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Meet Your Mentor!
We sat down with our 2025 Anvil REU Mentors to discuss their role at RCAC, what their REU students will be working on, and much, much more. Keep reading below to learn more about your mentor.
Haniye Kashgarani
Please introduce yourself
My name is Haniye Kashgarani a Senior Computational Scientist in RCAC. My background is in CS, and I specialize in high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, algorithm selection and combinatorial optimization.
What do you do?
I am a Senior Computational Scientist in the User Support team in RCAC.
Why would I come to you for help?
You would come to me for help because I enjoy problem-solving and approach challenges with curiosity. With my diverse experience in computer science (i.e. software development, AI, ML, HPC), research, and mentoring, I strive to provide thoughtful and effective guidance tailored to each situation. I’m committed to doing my best to help others succeed as a member of the User support team.
What’s one thing you wish you’d known when you started working in HPC?
I joined RCAC in April 2024, so I’m still relatively new. However, I wish I had known from the beginning how crucial effective communication and soft skills are in HPC. It's not just about technical expertise; being able to collaborate and connect with diverse teams makes a significant difference. This understanding would have made my collaborations even more impactful from the start.
What's one professional skill you're currently working on?
I’m currently focusing on improving my technical expertise in Spack and diving deeper into the complexities of the HPC world. On the soft skills side, as an introvert, I’m actively working on enhancing my ability to mentor and communicate effectively. I’ve been trying to present tutorial workshops and taking on mentoring opportunities when possible to refine these skills and make a greater impact in my field.
What's your go-to productivity trick?
My go-to productivity trick is a mix of digital note-taking and reminders along with journaling to stay organized and mentally clear. I use reminder apps and digital tools for task management, but I also rely on journaling to reflect and prioritize, which helps me stay focused. This combination not only keeps my projects on track but also supports my mental clarity and overall productivity.
What behavior or personality trait do you most attribute your success to, and why?
I think my success comes from being curious, flexible, and eager to try new things. I love getting involved in different projects and activities, which helps me learn a lot. Sometimes I take on too much and feel a bit lost, but my excitement to keep learning and improving always pushes me forward.
What was your first job?
After my undergraduate studies, my first job was as a .NET developer for a company that worked on a hotel booking website (2017).
What’s the worst job you’ve ever had, and what did you learn from it?
The worst job I’ve ever had was working as a photographer in a studio. I took the job to see if I preferred art or computer science, but I quickly realized that it wasn’t the right fit for me, and I only like photography as my hobby. It ultimately led me to start my PhD.
What was your favorite job you’ve ever had and why?
My favorite job is my current role as a senior computational scientist in RCAC. It allows me to combine my technical expertise with my love for problem-solving and mentoring. I enjoy working on diverse projects, collaborating with researchers, and helping others navigate complex challenges.
What’s a mistake you made early on in your career, and what did you learn from it?
Early in my career, I focused too much on the technical aspects of my work and underestimated the importance of communication and collaboration. I thought being technically skilled was enough, but I realized that explaining ideas clearly and working effectively with others is just as important.
What led you to this career?
My journey to this career was shaped by my curiosity and love for solving problems. I realized my passion for computer science and decided to pursue it seriously.
What are you currently excited about in your job?
I’m excited about mentoring students in the REU program and helping them explore the world of HPC. It’s rewarding to guide them and see their progress.
What’s one thing that surprised you about working at Purdue/RCAC?
I was pleasantly surprised by the strong sense of collaboration and support among my colleagues at RCAC. Everyone is so knowledgeable and willing to help, which creates a fantastic learning environment.
What’s a work-related accomplishment that you’re really proud of?
I’m super proud of my PhD, which I defend in December 2024! It’s been such a journey—lots of hard work, late nights, and problem-solving, but also a chance to dive deep into research I’m passionate about.
What's the biggest misconception people have about your position?
The title "computational scientist" can sound a bit confusing! People often assume it’s narrowly focused, but the role is actually very diverse. It includes tasks like consulting, providing user support, and maintaining clusters on the application side. Some of my colleagues even collaborate with faculty on research projects, though I haven’t had the opportunity to do that yet.
How long have you been on the Anvil team/at RCAC?
I started in April 2024, so I am relatively new!
Education, publications, engagement (groups part of), etc...
I earned my B.S. in Software Engineering from Shariaty Technical College of Tehran, Iran, where I specialized in .NET development. However, after starting my PhD, I transitioned away from .NET development and focused on research in combinatorial optimization and high-performance computing (HPC). During my PhD at the University of Wyoming under the supervision of Dr. Lars Kotthoff, my research centered on optimizing combinatorial problem-solving through algorithm selection and parallel subportfolio selection using machine learning and problem features. My experiments required solving computationally intensive problems like Boolean satisfiability, which led to extensive use of HPC clusters for running large-scale experiments. I also completed two internships at NCAR:
- Developing CI/CD Pipelines: Built and tested GPU-parallelized code for NCAR developers to streamline their workflows.
