HPC leadership across NCSA, the NSF supercomputing program, and national-scale scientific computing.
publicationThe Supercomputer Famine in American Universities
In The Report of the Panel on Large Scale Computing in Science and Engineering, P. D. Lax, Chairman. (1982).
mediaU.S. And Companies Set Campus Centers for Supercomputers – New York Times
The National Science Foundation said today that it would spend $200 million to create supercomputer centers at four of the nation’s leading universities. The move is the broadest Federal effort yet to promote research using advanced computer technology.
publicationAn Approach to Complexity: Numerical Computations – Science Magazine
Science 26 Apr 1985: Vol. 228, Issue 4698, pp. 403-408 DOI: 10.1126/science.228.4698.403
mediaLarry Smarr on CBS Nightwatch with Charlie Rose
Larry Smarr appears on the news program CBS Nightwatch with Charlie Rose 4/20/1988
publicationThe Computational Science Revolution: Technology, Methodology and Sociology
In High-Speed Computing: Scientific Applications and Algorithm Design, 1988, ed. R. B. Wilhelmson (Univ. of Illinois Press: Urbana).
publicationSupercomputers, Workstations, And Visualization
In NCAR-41 Proceedings 1988, (Pechnomic Publishing Co., Inc.: Lancaster, PA). (1989).
mediaSupercomputer Pictures Solve the Once Insoluble – New York Times
The tools that make it possible are powerful supercomputers. Using them, scientists can convert numbers into remarkable images that appear as two-or three-dimensional color pictures or movies on computer screens.
publicationSupercomputing And Numerical Relativity: A Look At The Past, Present, and Future
In Frontiers in Numerical Relativity, 1-17, 1989, ed. C. Evans, L. Finn, and D. Hobill (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge), with D. Hobill.
mediavideoNCSA’s Science by Satellite – SIGGRAPH 1989
NCSA used its presence at SIGGRAPH 1989 to paint a vision of distance bing eliminated by network and computing technology.
publicationSupercomputing Opportunities For The Protein Sciences
In Protein Folding: Deciphering the Second Half of the Genetic Code, eds. L. M. Gierasch and J. King (AAAS: Washington D.C., 1990).
publicationExtraterrestrial Computing: Exploring The Universe With A Supercomputer
Chapter 8 of the book Very large Scale Computation in the 21st Century, edited by Jill P. Mesirov for the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM), (1991)
publicationSupercomputing And The Transformation Of Science
William J. Kaufmann III, Larry L. Smarr. Scientific American Library, W. H. Freeman and Company, ISSN 1040-3213. Copyright 1993 by Scientific American Library.
mediaDoing Science on the Network: A Long Way From Gutenberg – New York Times
In science, as in many other realms, computer networks are having a revolutionary influence. In forging intimate new ties among researchers around the globe, the computer is rapidly replacing old intellectual traditions with new ways of doing science.
mediaHPC in 1996 and 1997: An interview with Larry Smarr – HPC Wire
January 10, 1997 – Urbana-Champaign, Ill. — To further understanding of significant trends in high-performance computing at the juncture of a new year, HPCwire interviewed Larry Smarr, director of NCSA (National Center for Supercomputing Applications) about his view of the most important developments that have taken place in the industry during 1996 and those which might be anticipated in the 12 months ahead.
mediaAlliance led by NCSA becomes a reality – HPC Wire
An alliance of researchers, industry, and educational leaders, linking more than 50 research partners across the country and led by the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) becomes a reality October 1.
mediaMilitary Gets Main Use of Big Computers – New York Times
At a time when the demand for supercomputers among American scientists far outstrips availability, the Federal Government is rapidly shifting its spending for the fastest and most powerful machines to weapons research.
mediaJP Morgan Analyzes Risk Management on NCSA Origin2000 – HPC Wire
Champaign, IL — J.P. Morgan recently extended its risk management capabilities through the application of new mathematical models and advanced technology, JP Morgan and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) announced.
presentationslides + videoFrom NCSA to the National Research Platform
Invited Seminar National Center for Supercomputing Applications University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign May 9, 2024
- presentation
Supercomputing from the Desktop Workstation
Invited Zoom Presentation Internet Reunion Club, Sponsored by Internet2 “Using the Internet (1983-1992)” June 7, 2022
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presentationvideoFounding NCSA director Larry Smarr reminisces
NCSA’s founding director, Larry Smarr, who now leads Calit2, spoke via a live video feed at a 25th anniversary celebration for NCSA on March 2.
