Welcome to the 2025-2026 Frontera Fellows Cohort

We’re thrilled to welcome the newest cohort of TACC’s Frontera Computational Science Fellowship awardees! This prestigious, year-long program empowers talented graduate students to push the boundaries of the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Frontera supercomputer—the most powerful academic supercomputer in the U.S.

Throughout the year, these Fellows will collaborate with experts at TACC, applying high performance computing (HPC) to tackle complex scientific challenges across disciplines. Learn more about the Fellows and what they hope to accomplish.

Sunia Tanweer

Academic Institution: Michigan State University
Field of Research: Dual Ph.D. candidate, Computational Mathematics & Mechanical Engineering

Why did you become a scientist? 
I am driven by a deep desire to learn and understand how things work—from the smallest phenomena to the behavior of complex systems. As I pursued my degree in mechanical engineering, I realized that much of the world’s phenomena can be explained through differential equations. This inspired me to dive deeper into dynamical systems, where small changes can produce profound and fascinating effects. Later, I became interested in how data combines with fields like topology and machine learning to reveal hidden structures in real-world systems. This led me to pursue a Ph.D. at the intersection of dynamical systems, data science, and machine learning.

What part of your research do you find most exciting or rewarding? 
The interdisciplinarity aspect of my research allows me to gain knowledge from broad fields and apply it to solving problems in critical areas. I aim to develop solutions that not only improve people’s lives but also promote environmental sustainability and long-term social impact.

What excites you about the opportunity to work on the NSF-funded Frontera supercomputer? 
Frontera offers a unique opportunity to tackle challenges posed by high-dimensional dynamical systems and stochastic bifurcation detection. Detecting bifurcations in noisy, stochastic systems requires not only tracking subtle topological changes but also running large ensembles of simulations across a vast parameter space, which quickly becomes computationally prohibitive without access to top-tier resources. Frontera’s power allows me to address the exponential growth in complexity that comes with high dimensionality and stochasticity, enabling more detailed analyses.

What do you hope to accomplish during your time as a Frontera Fellow? 
I want to find computational solutions to the problem of detecting transitions in high-dimensional stochastic aerofoil models—a critical step toward improving the prediction and prevention of instability in engineering systems. I plan to explore the large parameter space for aerofoil systems and pinpoint regimes which lead to destabilization of aircrafts. I also want to sharpen my skills in large-scale parallel computation, deepen my experience with numerical methods, and build meaningful collaborations across scientific disciplines.

What do you like to do outside of your research? 
I enjoy taking long walks, which help me clear my mind. Reading a wide range of books is my way to keep learning and growing. Also, cooking is relaxing and allows me to reset after long hours of coding or research.

Sarah Moe

Academic Institution: University of Chicago 
Field of Research: Ph.D. candidate, Chemistry

Why did you become a scientist? 
I am drawn to the methodical nature of scientific work and the rigor it demands, especially in experimental design and analysis. In high school, I was captivated by learning about the central dogma of molecular biology and the essential roles of proteins in cellular processes. Throughout my undergraduate studies, I became fascinated by the fundamental physical principles that govern the function of biomolecular systems—this fascination motivates my work today.

What part of your research do you find most exciting or rewarding?
I love developing and applying simulation methods aimed at characterizing pH-dependent functions of physiologically critical ion channels. My favorite aspect of academic research is the shared intellectual curiosity and the collaborative effort to address unanswered questions.

What excites you about the opportunity to work on the NSF-funded Frontera supercomputer?
Computing time on Frontera will enable me to carry out large-scale, all-atom simulations of ion channels and membrane proteins. These simulations are computationally prohibitive without massively parallel computing resources. I am eager to access Frontera and leverage its capabilities to significantly advance the scope of my research project.

What do you hope to accomplish during your time as a Frontera Fellow?
I look forward to connecting with and learning from the mentors and peers involved in the Fellowship. I hope to expand my skills in advanced computational techniques and contribute to impactful research efforts.

What do you like to do outside of your research?
I enjoy playing volleyball, ice skating, reading, and exploring bookstores and coffee shops around Chicago.

James Sullivan

Academic Institution: Columbia University 
Field of Research: Ph.D. candidate, Astronomy

Why did you become a scientist?
Growing up, I regularly went camping and backpacking and fell in love with space through the outdoors. The night sky always was a captivating sight. In school, I enjoyed the problem-solving aspects of math and science. This combination, along with great teachers and professors along the way, inspired me to pursue Astronomy.

What part of your research do you find most exciting or rewarding?
I enjoy unravelling questions surrounding massive black holes, such as how they form and how they influence galaxy evolution. I especially love the “building” aspect of my research. I actively seek out more computational work because I enjoy developing and working with simulations to help us understand our universe.

What excites you about the opportunity to work on the NSF-funded Frontera supercomputer?
I’m excited to implement my subgrid model for massive black hole feedback in cosmological simulations. Frontera will provide the computational resources necessary to run these extremely time-expensive simulations.

