Supercomputing and New Technologies

In March, chapter guest speaker Dr. Winnie L. Callahan, executive director, Peter Kiewit Institute and assistant vice president, University of Nebraska Foundation, discussed the attributes of the institute. She explained that it opened in August 1999 and at that time, the ACT college admission examination composite score for entrants was 27.8-now the average is 33.1. Callahan talked about the potential of starting a new facility-one that fosters the introduction of new technology. She provided a thorough overview of Firefly, the institute's new supercomputer. It was released in January, she explained, and only seven other computers that are comparable to Firefly exist in the continental United States. This supercomputer represents a great opportunity for the institute, she noted, because it will increase the level of the facility's talent pool.