Research gets a boost from NSF Fellow

A National Science Foundation Fellow has chosen to attend the University of Kansas to pursue his Ph.D. in computer science. Selected for their potential to advance science, mathematics or engineering, fellows may attend any accredited university, within the United States or internationally, that offers advanced degrees in these particular fields.

Jeffrey Young reunites with his mentor, Ron Sass, now a research assistant professor at KU~Rs Information and Telecommunication Technology Center (ITTC). The two started conducting research when Young was an undergraduate at Clemson University and Sass a member of its faculty. At KU, they continue developing powerful and easy-to-use tools that aid researchers in quickly deciphering DNA sequences, satellite imagery, and other large data sets. Young is developing software for scientists and other non-engineers to program reconfigurable devices. For example, Young and Sass are working with a computational scientist who specializes in direct numerical simulations of high-pressure combustion. These simulations are used to design more efficient jet engines and have applications in other computational fluid dynamics. Reconfigurable computing will also benefit other high-performance computer users, such as those in bioinformatics and financial modeling. By investigating new translation techniques and execution models, researchers are making it easier for computational scientists and other non-engineers to use this technology.

"We are thrilled that Jeff has chosen KU for his graduate work," Sass said. "He is an excellent student, has a knack for research, and, in the short time he has been here, demonstrated that he is a real team player."