ARC23 Speakers Adam Hobaugh and Kim Wong
How the Pandemic Accelerated Changes to Academic IT and Research Computing Services
KIm Wong
Co-Director and consultant, Center for Research Computing
Research Associate Professor
Adam Hobaugh
Assistant Vice Chancellor and Deputy CIO, Pitt Information Technology
Co-Director, Center for Research Computing
Abstract
When Pitt closed the physical campus to protect our students and community from COVID-19, the University had needed to lean heavily on technology to help maintain our education and research missions. In this reflection, we will highlight some of the transformations that Pitt IT and the Center for Research Computing deployed in our pivot to a fully online delivery of services. We will share what has worked and what remains challenging. We conclude with some thoughts about the changing work and education environments and future opportunities for enhancing our services to the broader community.
Biographical Article
Kim Wong and Adam Hobaugh co-direct the Center for Research Computing, connecting the research computing community with Pitt’s Information Technology unit and working to offer Pitt faculty from all backgrounds resources for incorporating advanced computing and data technology into their work.
“CRC’s new co-director structure embodies Pitt’s commitment to both scientific and technical leadership in research computation,” explains Rob Rutenbar, Pitt senior vice chancellor for research. “Together, we leverage Pitt IT’s expertise on systems, the cloud and state of the art networking, which allows us to deliver world-class computing and data services to our full spectrum of partners. Adam brings strong IT leadership, and Kim has great leadership strength in science.”
The CRC is a mainstay for the growing number of researchers integrating computing into their work, enabling free access to advanced hardware and software. Pitt has redoubled its efforts to recognize the transformative role data and information play in today’s world.
Wong has been at Pitt since 2008, becoming a research associate professor in 2017. He was a post-doctoral fellow at Pennsylvania State University and the University of Utah after earning his PhD in chemistry at the University of Texas, Austin. He describes the CRC’s mission as supporting discovery.
“I want to make advanced research computing easier to use — to democratize an advanced skill set to transform the ways we pursue deeper understandings of self, community, humanity, the universe and the connections between them,” he said.
Kim is described by Pitt leadership as a leader in supporting a growing range of researchers, from seasoned practitioners to novices, through refining configurations of hardware, software and workflows, as well as conducting many workshops and individual consultations.
Hobaugh currently serves as Pitt’s deputy chief information officer after holding Pitt IT leadership positions over the past 10 years. He has worked at a robotics startup and in other industries after serving in the United States Air Force.
“I’m impressed with the number of grants tied to CRC resources and the exceptional talent and passion on a team focused on helping faculty and students,” said Hobaugh. “They are always building and enhancing connections and relationships within the community.”
Vice Chancellor and Chief Information Officer Mark Henderson is excited about the collaboration bnetween CRC and Pitt IT. “The positive impact that the research taking place at Pitt has had and continues to have around the world really cannot be overstated. Pitt IT and our partner organizations owe it to our great research community and each other to work together in every aspect toward collectively delivering the best possible resources,” he says.
“What we’re doing is unprecedented at Pitt, and just one of many steps we’re taking to strengthen synergies toward improving and expanding our computing and scientific research capabilities,” Henderson adds.