What do you hope to accomplish during your time as a Frontera Fellow?
I want to learn from scientists and experts at TACC to help me become a better researcher and code developer. I aim to deepen my understanding of HPC by learning how to develop code that runs more efficiently on supercomputers like Frontera.

What do you like to do outside of your research?
I am a huge sports fan. Being at Columbia in New York, I stay up late to watch the San Francisco Giants and 49ers. I also enjoy reading, listening to live music, and spending time in nature.

Cayenne Matt

Academic Institution: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Field of Research: Ph.D. candidate, Astronomy and Astrophysics

Why did you become a scientist?
I enjoy tackling unsolved problems. I am also fascinated by physical extremes, which is why I gravitated toward high-energy astrophysics and supermassive black holes. Also, I grew up with a family member who studied Astronomy, which is how I became aware of this career path.

What part of your research do you find most exciting or rewarding?
I am inspired by the unknown. The less I understand something, the more I am driven to investigate it. I enjoy solving puzzles and logic problems and apply that curiosity to understanding real-life phenomena.

What excites you about the opportunity to work on the NSF-funded Frontera supercomputer?
I have experience with HPC, but nothing on a cluster of this scale. I am excited to use Frontera to expand the models I employ, which will provide a more reliable and informative understanding of galaxy-black hole coevolution.

What do you hope to accomplish during your time as a Frontera Fellow?
I want to find a model for galaxy-black hole coevolution that is consistent with both electromagnetic and gravitational wave data. I will test different evolutionary models of galaxy-black hole scaling relations and assess the impact on our interpretations of the nanohertz gravitational wave background and infer how these objects grow. I am excited to learn from everyone and improve my research and modeling techniques.

What do you like to do outside of your research?
I enjoy going to local parks to watch the birds. I also like to read and practice beading.

Yi Yang

Academic Institution: Carnegie Mellon University
Field of Research: Ph.D. candidate, Computational Materials Science

Why did you become a scientist?
I desire to advance innovations in crystal structure prediction. I am fascinated with how computational science can accelerate solutions to complex problems. This sparked my curiosity about leveraging computational methods to discover new materials and predict their properties.

What part of your research do you find most exciting or rewarding?
The interdisciplinary approach of my research combines computational modeling, advanced algorithms, and physics to predict crystal structures. I enjoy the moments when our predictions align closely with the experimental outcomes, validating our computational methods.

What excites you about the opportunity to work on the NSF-funded Frontera supercomputer?
Leveraging Frontera to tackle large-scale crystal structure prediction problems will be an exciting endeavor. Collaborating closely with experts at TACC and utilizing one of the world’s most powerful supercomputers will enhance the precision and scope of my research.

What do you hope to accomplish during your time as a Frontera Fellow?
I want to improve the accuracy and efficiency of crystal structure prediction methods. I hope to validate our novel algorithms and contribute computational tools that the scientific community can use to accelerate organic materials discoveries.

What do you like to do outside of your research?
I enjoy photography, hiking, and discovering delicious foods while exploring different cities. I also like watching movies and listening to music.

Cecile Meier-Scherling

Academic Institution: Brown University
Field of Research: Ph.D. candidate, Computational Biology

Why did you become a scientist?
I’ve always been fascinated by science and how it helps explain the world around us. I want to apply tools from biology, mathematics, and computer science to uncover the mechanisms behind disease progression and drug resistance with the goal of improving patient outcomes. Working at the intersection of disciplines allows me to contribute to advancing treatment strategies and helping contain some of the world’s most pressing diseases.

What part of your research do you find most exciting or rewarding?
I’m driven by the challenge of solving complex problems, especially when it involves collaboration across disciplines. I enjoy connecting individual findings into a cohesive and compelling narrative that advances understanding and communicates science in a meaningful way.

What excites you about the opportunity to work on the NSF-funded Frontera supercomputer?
Frontera’s state-of-the-art infrastructure will allow me to push the boundaries of my research by running more complex, large-scale analyses that are not possible on standard computing systems. I’m looking forward to working with my mentor to optimize my code for HPC and engaging with other Fellows to exchange ideas and foster interdisciplinary collaboration.

What do you hope to accomplish during your time as a Frontera Fellow?
I hope to harness Frontera’s capabilities to scale and accelerate my research on the genomic architecture of malaria parasites. I aim to develop and apply unsupervised methods for detecting genetic variation in difficult-to-sequence regions of the genome. Frontera’s computational power will allow me to process large-scale genomic data more efficiently and at higher resolution, enabling the identification of novel variants that may contribute to drug resistance or pathogenicity. This work could reveal new therapeutic targets and provide deeper insight into the genomic diversity that drives malaria evolution and transmission.

What do you like to do outside of your research?
I’m engaged in strengthening transatlantic relationships by fostering dialogue between students, policymakers, industry leaders, and academics through conference organizing and international initiatives.