Ignition Point: Students Power Up for the Ultimate HPC Challenge at SC25

Clemson’s SCC25 team brings together both returning veterans and enthusiastic newcomers. Marcus and Sam return after competing in SCC24, joined by Ethan — last year’s alternate — while Jacob, Lane, and Tolga step in as first-time competitors. Their early experiences, including research in Dr. Calhoun’s HPC course and strong results in the Single Board Cluster Competition (SBCC), where they built Raspberry Pi clusters, sparked their interest in SCC. Now, they’re channeling that momentum into preparing for SC25.

What makes this year’s Clemson team special is the mentorship of SCC alumni. Ben Schlueter and Ainara Garcia, both veterans of SCC23–24, are lending their expertise to guide the group’s preparation. Their strategy is methodical. Each member is assigned an application or benchmark to master, while group meetings ensure that knowledge is shared and no one is siloed. They’re balancing coursework in GPU computing, operating systems, and network programming with practical tests on their hardware to fine-tune performance and stay under the 4,500W cap. Also, each member will attend webinars hosted by SCC about their applications and research how to optimize their application with our hardware setup.

Beyond academics, the team members are already immersed in the HPC world through internships at leading national labs, including Argonne and Los Alamos National Labs,  and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. With a mix of proven experience, strong mentorship, and ambitious preparation, Clemson’s team is determined to make its mark on the SCC stage.

ETH Zürich’s SCC25 team exemplifies Swiss precision and collaboration, combining a rigorous academic foundation with deep partnerships. Weekly meetings blend theory with practice — covering HPC fundamentals, experimenting on past applications, and creating a collaborative learning environment where experienced members mentor newcomers.

Their secret weapon lies in their strong relationship with the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS). With access to a dedicated cluster hosted year-round at CSCS, the team has the freedom to experiment, refine strategies, and train extensively. Workshops with CSCS experts provide valuable insights into optimization and performance tuning, while returning members pass on their knowledge to ensure continuity.

What truly sets ETH apart is their team culture. Participation is entirely voluntary, untied to credits or formal requirements. Students commit their time out of passion for HPC and the thrill of solving complex challenges. Inclusivity is a cornerstone: prior experience isn’t necessary — what matters is motivation and willingness to learn. The result is a community larger than just the six competitors. Even non-competing members actively participate in training sessions and internal workshops, building a pipeline of skilled HPC enthusiasts for the future.

ETH Zürich arrives at SC25 as a model of sustainable, collaborative team building — proof that love for HPC is enough fuel to keep the flame burning year after year.

NTU Singapore’s SCC25 team embodies both experience and fresh perspective. Half of their members bring prior international cluster competition experience, while the other half are newcomers chosen through a competitive process involving technical tests, workshops, and site visits. This mix has created a well-rounded team eager to make their mark on the SC stage.

Preparation at NTU is carefully structured. Weekly goals keep progress on track, with tasks spanning Linux administration, cluster configuration, and parallel programming. Senior members lead sessions to bring newer teammates up to speed, while workshops with Singapore’s National Supercomputing Centre (NSCC) and industry partners like NVIDIA, AMD, and Supermicro provide advanced guidance. Practical system management and performance tuning ensure that theory is consistently reinforced by hands-on experience.

But NTU’s team is more than just technical expertise. Their shared love for coffee has become part of their team identity — so much so that they’ve named their server “Coffeepot.” This lighthearted tradition fosters camaraderie and keeps morale high as they navigate the challenges of preparation.

With industry partnerships fueling their training, and teamwork fueled by caffeine and passion, NTU’s SCC25 team is ready to bring both technical excellence and vibrant energy to SC25.

For the first time, National Taiwan University will step onto the SC stage. While new to this competition, they bring valuable experience from ASC25, where they won both the Group Competition Award and the First Prize Award. Their success validated their collaborative approach and set the stage for their SC debut.

The team formed under Professor Chun-Yi Lee, who joined NTU in 2024 with a vision for advancing HPC education. The six members, drawn from computer science, electrical engineering, and even mechanical and ocean engineering, embody interdisciplinary collaboration. Their leader, Miss Tso-Fei Yen, coordinates a group whose diverse academic paths — from computational physics to bioinformatics — contribute unique perspectives.

