The Partnership for an Advanced Computing Environment (PACE) serves as Georgia Tech’s 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.  

As 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’s largest research system. Phoenix hosts more than 1,200 CPU nodes and 400 GPU nodes and was ranked among the world’s Top 500 supercomputers in 2020.  

PACE’s 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.  

In 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’s 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. 

“The shift allowed her students to run larger, more complex analyses,” said Dr. Rachel Lombardi, Research Scientist II for OIT PACE. “Dr. Garner’s enthusiasm for PACE resources and the opportunities they provide to her students is contagious. It’s been exciting to watch her adopt high-performance computing and extend that experience to her students.” 

To 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. 

The 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. 

“We aim to support all of our users, from large international collaborations to the first-year undergraduate just beginning their computational journey,” said Lombardi. 

From 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’s weekly consultation sessions and monthly orientation workshops. 

To learn more, visit pace.gatech.edu