Ed Seidel
Encyclopedia
Edward Seidel is currently Assistant Director for Mathematical and Physical Sciences at the National Science Foundation
, was formerly Director of NSF's Office of Cyberinfrastructure , and continues as the Floating Point Systems Professor
in Louisiana State University
's Departments of Physics and Astronomy and Computer Science .
Before moving to NSF, Seidel was the founding director of the LSU Center for Computation & Technology, or CCT, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
. Seidel is a career computer scientist
and physicist
who has received a number of awards for his work. His most noted achievements are in the field of numerical relativity
, which involves solving Einstein's equations on computers. Seidel's
research groups are known for modeling black hole
collisions and for work in scientific computing. Seidel is also a co-founder of the Cactus Framework
.
In Louisiana, Seidel served as the first Chief Scientist for the Louisiana Optical Network Initiative, or LONI, which connects supercomputing resources throughout Louisiana
to enable faster and more accurate research collaboration.
Seidel, who has a Ph.D. in astrophysics
from Yale University
, moved to Baton Rouge to lead the CCT in 2003. Prior to his work at CCT, he was with the Albert Einstein Institute in Potsdam, Germany and also worked as a research scientist and professor at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications
at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
.
In November 2006, Seidel received the Sidney Fernbach Award
at the Supercomputing Conference in Tampa, Florida
. This award, which is one of the highest honors in computing, was awarded for his achievements in numerical relativity. He was also awarded the Heinz-Billing-Preis of the
Max Planck Society in 1998, and shared the Gordon Bell Prize
in 2001 with colleagues.
Seidel is related to Chicago artist Emory Seidel
.
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
, was formerly Director of NSF's Office of Cyberinfrastructure , and continues as the Floating Point Systems Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
in Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
's Departments of Physics and Astronomy and Computer Science .
Before moving to NSF, Seidel was the founding director of the LSU Center for Computation & Technology, or CCT, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
. Seidel is a career computer scientist
Computer scientist
A computer scientist is a scientist who has acquired knowledge of computer science, the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their application in computer systems....
and physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
who has received a number of awards for his work. His most noted achievements are in the field of numerical relativity
Numerical relativity
Numerical relativity is one of the branches of general relativity that uses numerical methods and algorithms to solve and analyze problems. To this end, supercomputers are often employed to study black holes, gravitational waves, neutron stars and many other phenomena governed by Einstein's Theory...
, which involves solving Einstein's equations on computers. Seidel's
research groups are known for modeling black hole
Black hole
A black hole is a region of spacetime from which nothing, not even light, can escape. The theory of general relativity predicts that a sufficiently compact mass will deform spacetime to form a black hole. Around a black hole there is a mathematically defined surface called an event horizon that...
collisions and for work in scientific computing. Seidel is also a co-founder of the Cactus Framework
Cactus Framework
Cactus is an open-source, problem-solving environment designed for scientists and engineers. Its modular structure easily enables parallel computation across different architectures and collaborative code development between different groups...
.
In Louisiana, Seidel served as the first Chief Scientist for the Louisiana Optical Network Initiative, or LONI, which connects supercomputing resources throughout Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
to enable faster and more accurate research collaboration.
Seidel, who has a Ph.D. in astrophysics
Astrophysics
Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, moved to Baton Rouge to lead the CCT in 2003. Prior to his work at CCT, he was with the Albert Einstein Institute in Potsdam, Germany and also worked as a research scientist and professor at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications
National Center for Supercomputing Applications
The National Center for Supercomputing Applications is an American state-federal partnership to develop and deploy national-scale cyberinfrastructure that advances science and engineering. NCSA operates as a unit of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign but it provides high-performance...
at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
.
In November 2006, Seidel received the Sidney Fernbach Award
Sidney Fernbach Award
The Sidney Fernbach Award established in 1992 by the IEEE Computer Society, in memory of Sidney Fernbach, one of the pioneers in the development and application of high performance computers for the solution of large computational problems as the Division Chief for the Computation Division at...
at the Supercomputing Conference in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
. This award, which is one of the highest honors in computing, was awarded for his achievements in numerical relativity. He was also awarded the Heinz-Billing-Preis of the
Max Planck Society in 1998, and shared the Gordon Bell Prize
Gordon Bell Prize
The Gordon Bell Prizes are a set of awards awarded by the Association for Computing Machinery in conjunction with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers each year at the Supercomputing Conference to recognize outstanding achievement in high-performance computing applications...
in 2001 with colleagues.
Seidel is related to Chicago artist Emory Seidel
Emory Seidel
Emory Pius Seidel was a Chicago artist who created numerous sculptures and paintings that are displayed publicly throughout the United States. He was affiliated with the Chicago Art Institute. In 1925, he was awarded the John C...
.