2026-03-11 –, Main Hall
We are excited to share insights from the inaugural OnDemand internship hosted by Research Technology at Tufts Technology Services. This presentation highlights the interns’ accomplishments, explores challenges encountered, and identifies opportunities uncovered. We look forward to sharing our journey and lessons learned with fellow HPC centers.
This presentation details the inaugural OnDemand internship hosted by Research Technology in Tufts Technology Services under the TTS Internship Program, designed to bridge academic learning with real-world HPC application and gateway development. Over the course of the program, interns engaged in enhancing the Open OnDemand interface, addressing usability challenges, and implementing design improvements. We will showcase achievements, including new interface features that streamline resource selection and improve the user experience for the Tufts HPC community.
Beyond technical outcomes, this session explores the unique challenges of launching an HPC-focused internship - such as recruiting intern candidates, onboarding students with varying levels of HPC literacy, balancing project scope with academic schedules, and fostering collaboration in a hybrid environment. We will also highlight opportunities uncovered through this initiative, such as enabling students to contribute to real-world software development and maintenance while gaining practical skills. Our goal is to share lessons learned and practical recommendations with fellow HPC centers seeking to develop similar programs, demonstrating how internships can serve as a catalyst for innovation, workforce development, and community building in research computing.
Intro (1min), Internship program overview (2mins), Showcase intern projects(3mins), Our experience and lessons learned (3mins), Roadmap (1mins)
Sr. HPC Specialist at Research Technology, TTS