Introducing Big Ben: July 20, Stay Tuned

PSC Media Adisory

July 13, 2005

WHAT: Ribbon-Cutting for Big Ben: Cray, Inc XT3, serial #1

WHY: The next stage in the evolution of massively parallel-processing and one of the most advanced computing systems in the world.

WHO: Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center - a joint effort of Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh and Westinghouse Electric Co.

WHEN: Wednesday, July 20, 2:30 p.m.

WHERE: Westinghouse Energy Center
4350 Northern Pike
Monroeville, PA 15146

Leaders from industry, universities and government will celebrate the availability of Big Ben, the first shipped system of the new XT3 line from Cray Inc. With funding from the National Science Foundation, Big Ben will support scientists and engineers nationwide in many areas of research, including high-energy physics, nanotechnology, turbulence, protein dynamics studies that lead to new therapeutic drugs, modeling of earthquake soil-vibration, and severe storm forecasting.

The program, with brief remarks on the significance of Big Ben, will include:

Arden Bement, director, National Science Foundation
Jared L. Cohon, president, Carnegie Mellon University
Mark A. Nordenberg, chancellor, University of Pittsburgh
Steve Tritch, president & CEO, Westinghouse Electric Company
Jim Rottsolk, chairman and chief executive officer, Cray Inc. and Peter Ungaro, president, Cray Inc. will speak via videoconference from the Cray Inc. board of directors meeting in Seattle.

PSC staff will conduct tours of the computer room and demonstrate research.

Directions to Westinghouse Energy Center: http://www.psc.edu/training/Maps/directions.html#wec