presentationProject StarGate An End-to-End 10Gbps HPC to User Cyberinfrastructure ANL * Calit2 * LBNL * NICS * ORNL * SDSC
Report to the Dept. of Energy Advanced Scientific Computing Advisory Committee Oak Ridge, TN
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presentationslides + videoSupercomputers and Supernetworks are Transforming Research
Invited Talk Computing Research that Changed the World: Reflections and Perspectives Washington, DC

Constructing a National Scalable Information Infrastructure
Plenary talk, National Electrical Engineering & Computer Engineering Department Heads Association (NEEDHA 2000) Annual Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana.
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The Emerging National Technology Grid: Coupling Supercomputers, Networks, Virtual Reality to the Researchers’ Desktops
1998 Annual Kansas Center for Advanced Scientific Computing Distinguished Lecture, University of Kansas.
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Supercomputers: Directions in Technology, Architecture, and Applications
Keynote Presentation Supercomputer ‘98 Mannheim, Germany June 18, 1998
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Supercomputers: Directions in Technology, Architecture, and Applications
Keynote presentation, Supercomputer ’98, Mannheim, Germany.
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Supercomputing and International Network Collaboration in the 21st Century
Presentation to Illinois Secretary of State George Ryan, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
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mediaSocial Scientists Pass Up Free Supercomputer Time – HPC Wire
September 11, 1998 – Social-science projects accounted for less than 1 per cent of the research last year at supercomputers financed by the National Science Foundation, says Larry Smarr, director of the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
publicationSupercomputers: Directions In Technology, Architecture, And Applications
Larry Smarr, in Proceedings of Supercomputing ’98 in Mannheim, Germany (1998).
mediaTECHNOLOGY; Computer Gains Driven by Consumer Products – New York Times
The twice-annual ranking of the world’s 500 fastest computers, being issued today, shows that the United States still has a significant lead in building powerful supercomputers.
mediaHe sees IT coming – Mizzou Alumni Magazine
For decades, Larry Smarr has helped shape information technology that has given us the Internet, special effects for blockbuster movies and more.
mediaThe Time Is Now: Bust Up the Box! – New York Times
For decades increases in the speeds of computer networks trailed the exponentially accelerating speed of microprocessor chips. Now the balance between the power of computer processing and networking has fundamentally reversed, and the rapid rise of transmission speeds is beginning to have a revolutionary impact on how computers are used and what they can do.
mediaThe Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Reflections on the NSF Supercomputer Center Program – HPC Wire
In a position paper for community input at NSF’s Future of High Performance Computing Workshop in early December, Calit2 Director Larry Smarr reviewed the successes, failures and continuing challenges of the NSF supercomputing program that he helped create.
mediaChina Wins New Bragging Rights in Supercomputers – New York Times
Supercomputers are viewed in scientific circles as an indicator of national technology leadership, and they are vital for research in areas ranging from the development of new weapons and medicines, to the design of cars and consumer products.
mediaLarry Smarr: A U.S. Academic Supercomputing Program is Born
I had been using supercomputers since the early-mid 1970s but to do so I had to get a top secret nuclear clearance.
▶ Video
mediaENIAC at 75: Celebrating the World’s First Supercomputer – HPC Wire
With little fanfare, today’s computer revolution was arguably born and announced through a small, innocuous, two-column story at the bottom of the front page of The New York Times on Feb. 15, 1946.
mediaNCSA Welcomes Back Larry Smarr to Share Insights on Nationwide Cyberinfrastructure Development – HPC Wire
May 3, 2024 — High-Performance Computing (HPC) luminary and NCSA founding director Larry Smarr will be returning to the Center to give a talk titled “From NCSA to the National Research Platform” on May 9 at 12 p.m. in the NCSA auditorium on the first floor.
mediaHomecoming – NCSA
Larry Smarr, NCSA’s founder, recently came home to NCSA to give a talk on his journey from founding the Center to his work with the National Research Platform (NRP). Smarr was on campus to accept an honorary Ph.D. in computer science at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign (UIUC) during this year’s commencement.