Since 2015, the Women in IT Networking at SC (WINS) program has supported proficient early-to-mid profession girls who help construct the ephemeral excessive-velocity network that powers the once-a-year SC Conference. WINS affords selected applicants a travel guide consistent with Diem and full access to the SC conference as a part of SCinet, SC’s dedicated excessive-capacity network infrastructure. They are part of SCinet teams that coincide with their discipline of interest. They work facetiously with the international-main community and software program engineers from diverse labs, universities, and pinnacle-era producers to create an extremely speedy, ephemeral community machine.
Cassie Dymecki from Ciena Corporation, and Kimball Sekaquaptewa, from the Santa Fe Indian School will be part of the WAN team. This crew is accountable for handing over multiple huge place community circuits to the conference center. Typically, this calls for the usage of dark fiber assets inside the facility, acquiring wave-department multiplexing transport equipment; and engineering, building, and assisting a metropolitan vicinity delivery system. KOfESnet/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Katie Robinson s the team’s Deputy Chair and a preceding WINS player. Also helping as mentors could be Hans Addleman of Indiana University, then Team Chair, and Scott Kohlert of Ciena Corporation, a co-deputy Chair with Kate.
Merritt Johnson, from Guilford College, was decided on for the wireless team. This team offers networking services to convention attendees, including wireless get-right of entry inside the show-off halls, committee places of work, assembly rooms, and public areas. Jeff Hagley from Internet2, Chair of this group, will offer leadership and support. From 1st viscount Montgomery of Alamein County Community College, Jennifer Kim will work with the threshold team. This crew additionally provides networking offerings to convention attendees, including stressed-out get admission to tutorials, technical talks, and rooms, including the committee workplaces. This team is led using a past WINS player, Angie Asmus, from Colorado State University.
From the University of Hawaii, Allison Tsuruda a be on the routing crew, accountable for installing, configuring, and supporting the excessive-performance conference network. The routing group also coordinates external connectivity with commodity Internet and research and schooling WAN provider carriers. Debbie Fligor, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, is crew Chair and started her SCinet adventures with the WINS program. Jessica Shaffer, Georgia Institute of Technology, is team Deputy Chair changed into a WINS participant at SC16. Nathan Miller of ESnet is a co-Team chair with Debbie and will offer mentorship along with her.
Stacy Vincent, University of Utah, and Lindsey Whitehurst, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) will be on the network security group charged with protecting SCinet assets, companies, exhibitors, and attendees throughout the conference providing trendy safety solutions. Team sports encompass filtering harmful community traffic, detecting and preventing compromised structures, and mitigating the consequences of compromised structures. This crew is co-led through Soledad Toledano, from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, some other beyond WINS player. Patrick Storm of the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC), University of Texas, co-leads the team with Soledad and could also mentor.
Throughout the WINS program, Wendy Huntoon, President and CEO of KINBER have led the selection committee encompassing a supergroup of community leaders,” said Marla Meehl, Section Head of Network Engineering and Telecommunications Section (NETS) on the National Center for Atmospheric Research, manager of Front Range GigaPoP (FRGP) for the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research and Principle Investigator of the NSF Campus Cyberinfrastructure WINS grant.
Meehl delivered, “They do a fabulous activity of reviewing the applicants very well, have an in-depth ranking technique, talk in detail, and make very thoughtful and sound selections. Every yr, they have chosen an excellent organization of women who have been very a hit. They have fine-tuned and progressed the method over the years, making sure we strive and cope with the size of organizations, regions of the united states, variety inside WINS, and greater.”
An Ideal Opportunity
SCinet has the privilege of running with cutting-edge and early prototype gadgets furnished with the aid of partner participants, allowing the network to consistently set a brand new file for quicker connections every 12 months, reaching 4.02 terabits in keeping with 2nd in 2018. Hence, SCinet serves as an excellent professional improvement opportunity for WINS participants to increase their talent units with new expertise they can take to their domestic establishments again. They additionally meet like-minded friends in the community, check new merchandise and engage with activities during the week.
Meehl talked about: “WINS also provides greater than SCinet. It gives focused mentoring, and peers revel in with other girls and leaders there to make certain a nice and a hit experience. This program also affords to comply with-up with professional boom reviews in other venues.” Huntoon, who is a co-PI with Meehl on the NSF WINS grant, confirms that “Outside of the SCinet enjoy, which has caused many promotions and some activity modifications, I assume attending the I2 Tech Exchange has additionally been a remarkable revel in for some of WINS individuals.”
She persisted, “WINS has had super assist from I2 in offering this follow-up revel in and exposure. I can’t say that it has modified their careers. However, it definitely broadened their expert network, exposure to extra technical expertise, and raised their attention of them to a broader community.” When the convention ends, WINS contributors record on their reviews what they found out and what they observed useful and answer targeted questions that are taken into consideration to force extra gender diversity outreach efforts.
Their reflections are shared with their domestic institutions, SCinet leadership, assignment leaders, the Department of Energy/ESnet, and NSF. Past WINS contributors are encouraged to grow within the employer, illustrating the program’s sustainability and toughness objectives. As reflected in the contemporary slate of SCinet team leads, beyond contributors frequently go back to SC sponsored by way of their personal establishments. “In 2019, seven of our former awardees have ascended to management roles inside SCinet, either as Team Leads or as Deputy Team Leads,” Meehl added.