- Geoscience Data Analysis Toolkit: Ported a Python-based toolkit from CPU parallelization to GPU to handle the computational demands of geoscience workflows.
Fun Fact:
I love playing the electric guitar —“a beginner today, a master someday :-D”— teaching my dog Jane new tricks, and watching movies—especially thrillers from different nationalities like Korean films. Lately, I’ve been hooked on old Westerns, which bring a whole new vibe to my movie nights!
Why did you decide to become a mentor for the REU program?
I decided to become a mentor for the REU program because I enjoy problem-solving and helping others grow. Having benefited from mentorship myself during my PhD and internships, I know how valuable guidance and support can be. Mentoring REU students is an exciting opportunity to share what I’ve learned in HPC and research, and it’s incredibly rewarding to watch students explore their potential and build confidence in their abilities.
What value does the REU program provide for students?
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What do you hope the REU gets out of the program?
- Hands-on experience with real-world projects.
- They can develop new skills or improve their current skill set by doing Hands on research experience.
- Networking opportunities
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How can this help them in their college career?
Since it’s a research opportunity it encourages students to pursue graduate studies or careers in STEM.
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Research experience often enhances students' understanding of core concepts, benefiting their coursework. It helps them connect what they’re learning in class to real-world projects, making things click in a way that lectures can’t. It’s also a great way to figure out what they’re passionate about and where they want to go in their career.
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How can this help them in their professional career?
Equips them with the skills and confidence to handle complex professional challenges. It looks awesome on a resume or grad school application, and the connections they make with mentors and peers can lead to exciting opportunities down the road.
What value do you get from being a mentor for the REU program?
Being a mentor for the REU program is incredibly rewarding. It gives me the chance to share my knowledge and experiences, but more importantly, I get to learn from the fresh perspectives and curiosity that students bring.
What will your REU students be working on specifically?
This project focuses on developing a user-friendly web interface to simplify the process of building and deploying container workloads on the Anvil Composable system. Using advanced CI/CD tools like GitHub Actions, CircleCI, or Jenkins, the goal is to create an automated, GitOps-integrated workflow. This interface will allow users to upload Dockerfiles or Singularity definition files, link Git repositories, and specify essential project details such as the project name, image name, and registry tag. The ultimate result will be a streamlined, efficient process for container management and deployment, reducing the complexity and time required for these tasks. This project offers students a chance to work with modern containerization and automation tools while contributing to the future of container orchestration on Anvil.
Why HPC?
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As an industry to work in
In HPC field, we tackle complex challenges in areas like AI, and climate research using powerful computers. It’s growing fast, offering diverse career paths in system design, software development, AI, and research support. HPC combines cutting-edge technology with opportunities to collaborate across disciplines, making it an exciting, rewarding industry. It’s perfect for those who love solving big problems and want to make a meaningful impact while constantly learning and advancing their skills.
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As a use for research
HPC helps researchers tackle big questions by handling massive amounts of data and running complex simulations quickly. It’s used in different disciplines and with HPC, research becomes faster, more accurate, and capable of solving computationally intensive problems that would be impossible otherwise.
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As an experience as an undergrad
Although I didn’t have access to HPC as an undergrad, I can see how beneficial it is for students. It allows them to work with real-world tools and prepares them for future careers in research or industry. Exposure to HPC resources during undergraduate education builds critical thinking and technical skills that are invaluable for personal and professional growth.
Why RCAC/Purdue?
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As a place to work as a professional
As a professional, I truly appreciate the knowledgeable and supportive colleagues at RCAC/Purdue. They have been incredibly helpful in every situation, creating an environment where learning and growth are constant. I’ve gained a lot from their expertise and the collaborative atmosphere.
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A place to get your education (e.g. grad school)
As a graduate student, I often struggled with running my workflows on clusters and learned how critical effective user support is for research success. I can imagine how valuable it must be for undergraduates at Purdue to have access to both powerful computational resources and a supportive research computing to help them navigate challenges and grow in their field.
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As a place to work as an undergrad
While I haven’t studied any of my degrees at Purdue, I understand the value of having access to resources like the Scholar cluster as part of coursework. Such access can be a game-changer for students, enabling hands-on learning and efficient research.
Where do you see HPC/Supercomputing/Research Computing going in the next 10 years?
In the next decade, I see HPC and supercomputing evolving to become more accessible and integrated into various disciplines. With the rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning, we’ll likely see HPC systems more optimized for data-intensive applications and real-time processing. Optimization of any kind will also impact energy efficiency and sustainability.
Have you ever been an REU or student employee?
No
