{"683138":{"#nid":"683138","#data":{"type":"news","title":"OIT Spotlight: Partnership for an Advanced Computing Environment (PACE) ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Partnership for an Advanced Computing Environment (PACE) serves as Georgia Tech\u2019s high-performance computing (HPC) center, supporting both research and instruction across the Institute. From artificial intelligence to financial modeling, PACE provides the infrastructure and expertise to empower faculty, students, and researchers to perform complex, data-driven work across disciplines such as engineering, biological sciences, business, and computer science.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs research becomes increasingly data-intensive, many researchers encounter challenges that exceed the capabilities of personal devices. From hardware instability, stalled workflows, and unfamiliar programming environments which can slow progress, PACE addresses these obstacles through a combination of powerful infrastructure and accessible support. The center offers access to advanced CPU and GPU clusters, large memory machines, and disk space designed to meet the demands of intensive computing. PACE currently operates five major computing clusters, including Phoenix, the Institute\u2019s largest research system. Phoenix hosts more than 1,200 CPU nodes and 400 GPU nodes and was ranked among the world\u2019s Top 500 supercomputers in 2020.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPACE\u2019s impact extends beyond research. They also manage the Instructional Computing Environment (ICE), a teaching-focused cluster used by over 80 academic courses in Spring 2025 to introduce students to hands-on HPC concepts. Originally started in partnership with the College of Computing, it has recently expanded with the introduction of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Makerspace thanks to the College of Engineering. This Makerspace provides access to powerful GPU hardware, AI training datasets, and tools that enhance teaching and education. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2024, PACE collaborated with Jacqueline Garner, a professor in the Scheller College of Business, to explore how PACE resources could help transform their research. Dr. Garner, a financial analyst and sports enthusiast, uses real-world data such as stock market performance and sports statistics to teach financial modeling. During their collaboration, PACE helped transition Dr. Garner\u2019s research workflows to the Phoenix cluster and integrate ICE into her instructional materials. PACE staff also supported her teaching assistants and helped onboard students for the Summer 2025 semester.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe shift allowed her students to run larger, more complex analyses,\u201d said Dr. Rachel Lombardi, Research Scientist II for OIT PACE. \u201cDr. Garner\u2019s enthusiasm for PACE resources and the opportunities they provide to her students is contagious. It\u2019s been exciting to watch her adopt high-performance computing and extend that experience to her students.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo continue to meet growing demand for artificial intelligence and machine learning, PACE recently released an end-to-end large language model (LLM) training pipeline through Open OnDemand. This web-based platform allows users to launch GPU-enabled workflows directly from a browser, making advanced computing more accessible to users.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe PACE team offers weekly no-cost consultation hours, targeted workshops, one-on-one user support, and comprehensive documentation to help users get the most from PACE resources. Upcoming initiatives include investing in next-generation processors optimized for AI, deploying new high-performance storage hardware that uses advanced data deduplication and compression technologies, and redesigning training materials to improve the user experience. The team also plans to refine the credit and account management system and expand student opportunities in high-performance computing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe aim to support all of our users, from large international collaborations to the first-year undergraduate just beginning their computational journey,\u201d said Lombardi.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom leading course instruction, developing research labs, or exploring data-driven research, PACE is ready to help researchers take the next step. Faculty, students, staff, and researchers interested in using PACE resources or learning HPC concepts are encouraged to take advantage of PACE\u2019s weekly consultation sessions and monthly orientation workshops.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo learn more, visit \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pace.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Epace.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Partnership for an Advanced Computing Environment (PACE) serves as Georgia Tech\u2019s high-performance computing (HPC) center, supporting both research and instruction across the Institute.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Partnership for an Advanced Computing Environment (PACE) serves as Georgia Tech\u2019s high-performance computing (HPC) center, supporting both research and instruction across the Institute."}],"uid":"36548","created_gmt":"2025-07-15 14:34:23","changed_gmt":"2025-07-23 13:17:57","author":"lolliff3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-07-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-07-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677421":{"id":"677421","type":"image","title":"PACE OIT Spotlight Figure","body":null,"created":"1752590951","gmt_created":"2025-07-15 14:49:11","changed":"1752590951","gmt_changed":"2025-07-15 14:49:11","alt":"2024-2025 Fall\/Spring Academic Terms","file":{"fid":"261317","name":"PACE-OIT-Spotlight-Figure.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/15\/PACE-OIT-Spotlight-Figure.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/15\/PACE-OIT-Spotlight-Figure.png","mime":"image\/png","size":88724,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/07\/15\/PACE-OIT-Spotlight-Figure.png?itok=csTmgqIF"}}},"media_ids":["677421"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/pace.gatech.edu\/","title":""}],"groups":[{"id":"174291","name":"OIT"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"}],"keywords":[{"id":"194676","name":"OIT Spotlight"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["lolliff3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}