The SDCCD is the only community college district in the nation to be a part of the National Research Platform, a partnership of more than 50 institutions led by researchers at UC San Diego, the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and UC Berkeley. The innovative system provides the cyberinfrastructure for scientific exploration and discovery.
Recognizing that supercomputing and artificial intelligence are the wave of the future,
the district is looking at ways to integrate high-performance computing into its courses,
said Peter Maharaj, Associate Vice Chancellor of Information Technology Services for
the district. Danish Khan is using the platform to teach Assembly Language and Python
at San Diego Miramar College this fall.
“The faculty and students have access to the platform so they can run their processes
and their models,” Maharaj said. “It bridges digital equity for our students.”
The SDCCD’s initiative to provide greater access to computing resources is known as DISCOVER, an acronym that stands for Data, Infrastructure, Science, Computing, Opportunities, Virtual, Exploration and Research. The district is the regional hub for computer resources in partnership with the Riverside Community College District, the Los Angeles Community College District, and the California Community College Chancellors Office.
“The DISCOVER program is more than a technological advancement. It’s an educational revolution,” according to a description of the program. “By integrating high-performance computing into our curriculum, we provide students with hands-on experience in data science, computational modeling, and advanced analytics.”
Maharaj said the district’s involvement in supercomputing grew out of a commitment by SDCCD Chancellor Gregory Smith to seek additional sources of grant funding. Maharaj is seeking a grant from the National Science Foundation – supported by San Diego State University, UC San Diego, CENIC, the Los Angeles and Riverside community college districts and the State Chancellor’s Office – to allow the other community college districts to participate in the project.
“It’s really a collaborative endeavor for the higher education system here in California,”
he said.
Maharaj said that offering supercomputing and artificial intelligence classes and
resources to SDCCD students will make them better prepared when they transfer to a
university and start their careers. Increasing Student Access to equitable, high-quality
education services. Additionally, it helps bridge the gap in computing power. SDCCD
is building a resilient, future-ready infrastructure for our students and fostering
regional partnerships.