Education & Engagement
RCAC provides a range of education opportunities — from in-person training and online workshops to self-paced materials. Join us to expand your research computing expertise and connect with our community.
Schedule a ConsultationInspire → Train → Connect & Scale
Building a vertically integrated computational talent pipeline — from first exposure through career placement.
Inspiring the Next Generation
- Code Explorers & CyberSafe Heroes camps
- Immersive STEM day camps for middle schoolers
- Interactive museum programs
- Educator workshops on AI in the classroom
- CI-XP and Anvil REU student programs
Building Skills for the Future Workforce
- Industry-aligned HPC, AI & Anvil training
- Team-based experiential learning
- Hackathon community & competitions
- Reproducible computing workshops
- RCAC Data Center & Envision Center tours
Advancing Research & Expanding Impact
- Workshops at SC, PEARC, RMACC, SACNAS
- Student Cluster Competition support
- Mentorship & HPC resource access
- Institutional & faculty partnerships
- ACCESS ecosystem integration
Resources
Engagement News
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RCAC Programs Have Reached Critical Scale
RCAC's portfolio has grown to a point where unification isn't just beneficial — it's essential. Current efforts are distributed across multiple initiatives without unified leadership. There is a timely opportunity to align, elevate, and expand impact under one strategic vision. This is not a new program. It is a strategic alignment of existing RCAC strengths.
Why This Matters for RCAC
NSF Broader Impacts Alignment
Directly supports NSF priorities around CI adoption, workforce development, and broadening participation in advanced computing.
National & Regional Workforce Needs
Addresses growing demand for talent in AI, HPC, and data science across academia, government, and industry.
Industry & Applied Research Partnerships
Creates a clear entry point for companies and labs to collaborate on workforce pipelines and applied research projects.
Student Training & Career Readiness
Enhances experiential learning pathways from internships to REUs, ensuring graduates are ready for careers in computing.
National CI Hub Positioning
Elevates RCAC as a recognized national leader in cyberinfrastructure-enabled workforce development.
Sustained Funding Alignment
A unified structure makes RCAC's impact legible to funders, enabling stronger proposals and long-term resource growth.
Outreach & Engagement
Student Cluster Challenge
An HPC competition where students expand their skills and connect with industry experts.
Learn More →RCAC's national industry affiliate program connecting companies to Purdue's world-class HPC infrastructure, research talent, and engineering expertise — modeled on TACC STAR and The Data Mine's proven partnership frameworks.
Three Ways to Engage
Annual membership giving companies privileged access to Anvil and RCAC systems, staff consultation, training institutes, and the FORGE Summit. Targeted at companies in pharma, energy, defense, financial modeling, and manufacturing.
Semester-long student project teams (5–10 students) working on a real company HPC or AI challenge hosted on Anvil. Companies get talent access and proof-of-concept deliverables; students get industry experience and a direct recruiting pathway.
Companies sponsor 1–2 named students per year for HPC/AI research, with a preferred summer internship pathway. Students are recognized publicly as FORGE Scholars; companies gain early access to exceptional computing talent.
The FORGE Summit
An annual half-day convening (fall semester) bringing FORGE partners, RCAC researchers, and students together for partner presentations, student project showcases, facility tours, an industry roundtable, and the FORGE Scholars recognition ceremony.
Express interest in the FORGE Summit →Contact Us
Select the pathway that fits your interest and we'll route your message to the right team.
Our Team
