Tennesseans face exascale challenges

UT's Jack Dongarra and Oak Ridge NL's Thomas Zacharia are among TN-based scientists participating in an international effort to improve software development for exascale computers expected to arrive by 2019, with computing power 1,000 times faster than any current computer. Computerworld reports it.

Foreign Nationals at Oak Ridge

More than half Oak Ridge National Laboratory's scientific and technical staff are thought to be foreign nationals. That and visiting foreign scientists complicate life for both ORNL security enforcers and for the guestworkers, themselves. Frank Munger offers a rare glimpse into the life on both sides of the security redline at one of America's most important institutions. The KNS has it. An accompanying story discusses chemist Safa-Sefat's success in overcoming ORNL hurdles for foreigners.

ORNL's Zacharia at VU Engineering this afternoon

Oak Ridge National Laboratory Deputy Director for Science and Technology Thomas Zacharia (left) will speak today at 4 p.m. at the School of Engineering at Vanderbilt University, regarding supercomputing's role in developing new energy alternatives. The VU release is here.

Oak Ridge luminaries discuss the Stimulus Era

[Updated March 26] ORNL Director and UT-Battelle CEO Thom Mason discusses the challenges and expectations facing ORNL in this KNS report. Recently elevated to deputy lab director, Thomas Zacharia (left) emphasizes ORNL's need to address "national imperatives." Jim Roberto gains echelon responsibility at critical time. And, complicating matters, ORNL is to get another $71 million in stimulation. Added: DOE Secretary Chu discusses his agency's spending of $1 billion plus.