Project Proposed: This project, acquiring high-performance and storage infrastructure, services research projects requiring the use of high performance resources for image analysis, visualization, game development, and other advanced applications. The specific instrumentation is a blade server system with a storage area network (SAN) subsystem for use by faculty and students mainly in Computer Sciences, Biological Sciences, and Physics/Astronomy. Key characteristics follow. - Provides high performance computing and storage infrastructure to support large image databases, visualization research, and access to vast amount of experimental data from outside the institution; - Promotes multidisciplinary use of common equipment and infrastructure; - Enhances current research efforts and creates new synergy among the various groups involved. These key characteristics should lead to scholarly publications and additional research ideas. Hence, new research ideas and initiatives are expected to emerge that will lead to additional high quality interdisciplinary research activities with potential to enhance socioeconomic progress in the state and beyond. Broader Impacts: The instrument greatly enhances this primarily undergraduate, non-doctoral institution that serves under represented students in an EPSCoR state. The institution has a long history of involving undergraduates in research. Thus, the acquisition and utilization of the system supports an improved learning environment that integrates research and education fostering collaborations within the university, and across institutions. It directly benefits approximately 150 undergraduate students, and at least 15 graduate students per year. Moreover, the supported research and education should contribute to the development of a skilled workforce. The acquisition and utilization of the new blade server system expands opportunities for a diverse community of faculty and students in an underserved area of U.S.
This project involves the acquisition of computing and storage infrastructure for research projects requiring the use of high performance resources for image analysis, visualization, game development, and other advanced applications. The specific instrumentation is a Dell Blade Server System with a storage area network subsystem for use by faculty and students mainly in the School of Mathematics and Sciences in the Louisiana State University in Shreveport. So far, equipment acquired using the project funds have been used in the following research projects: - Analysis of Euclidean norm approximations for pattern classification tasks, - Development of methods to reduce the number of colors in skin tumors images, - Development of a color calibration method for enhancement of skin tumor images, - Development of a method for delineation of lesion borders in skin tumor images, - Development of a 'software razor' for removing hairs from skin tumors images. The acquired 'supercomputer' has already made significant impact in the research and education environment of the Louisiana State University in Shreveport, a primarily undergraduate, non-doctoral institution that serves significant numbers of students from underrepresented groups. The research training and education supported by the new computer system will contribute to the development of a skilled workforce in the state of Louisiana.
