April 08 Issue - Employee Monthly Magazine
A supercomputing throw down
Students step up to challenge
David Kratzer at a Supercomputing Challenge poster session with then Albuquerque Bosque School students (left to right) Kelly Dickey, Tristan Wright, James Scantlen, and Chloe Williams.
When you love what you do, sometimes you just can't help wanting others to share your passion.
David Kratzer of High Performance Computer Systems knows firsthand how true this is. He has combined his affinity for computers and love of teaching to motivate and inspire thousands of New Mexico students to turn on to computing, science, and math.
Kratzer is the Laboratory's Supercomputing Challenge coordinator, and it's a role he relishes. Started in 1990, the Challenge is a yearlong immersion into the world of high-performance computing that pairs scientists with teams of middle- and high-school age student teams. Over the years, it has become quite the success story.
‘I want to see the students succeed. There's potential in everybody and we want to give them a positive outlook for that potential.'
"When the Challenge was created, I was right there," said Kratzer, who had a long-time involvement with teaching math and computer science at the college level before joining the Lab in 1984. "It was natural for me to step in. I really enjoy helping people. Part of my job at Los Alamos is helping the scientists who use the Laboratory's supercomputers.
"I also see my role through the Challenge as helping students reach their potential as future scientists," explained Kratzer. "I want to see the students succeed. There's potential in everybody, and we want to give them a positive outlet for that potential."
Kratzer recalled two especially promising Challenge students. One was Agbeli Ameko of Albuquerque Academy, who won the competition's top prize in 1993. Today, Ameko is CEO of a technology company in Colorado. Ameko would likely have won the following year too, according to Kratzer, but he asked that his project not be judged competitively. "He felt he had enough honors," said Kratzer. "He said he didn't need any more recognition."
It takes teamwork! Andrew Yazzie, left, Martha Hughes, and Polito Walters of Shiprock High School participated in the 2006 Supercomputing Challenge. Their research project investigated how Russian olive trees are invading native plant species in the Four Corners area. Photos by LeRoy N. Sanchez
The other memorable participant was a Springer High School student with a reading disability who entered the Challenge in 1997 with a project about the roadrunner, New Mexico's state bird. The student's mother helped him prepare his reports, while also encouraging him to see his project through. "The progress the student made throughout the year was dramatic. He went from a student who couldn't read because of a learning disability to a student who prepared and was confident in presenting his report, which included PowerPoint slides," Kratzer said.
Supercomputing Challenge
- The 18th annual Supercomputing Challenge awards expo is April 21-22 at the Laboratory and culminates a year of intense research and project development for 80 student teams.
- The goal of the Challenge is to increase knowledge of science and computing; expose students and teachers to computers and applied mathematics; and instill enthusiasm for science in students, their families, and communities. Students also learn time management skills, how to research a problem, presentations and technical-writing skills, graphic and Web page design, and how to work together on a team for eight months.
- Any New Mexico high-school or middle-school student is eligible to join the Supercomputing Challenge. For more information, contact Kratzer at 667-2864 or dhk@lanl.gov.
Fast forward nearly 20 years, and Kratzer is excited that this year there are fifth-grade students in the competition. The Challenge also is working with a program that began in Santa Fe last summer called GUTS (Growing Up Thinking Scientifically), which is targeted at middle-school students. GUTS will have an expo in conjunction with the Supercomputing Challenge Expo on April 21 at the Laboratory. "We hope to have it feed into the Challenge," said Kratzer.
No rest for the weary
Even in the summer, Kratzer and his Challenge assistants are busy working with related projects, such as the two-week Summer Teacher Institute at one of the universities that supports the program. Teachers go through a mini-Challenge project that helps them develop the confidence needed to lead a team during the following school year.
Kratzer also maintains the Supercomputing Challenge Web site (http://www.challenge.nm.org). Students help with the site, which frees up Kratzer for other Challenge tasks. Volunteers always are welcome to participant in activities throughout the year.
In fact, Kratzer said many Laboratory employees are repeat volunteers. "We even have past Challenge participants return as team mentors and judges while they are still in college," he said. "We have done a few follow-up surveys and found that between 70 and 100 past Challenge participants have been Lab employees."
Many heart-warming success stories have come out of the Challenge, Kratzer added. "It is encouraging to read the scholarship applications and learn about the students. The quality of the winning projects is on par with college graduate-level work. They really are impressive."
Reflecting on the Challenge participants, Kratzer said, "One of my favorite quotes is ‘Teenagers are like airplanes. You only hear about the ones that crash.' Well, the Challenge is trying to change that. There are many great kids in New Mexico."
-Steve Sandoval
 |
