Cloud Computing Fellowship Enters Second Phase

The 2021 Cloud Computing Fellows have been hard at work completing the first phase of the fellowship.

“The MSU ICER Cloud Computing Fellowship began with a series of group sessions that introduced the fellows to the concept of cloud computing using commercial cloud resources made available through the fellowship,” explains Mahmoud Parvizi, a cofacilitator for the fellowship. “The fellows have now transitioned from the introductory phase to the project development phase where they will implement these cloud resources for research projects supporting the broader efforts of their research groups.”  

As they transition from the first phase to the second phase, the fellows reflect on the impact of the fellowship so far and look ahead at what their projects will become.

Kyle Godbey, a Postdoctoral Research Associate in FRIB/NSCL, elaborates on their work with the Bayesian Mass Explorer (BMEX) project. "The BMEX project employs the Microsoft Azure App Service to provide a scalable python web application used to perform uncertainty quantification for microscopic nuclear models on the fly through an easy-to-use web interface."

On the impact of the fellowship so far, Godbey remarks that "the ICER Cloud Computing Fellowship has provided ample support in both expertise and resources which has greatly accelerated the development of BMEX and, more widely, given me plenty of inspiration for how to apply cloud computing technologies to expand the scope and functionality of future research projects."

Veronica Frans, a Ph.D. candidate in Fisheries and Wildlife, is working on a project to access links between biodiversity and sustainable development.

“I will be using Microsoft Azure Blob Storage and Data Science Virtual Machine for my project,” Frans explains. “The cloud computing fellowship will allow me to connect researchers to the most up-to-date data on biodiversity and sustainable development--already prepared and cleaned up for analysis and eventually downloadable from a website.”

The second and final phase of the fellowship culminates in a symposium that will be open to the public. Stay tuned to hear the fellows share the exciting outcomes of their research!