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Published on Wednesday, 28 June 2023 06:48

Each year, our Workforce Development team offers summer internships for students interested in developing their gateway development skills. For the summer of 2023, interns were placed at the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC). We will be sharing some of our 2023 student interns' experiences in a series of blog posts entitled SGX3 Summer Internship Reports.

Featured below is SGX3 summer intern Prithul Sarker, a student at the University of Nevada, Reno and is working towards a Ph.D. in Computer Science within the Department of Computer Science and Engineering.

• What project(s) are you currently working on this summer during the internship?
  • For my internship, I am working with the web mobile applications team and the project primarily focuses on the backend operations of applications in high-performance computing. As part of this project, I am tasked with developing, and optimizing the backend functionalities of applications that are designed to use high-performance computing.
• What are some of the things you have learned or are learning so far?
  • I have been exploring the Tapis system extensively, which has a steep learning curve due to its vastness and framework intricacies. I have learned and had hands-on experience in the utilization of Docker and Apptainer.
• What do you hope to finish or accomplish before the end of your internship?
  • By the end of my internship, I aim to gain a comprehensive understanding of the fundamentals of high-performance computing and how to effectively distribute applications among users.
• After you finish your degree, what would you like to do next?
  • Once I finish my degree, I aspire to secure an industry or academic job where I can leverage my expertise in artificial intelligence within the healthcare domain. I also look forward to contributing to the advancement of scientific knowledge in pupillometry in virtual and augmented reality.
• Are there any ‘aha’ moments you would like to share that have happened during your internship so far?
  • Prior to this internship, I primarily associated with HPC with scientific simulations and data processing in specialized environments. One 'aha' moment I experienced was realizing the impact of integrating high-performance computing with user interfaces including api frameworks and portals. This provides incredible opportunities for innovation in scientific research fields.
• Have you had any fun outings during your internship with fellow interns or visited parts of Austin yourself?
  • I had the chance to visit and hike the scenic trails of Zilker Park and Lady Bird Park. Exploring different areas of Lake Austin was also a highlight. Dhanny, a fellow intern studying at UT Austin, graciously served as our guide, showing us around. We went kayaking last weekend and also visited the famous bat bridge, although the bats didn't make an appearance that day. We also tried different restaurants close to those areas. In the upcoming days, we have plans to explore more areas in Austin.

Learn more about the SGX3 Summer Internship program. We encourage those interested in participating in future internship cohorts to subscribe to our newsletter for future application announcements.