Preparation has been intensive. Weekly sessions integrate technical discussion and hands-on training in system configuration, workflow orchestration, power management, and application optimization. With hardware support from Gigabyte and access to H100 GPU clusters at Taiwan’s National Center for High-Performance Computing (NCHC), they’re training under real-world conditions. Coursework in AI systems and distributed computing further strengthens their technical depth.

What makes NTU stand out is their sheer enthusiasm. Students from vastly different academic journeys come together not only to compete but to enjoy the challenge of HPC. Their passion, interdisciplinary strength, and strong institutional support make them one of the most exciting first-time entrants in SCC25.

The National University of Singapore enters SCC25 as a newcomer, but with growing momentum. Formed only last year, the team is composed of students recruited from courses and word-of-mouth, with two members already bringing experience from IndySCC24 and ISC25. The rest are enthusiastic second- and third-year students eager to learn.

Preparation centers on collaboration. Members work in pairs on applications to balance workload and encourage idea-sharing. Weekly meetings include updates and knowledge-sharing sessions, while workshops with NSCC provide advanced training. Until their hardware arrives, the team is making use of NSCC’s computing resources and university IT facilities to benchmark and refine workflows. Vendor partnerships with HPE and Supermicro ensure they’ll be ready to maximize their cluster once it’s delivered.

The team’s strength lies in diversity. Some members are drawn to theoretical mathematics, others to backend programming or hardware tinkering. HPC sits at the intersection of all these skills, and NUS’s blend of expertise highlights the multidisciplinary nature of the field. With a shared commitment to learning and collaboration, this first-time team is poised to make a strong debut.

The “Gig ’Em Bytes” of Texas A&M return to SCC with a vibrant and diverse roster. Formed with the help of a 2024 team member, their group spans backgrounds in physics, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, materials science, and computer science. This multidisciplinary mix ensures a wide range of skills and perspectives — from coding fundamentals to advanced technical expertise.

Preparation has been tailored to each member’s experience level. Weekly meetings build group cohesion, while individuals follow online courses to strengthen technical knowledge. The team also trains on Texas A&M’s High Performance Research Computing Center systems, gaining valuable hands-on practice with real clusters ahead of the competition.

The Gig ’Em Bytes first tested themselves at ISC25, eager to grow through experience before stepping onto the SC stage. Their determination to compete in multiple international challenges reflects their commitment to learning, collaboration, and discovery. Whether seasoned or brand new to HPC, every member is contributing to building a strong foundation for the team’s future.

UC San Diego’s Team Sea++ continues a proud tradition of SCC participation, supported by the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC). This year’s group features one returning student from SCC24 alongside five first-time participants, each bringing experience from SDSC’s supercomputing club, the Single Board Cluster Competition, or academic research projects.

Preparation combines weekly team meetings with asynchronous training modules, ensuring progress at both the individual and group levels. Each student takes ownership of one application or benchmark while also serving as a sub-lead for another, promoting collaboration and shared accountability. With access to SDSC’s Expanse system, vendor research clusters, and mentorship from SDSC staff and SCC alumni, the team benefits from a robust support network.

What makes Sea++ unique is their “home team” program, which allows students outside the six competitors to join preparation, learn HPC, and contribute to the team’s growth. This creates a thriving community that extends beyond the competition. With such strong support and inclusive culture, UCSD’s team is set to dive deep into the SCC25 challenge.

BriCS makes history this year as the first UK-based team to compete in the in-person SCC. Representing a consortium of institutions including the University of Bristol, Imperial College of London, Cardiff University, Durham University, and University of Warwick, the team highlights the strength of collaboration across the UK’s HPC student community.

The team blends veterans from IndySCC24 (which they won) and ISC25 with first-time competitors. Mentorship from past members ensures that knowledge is passed down, while preparation involves a mix of cloud-based challenges, vendor-led workshops, and hands-on training with hardware similar to the competition systems. A multi-day workshop in Bristol brings the team together in person, combining technical training with opportunities to connect to the wider HPC community.

What makes BriCS remarkable is its diversity — students from multiple institutions, with different academic backgrounds and career paths, united by a shared enthusiasm for HPC. Their preparation emphasizes teamwork, adaptability, and the excitement of learning. With prior wins under their belt and a pioneering role for the UK at SC25, BriCS is ready to light up the competition floor.

SC also hosts the IndySCC. Learn more about this second cluster competition which happens concurrently with the SCC.