SCIENTIFIC COMPUTING AND IMAGING INSTITUTE
at the University of Utah

An internationally recognized leader in visualization, scientific computing, and image analysis

SCI Marks One of Its Biggest Presences at Top Conference on Human-Computer Interaction

The University of Utah Scientific Computing and Imaging (SCI) Institute will have one of its biggest years yet at the flagship conference for human-computer interaction, or CHI, which will be held later this month in Yokohama, Japan. SCI contributions include four papers, one of which won an honorable mention award, along with a software course and a paper in “alt.chi,” a forum for boundary-pushing research.

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Akil Narayan Reflects on First Year as College of Science Faculty Fellow

The University of Utah College of Science named Akil Narayan—a mathematics professor and member of the Scientific Computing and Imaging (SCI) Institute—one of two inaugural faculty fellows last summer. The fellowship, according to the college, develops “emerging academic leaders who are interested in learning more about college administration.”

Narayan shares the honor alongside Lauren Birgenheier, associate professor in the Department of Geology and Geophysics. "Lauren and Akil are exceptional scholars and leaders," said former college Dean Peter Trapa, now vice provost and senior dean of the Colleges and Schools of Liberal Arts and Sciences. "Their diverse expertise, coupled with their commitment to excellence, will be put to good use in these new Faculty Fellow roles. I look forward to working with them both."

As Narayan wrapped up year one as a fellow, we asked him to reflect on what it’s meant so far.

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U taps NVIDIA’s AI Expertise

A new statewide AI initiative will enhance Utah’s technology-based workforce training and economic development.

In early December, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and University of Utah President Taylor Randall signed a memorandum of understanding for a new education initiative with NVIDIA, designed to democratize AI access across communities.

“AI will continue to grow in importance, affecting every sector of Utah’s economy. We need to prepare our students and faculty for this technological revolution,” said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. “Working with NVIDIA is an ideal path to help ensure that Utah is positioned for AI growth in the near and long term.”

Students and faculty on the campus of the University of Utah for Strada Education Network in Salt Lake City, UT. ©Brett WilhelmThe public-private partnership aims to equip universities, community colleges and adult education programs across Utah with the resources to develop students’ and workers’ skills in generative AI. Under the terms of the agreement, Utah teachers will be able to be certified through the NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute University Ambassador Program.

The program offers high-quality teaching kits, extensive workshop content and access to NVIDIA GPU-accelerated workstations in the cloud. In addition to AI, Utah teachers will be able to study accelerated computing, data science and more—enriching their course curriculum and classroom discussions and giving students the skills they need to be prepared for the workplaces of the future.

The MOU is an important part of Utah elected and education leaders’ broader effort to foster a tech-savvy workforce and position the state as a leader in AI innovation and application. The initiative benefits new graduates just entering the job market as well as professionals hoping to upskill, enabling them to expand their skillsets beyond community college or adult education courses.

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Manish Parashar appointed inaugural Chief AI Officer for U

The University of Utah has named Manish Parashar, director of the Scientific Computing and Imaging (SCI) Institute, chair in Computational Science and Engineering, and Presidential Professor in the Kalhert School of Computing, as its inaugural Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer.

In this role, Parashar will represent the university and advise U President Taylor Randall as the institution navigates various AI initiatives. Parashar will lead the university’s AI strategy, advance research and translation initiatives, foster collaborations across academic and industry sectors and ensure ethical and responsible AI efforts in alignment with institutional missions.

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Three SCI Faculty Earn Top National Award for Early Career Scientists and Engineers

University of Utah Scientific Computing and Imaging (SCI) Institute faculty members Amirhossein (Amir) Arzani, Katherine (Kate) Isaacs, and Bei Wang Phillips on Jan. 14 received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the U.S. government’s highest honor for outstanding scientists and engineers early in their careers.

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Distinguished SCI Seminar: Karen E. Willcox on Predictive Digital Twins at Scale

Predictive Digital Twins at Scale: Graphical Formulations to Manage Uncertainty and Complexity

Speaker: Karen E. Willcox, Director, Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin

When: Thursday, April 3, 2025, 2–3 pm

Where: Warnock Engineering Building, Evans Conference Room (WEB 3780), University of Utah, 72 S Central Campus Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84112

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Distinguished SCI Seminar: Jack Dongarra on High-Performance Computing and Responsibly Reckless Algorithms

An Overview of High-Performance Computing and Responsibly Reckless Algorithms

Speaker: Jack Dongarra, University of Tennessee, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, University of Manchester

When: Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, 2–3 pm

Where: Warnock Engineering Building, Evans Conference Room (WEB 3780), University of Utah, 72 S Central Campus Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84112

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SCI's Jess Tate Named one of the U’s First Innovation Ambassadors

The University of Utah Technology Licensing Office (TLO) tapped Scientific Computing and Imaging (SCI) Institute staff scientist Jess Tate to serve as one of three Innovation Ambassadors, a new program to boost translational research and entrepreneurship across campus.

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$2M NIH Grant Renewal Will Bring FEBio Open-Source Software into its 20th Year

Jeffrey Weiss, a University of Utah professor of biomedical engineering and faculty member in the Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute, and Gerard Ateshian, professor of mechanical engineering at Columbia University, received a $2 million grant to continue to improve Finite Elements for Biomechanics (FEBio), open-source software supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH) since 2008.

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One-U RAI Announces Inaugural Awardees: 7 Faculty Fellows, 1 Postdoctoral Fellow, and 1 Distinguished Visitor



Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024 (updated Dec. 9)—In its first push to attract and retain top talent in translational AI, the University of Utah One-U Responsible Artificial Intelligence Initiative (RAI) has named seven faculty fellows, one postdoctoral fellow, and one distinguished visitor.

The faculty fellows span six colleges across the U and their work is expected to drive progress in one or more of the initiative’s thematic areas: environment, healthcare and wellness, and teaching and learning. One-U RAI will typically award three to five fellows each year, but increased that number for 2025 due to a strong applicant pool and excitement from U leadership. "Our inaugural cohort of faculty fellows represents a wonderful cross-section of U faculty,” said Manish Parashar, director of the Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute, which houses One-U RAI. “We look forward to integrating their expertise into One-U RAI and working toward shared goals, from recommending guardrails that protect individuals to applying AI to solve complex societal challenges."

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