Director's Message to UMIACS

Whenever I meet with prospective new faculty interested in joining UMIACS, I always discuss the resources available as a member of our institute.

Those resources include assistance with research proposals and post-award management; onboarding of graduate students or postdocs; help in navigating the often-complex procurement process for large-scale equipment purchases; and much more.

At the top of my list is our powerful computing infrastructure and a dedicated tech staff focused on advancing high performance research computing. Those capabilities, and how we’re growing in this area, are featured in this month’s newsletter.

The technical resources we provide—not just in computing power, but in the ability to work with faculty to design, purchase, install and maintain a complex system from the ground up—reminds me of the development of a streamlined rocket ship.

There are multiple individuals involved, all working toward a common goal of providing the best tools needed for our faculty and students to excel in their work. Bravo to our UMIACS tech staff! Your commitment and professionalism does not go unnoticed.

The newsletter also features a story on the five-year anniversary of our move into the Iribe Center. We remain thankful for the private support and state funding that made this building possible.

We also remain committed to growing the vision of the building’s namesake, Brendan Iribe. The 215,000 square foot structure remains a powerhouse in computing education, while also incentivizing interdisciplinary research and innovation that will have an impact on the world.

That idea—research, education and innovation in computing that can change our world—is not exclusive to any one person. There are others that echo that thought, including our valued colleague and friend Rance Cleaveland, who passed away unexpectedly on March 27.

I encourage you to read our remembrance of Rance, who regularly put the mission and success of the organizations he was involved with above his own personal aspirations. His excellent record of teaching, research and service, deep institutional knowledge and positive attitude—no matter how challenging the circumstances—will be deeply missed, but not forgotten.

—Mihai Pop, UMIACS Director