NASA recently awarded a $225,000 grant to Coe College to enhance its computing infrastructure.
According to a release, the funds will be used to acquire advanced technology, supporting STEM education and student-driven research. The new resources will provide students with practical learning opportunities and improved access to modern computing tools.
The college plans to use the funds to acquire a high-performance computing cluster equipped with 1,024 CPU cores and eight NVIDIA RTX 600 ADA GPUs. The investment also includes an advanced cooling system to maintain the new infrastructure and specialized software such as COMSOL Multiphysics, complete with a plasma module.
“This NASA grant is a testament to Coe’s commitment to cutting-edge education and research,” said Mario Affatigato, the Fran Allison and Francis Halpin professor of physics at Coe College. “The new computing resources will significantly enhance our capabilities in physics, data analytics and engineering, providing our students and faculty with tools to excel.”
The advanced computing cluster will enable Coe College research participants to tackle complex simulations and data analysis tasks across scientific disciplines, including plasma physics, computational chemistry, and astrophysics. Notably, the cluster will assist in modeling Mars’ ionosphere, a critical step toward developing specialized glass for spacecraft missions.
The grant, spearheaded by Mr. Affatigato, was achieved in collaboration with fellow physics professors Uger Akgun and Firdevs Duru.
Earlier this summer, Coe College’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program was renewed for three years with a $464,737 grant from the National Science Foundation. This recent award adds to nearly $5 million in external funding that the Coe College Physics Department has secured over the past decade.
