Computer science and engineering Professor Xiaoyi Lu has received a CAREER award for his research into high-performance computing (HPC) cyberinfrastructure systems.
He is the 39th researcher from UC Merced to earn a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
CAREER awards are among the NSF's most prestigious awards. They are given through the Faculty Early Career Development Program to recognize untenured faculty members as teacher-scholars. Early-career faculty members are selected based on three factors: the strength of their research proposals; their potential to serve as academic role models in research and education; and their leadership in their field and organizations.
Lu will receive $500,000 over the next five years for the project titled "Heterogeneity-Enriched Communication for Advancing HPC Systems and Applications."
Lu and his lab specialize in HPC systems that incorporate multiple types of computing processors.
"Beyond its scientific impact, the project places a strong emphasis on education and diversity, addressing workforce shortages in critical STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields and fostering a culture of learning," Lu said. "Adhering to open-source principles, the project aims to democratize knowledge and empower the scientific community, amplifying its potential benefits for data-intensive scientific research."
Lu has been with UC Merced since 2021. He is the founder and director of the Parallel and Distributed Systems (PADSYS) Laboratory and is affiliated with the AgAID institute.
Each CAREER award proposal includes an educational outreach component.
Lu's project is aimed at developing designs that will be available as open-source tools and integrated into high-performance computing libraries.
He was honored to learn about the CAREER award.
"Through the lens of transformative innovation, this award embarks on a journey to reshape the landscape of high-performance computing," Lu said "Driven by a commitment to usability, efficiency and scalability, the project pioneers a new paradigm - Heterogeneity-Enriched Communication - aiming not just to propel the field forward but to contribute meaningfully to society. As we democratize knowledge, foster inclusivity and advance STEM education, this award reflects our dedication to leaving a lasting impact on both the scientific community and the broader world."
