At the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Tyler Bauer, a system administrator at the Blugold Center for High Performance Computing, has witnessed firsthand the impact of the Ohio Supercomputer Center’s Open OnDemand platform on both students and researchers. From simplifying access to high performance computing (HPC) to enhancing educational outreach, Bauer believes the platform has opened new doors for the institution.
The university’s Blugold Center for High Performance Computing houses the BOSE and BGSC clusters, which currently support over 20 research projects across nine different departments in conjunction with their use within compatible courses.
BGSC, the university’s first general-purpose computing cluster, was brought online in 2014. BOSE, which now serves as the main computing cluster, was brought online in 2021 and is used by almost all researchers and classes. The university is actively working to expand BOSE based on growing need.
Only a year after BOSE was implemented on campus, Open OnDemand was tested with a few research groups in early 2022 and was officially released that fall.
“Before Open OnDemand, integrating HPC into coursework was difficult, especially for students unfamiliar with the command line,” Bauer explained. “With Open OnDemand, they don’t have to think about that. They just get right into working with data.”
This ease of access became particularly evident in fall 2022, when Bauer helped launch a long-awaited data science course and new bioinformatics major. Prior to the university’s implementation of Open OnDemand, offering this course and major in a meaningful way was difficult without proper technology.
“Without it, getting the students to use HPC would’ve been much harder,” Bauer said.
The success of using Open OnDemand in other courses and research on campus prompted faculty to introduce another new bioinformatics course (BIOL 343 - Applied Bioinformatics I), part of the bioinformatics major curriculum, launched in fall semester 2024.
The course “addresses tools and applications used in the analysis of biological sequence data. Topics include navigation of biological sequence databases, sequence-similarity searches, domain and motif prediction, sequence alignment, phylogenetic analyses, molecular evolution and analysis of differential gene expression,” according to the course curriculum.
Beyond the classroom, Open OnDemand has also expanded the university’s outreach efforts. Through Upward Bound summer program workshops, high school students are gaining exposure to HPC resources that were previously out of reach, showing them all that HPC and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire can offer if they continue their education after high school.
“Open OnDemand opened the door for us to provide these resources to students who might not otherwise have access,” Bauer said. “It’s been a game-changer in terms of our ability to engage a broader audience.”
To Bauer, what makes the outreach so effective is the simplicity of the platform. High school students, many of whom are encountering HPC for the first time, can easily navigate the university’s HPC clusters without grappling with the intimidating command-line interface.
“This accessibility is empowering students and making their first experiences with computing more impactful and engaging,” Bauer said.
Looking ahead, Bauer is excited about customizing Open OnDemand to better serve the university’s research community, which primarily consists of undergraduate students.
“We’re exploring ways to make the platform even more user-friendly and relevant. When the students continue their research, HPC is something they already will have a familiarity with,” he said.
From simplifying coursework integration to expanding community outreach, Open OnDemand has become a cornerstone of academic and research initiatives at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. As Bauer sees it, the platform is not just a tool—it’s a bridge, connecting students and researchers to the ever-changing potential of HPC.
Written by Lexi Biasi
The Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC) addresses the rising computational demands of academic and industrial research communities by providing a robust shared infrastructure and proven expertise in advanced modeling, simulation and analysis. OSC empowers scientists with the services essential to making extraordinary discoveries and innovations, partners with businesses and industry to leverage computational science as a competitive force in the global knowledge economy and leads efforts to equip the workforce with the key technology skills required for 21st century jobs.
