, and higher education institutions training using high performance computing resources for data analysis to explore social challenges.“ACSC provides participants with opportunities to use their computer science and data science skills along with TACC’s supercomputer, Frontera, to make their research interest a reality,” said Dawn Hunter, ACSC planning committee member and LCCF Visitor Center Director. “Since the event was co-located with SC24, the students experienced the range of opportunities available through workshops, panels, a career fair, and keynote addresses.” Computer Science major Charlington Coulanges (left) of Emory University attends the career fair. Coulanges has designs for a career in software development. Thirty students participated in the ACSC program representing diverse perspectives—many being first-generation college students. One-sixth of the participants were recruited with support from the NSF ALL-SPICE INCLUDES Alliance led by Chaminade University of Honolulu.The students posed research questions about infant mortality rates, economic challenges that accompany population growth, and teaching methods for individuals diagnosed with ADHD, among others. They used TACC’s Frontera supercomputer to analyze data on these topics and presented their findings to their peers and mentors.Glenvelis Perez, a Statistical and Data Sciences and Computer Science major at Smith College, focused her experience on highlighting pathways into computing and STEM education. “I receive support and encouragement being a Latina in STEM at my school, but I know there’s many college students around the country who don’t receive the same support,” Perez said. “Schools can use data science to address this issue moving forward because data is based on our lived experiences.”For Abdulahi Omer, a student studying Computer Science at the University of St. Thomas, ACSC was an opportunity to address youth substance abuse in his hometown of Minneapolis. “We can aggregate and analyze data to inform how substance abuse among students affects their daily lives and to create action plans to address these issues.”TACC E&O Senior Training Coordinator Edgar Garza taught curricula introducing Python programming and data science using tools like Jupyter Notebook, NumPy, pandas, and matplotlib, which students performed on Frontera. “I hope students gain the confidence and ability to apply advanced computing and data science to analyze real-world datasets,” Garza said. “In the end, we want them to draw meaningful insights and make data-driven decisions to uncover trends.”Added E&O Research Associate Delores Rice: “ACSC serves as a catalyst for participants to explore further questions that analyze data and research important to them and their communities. I hope participants feel a sense of accomplishment for completing such intense research projects in such a short time.” Dae'Onna Butler speaks at TACC's booth at SC24. Butler's ACSC project studied infant and maternal mortality rates in minority communities. ACSC near-peer mentor Upumoni Logologo from Chaminade University, said: “Working in a multidisciplinary environment fosters technical growth and the ability to communicate effectively across fields, which is essential in academia and industry.”“A program like ACSC cannot happen without the amazing mentors and volunteers who make a difference,” Hunter concluded. “Anyone can logistically create a program, but the support given to participants is what makes ACSC invaluable.”