Webster University Receives a National Science Foundation Award to Develop Curriculum for High-Performance Computing

Webster University is one of four institutions in Missouri awarded a grant by the National Science Foundation to expand high-performance computing education. All four institutions will collaborate with the Computational Infusion for Missouri Undergraduate Science and Education (CIMUSE) to share a computer cluster where experiments, research and cybersecurity simulations can be run and shared with other smaller institutions.

The two-year grant is for $693,923. The other three partners are Missouri Western State University, Truman State University, and Southeast Missouri State University. The computer system used in the grant will be managed by the Research Support Solutions (RSS) team at the University of Missouri – Columbia.

“This partnership will benefit our students and our community. Rather than developing resources on each campus, we will share resources, which will allow each institution to concentrate on educating both students and faculty,” said Webster University President Julian Z. Schuster. “This initiative provides cutting-edge research and education opportunities, utilizing state-wide scalable resources. I congratulate Associate Professor Xiaoyuan Suo (a co-principal investigator for the grant) and the entire team at Webster for helping secure this grant.”

CIMUSE focuses on integrating computational techniques into the curriculum and developing tools for cutting-edge education. Initiatives that will be pursued under the grant include constructing a Virtual Data Science Lab, integrating simulations into undergraduate astronomy classes, and introducing cybersecurity exercises to computer science courses.

“This project will equip students with crucial high-performance computing tools, enabling success in research and education and offering new tools to all Webster students interested in data analysis techniques,” said Walker School Dean Simone Cummings. “Enabling STEM undergraduates to leverage high-performance computing is essential, offering hands-on experience with advanced computation tools and techniques, thereby preparing them for real-world challenges in scientific research, engineering, and data analysis. This experience fosters essential skills in problem-solving, data manipulation, and optimization, enhancing competitiveness and readiness for the evolving technological landscape.”

The award was announced on Aug. 8. The project is anticipated to start in December and end in November of 2025.