Student Volunteers

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SC2002 Student Volunteer Program
Undergraduate and graduate student volunteers are needed for SC2002. A student volunteer helps with the administration of the conference in exchange for free conference registration, housing, most meals, conference goodies, and more. We ask for a total of 20-25 hours of work. You will interact with the conference organizers and presenters, and you will meet other students from all over the world. It is an opportunity to be involved with a great conference. And it is a nice item to have on your resume.

Student volunteers have the opportunity to see and discuss the latest high-performance networking and computing technology and meet leading researchers from around the world while contributing to the success of this annual event. No special skills or experience are necessary for most volunteer positions.

This year the conference education program will offer a special program designed to help students be successful in graduate school and to learn about career opportunities in education, research, and industry. More information about this program is available at: educ_stud.html. Student volunteers will be encouraged to participate in this special program.

Read the information below, and then consider if you want to register to become an SC2002 student volunteer!

So, what is the SC2002 conference?
SC2002 is the current event of an annual conference series that focuses on the development and application of high-performance computing and communications technologies.

This year's conference will be Sunday 17 November thru Friday 22 November 2002 in Baltimore.

What is a student volunteer?
A student volunteer helps out with the administration of the conference in exchange for free conference registration, housing, most meals, conference goodies, and more.

We ask students to volunteer 20-25 hours of work during the conference. You will interact with the conference organizers and presenters, and meet other students from all over the world. It's an opportunity to get involved with a great conference and reduce expenses at the same time. It's also not a bad item to have on your resume.

Student volunteers have the opportunity to see and discuss the latest high-performance networking and computing technology and meet leading researchers from around the world while contributing to the success of this annual event. No special skills or experience are necessary for most volunteer positions; however, some familiarity with computing platforms, audio/visual equipment, or office equipment can be helpful.

Who is eligible to be a student volunteer?
Any full time college student may become a student volunteer at SC2002. Both undergraduate and graduate students are welcome. You will need a recommendation from one of your professors.

High school students are not encouraged to apply, but local (Baltimore area) high school students might be considered under special (as yet undefined) circumstances.

When are student volunteers needed?
Official conference activities will start on Sunday 17 November and last through Friday morning 22 November. This is when most of the student volunteers will be needed.

You will need to arrive at the conference on Saturday afternoon 16 November. We will have our first group meeting Saturday evening.

Conference setup and especially deployment of the conference network takes place the week before the conference begins. A few students with an interest in networking could volunteer for these network deployment activities.

What do I get by being a student volunteer?
The conference provides students with:

  • Registration to the conference including technical sessions and keynote addresses
  • Access to the exhibit floor (and enough time to see the exhibits)
  • Hotel accommodations at one of the conference hotels
  • Conference proceedings on CD-ROM
  • Admission to special events on Monday and Thursday evenings
  • Meals during conference hours
  • New wardrobe (several t-shirts)

What don't I get as a student volunteer?
There are some important considerations for you to be aware of.

  • We do not have a travel budget for student volunteers. Your school or you will have to pay travel costs.
  • There are a few meals that are not provided (Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday dinner, for example).

What kinds of work will I do as a volunteer?
We use students to distribute and collect evaluation forms in each of the tutorials and technical sessions. You might assist speakers with handouts or A/V equipment. You might help in registration. You might supervise/assist in the e-mail room. You might help with media relations.

Hmmmm! Doesn't sound like much fun. Why would I want to do this?
Well, you are only committed to 20-25 hours of volunteer duties. The rest of the time you can attend the technical sessions. The real fun is cruising the exhibit floor where hardware and software vendors and many research institutions all have very interesting exhibits and demonstrations. And you can schmooze with thousands of people in the high-performance computing and communications community. Some of them might be interested in hiring you in a year or two.

Do I have a vote in what work I do as a volunteer?
Not much, but we'll do what we can. There are often fewer volunteers than tasks. And unanticipated tasks can pop up anytime. Sometimes we have to scramble. But if you have special skills, we will try to use them.

Do I have to be there for the whole conference to be a volunteer?
No. We realize that other commitments (like school) exist. We hope that students local to the Baltimore area will be able to be flexible. You will need to be able to devote enough time to work 20-25 hours during the conference.

Where will I stay during the conference?
Rooms will be available at each of the conference hotels at no cost to student volunteers. Assignments will be made as we get closer to the conference.

The rooms are all double occupancy. You are encouraged to apply with a classmate (of a similar gender) and plan to share a room.

Are there students with special skills or other characteristics that you encourage to apply?
Glad you asked!

  • Students with an interest in networking and who can help the week before the conference are encouraged to apply.
  • We need students who can speak Japanese to assist at registration.
  • This year (like last year) the conference is focusing on diversifying the student volunteer population. So, students from under-represented groups are especially encouraged to apply -- preferably, two or more from one institution.
  • International students are also encouraged to apply.

Wow! How do I register?
Register on the registration page.

You will need to provide basic information about yourself and why you want to attend SC2002 as a student volunteer. And you need to provide the name and e-address of a professor who will recommend you.

There is another link to the registration page at the top of this document.

When will I find out if you have selected me?
The registration pages will stay open until Friday 06 September. We hope to have decisions made and volunteers notified about a week after the close of registration.

Will I have any other questions?

Unlikely!     Well, maybe.

If you do, you may contact Phoebe Lenear and Bruce Loftis, who co-chair the Student Volunteer Committee. They can be reached at svol-2002@ncsa.edu

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