May 5, 2005 for immediate release

Applications of state-of-the-art computing technology toresearch will be demonstrated during a conference at UNBC on May 13.

The University’s high-performance computing (HPC) facility –the most powerful computing centre in the region – will be showcased during theconference, along with presentations about the kinds of research that thefacility is supporting. The processing power of the HPC allows researchers tobuild large, three-dimensional models and/or manipulate large amounts ofinformation. Research in chemistry, mathematics, natural resource management,computer science, and atmospheric sciences is currently being conducted in theHPC facility.

“We’ve had great usage of the facility with about 50 facultyand students using it on various projects,” says Peter Jackson, the leader ofthe research team that initially created the HPC lab. His own research involvesusing the computing facility to model wind currents that are responsible fortransporting the mountain pine beetle over large distances. It’s expected thatthe research could help foresters and communities predict where the pine beetlewill appear next.

The keynote speaker at the conference will be Michael Hrybyk,President of BCNet, the province’s foremost leader in advanced networktechnology. For example, BCNet provides the telecommunications infrastructuresupporting the distribution of lectures and labs for the Northern MedicalProgram.

The high-performance computing facility was created with a$1.2 million investment by the federal (Canada Foundation for Innovation) andprovincial (BC Knowledge Development Fund) governments. It’s expected that a $2million enhancement to the facility will be complete by this fall.

The annual HPC conference will be held on May 13th, in theBentley Centre, starting at 10am.

Contact:

Rob van Adrichem, Director of Media and Public Relations,UNBC – 250.960.5622