There’s a new computer on the Rutgers campus, and it goes by Caliburn. Named after the Old English word for “Excalibur,” the supercomputer is ranked second among Big Ten universities and eighth among all U.S. academic institutions.
Rutgers faculty and researchers expect the computer to not only lead the university to the forefront of computing innovation, but also the entire state of New Jersey. Through interdisciplinary collaboration between scientists and researchers in a variety of fields – engineering, medicine, chemistry, astrology, etc – Rutgers plans to use the Caliburn to aid multiple sectors.
Christopher J. Molloy, Senior Vice President of the Office of Research and Economic Development at Rutgers, said the acquisition of the Caliburn was a milestone for the university.
“The Caliburn is an outstanding asset for us, and it makes evident the importance of big data,” said Molloy.
Molloy feels that Rutgers is in a unique place to take advantage of the supercomputer’s capabilities, as the university is top 20 nationwide in research funding and has seen double digit increases in federal funding over the last two years.
Peggy Brennan, Associate Vice President of Economic Development at Rutgers, spoke about the supercomputer’s journey to the university, which included a $10 million grant from the New Jersey Higher Education Leasing Fund.
“From the beginning, the Caliburn was designed to be a state-wide resource, not just for Rutgers,” said Brennan.
She added that the supercomputer will enable researchers to be more competitive, allow Rutgers to attract top-notch faculty, give students access to a world-class computing system, and be an overall game-changer for the entire state in terms of business attraction.
“The computing power will be significant, allowing us to conduct research that was not previously possible,” she said.
Manish Parashar, Director of the Rutgers Discovery Informatics Institute, provided an ambitious outline for what Rutgers hopes to accomplish with the machine.
“Getting the system here is the start of a big journey where we hope…that researchers, computer scientists and domain scientists can work together to solve the grand challenges that affect us,” said Parashar. “We believe Rutgers is well positioned to start that journey and make a quick impact using this technology.”
The Caliburn’s official unveiling also featured presentations from two Rutgers professors who spoke about how they plan to use the supercomputer to make an impact.
Ronald Ransome, Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, said that the importance of mass computing is crucial in more areas than most people believe. For example, theoretical physicists at the university can now use the supercomputer to understand and design new materials since their process relies so heavily on computing.
Astronomers can also use Caliburn simulations to study galaxy formation, since the physical laws governing the way we understand galaxies are extremely complex and impossible to solve via pencil and paper.
David Foran, Professor of Pathology and Chief Informatics Officer at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, said the Caliburn’s potential impact in the medial field is staggering.
“Everyone in this room has directly or indirectly benefitted from computer scientists working with people in the medical field, but that pales in comparison to what we’ll see in the next wave,” he said.
Foran sees the Caliburn as the vehicle that takes both Rutgers and the entire medical community to its next set of advances.
Although the professors and faculty at Rutgers are still outlining the specifics of how they’ll use the supercomputer, they’re very clear about how high their expectations are.
“This is the start of a journey where we can bring together researchers and scientists to break down traditional values and instead move toward interdisciplinary research,” said Parashar. “We’re looking forward to using the Caliburn as a resource for both Rutgers and the state of New Jersey to advance the fields of science and entrepreneurship.”
