ICICLE @ MWRCD 2025: From the Lens of an ICICLE NextGen

The Midwest Research Computing and Data (MWRCD) Annual Meeting 2025, held April 14–15 at Case Western Reserve University, brought together a vibrant community of research computing professionals, data scientists, system administrators, faculty, and students from across the Midwest. As an ICICLE NextGen member, it was inspiring to see how this event continues to foster collaboration, spark innovation, and address evolving challenges in cyberinfrastructure, HPC, and AI-driven technologies.

ICICLE’s Breakout Session: Middleware Development for AI & Advanced Computing

A highlight for the NSF AI Institute for Intelligent Cyberinfrastructure with Computational Learning in the Environment (ICICLE) was hosting the breakout session, “ICICLE Middleware Development for AI & Advanced Computing.” This session showcased ICICLE’s commitment to building a seamless, plug-and-play computing continuum that bridges AI applications with HPC, cloud, and edge environments.

The ICICLE team presented key innovations across three areas:

• Middleware Tools: Sachith Withana introduced Patra Model Cards and MLHub, tools enhancing AI/ML model governance and lifecycle management. I presented the Smart Scheduler — an AI-powered framework for optimizing resource allocation and integrating MLOps practices.
• AI Models Supporting Middleware: Biyao Zhang highlighted advanced GPU performance modeling for Large Language Models (LLMs), enabling more efficient deep learning workload management.
• Application-Centric Tools: Debargha Ganguly showcased the Labeling Copilot, addressing data scarcity through accelerated synthetic data generation and annotation.

The session concluded with a dynamic panel discussion, “ICICLE Engages the MWRCD Community,” moderated by Karen Tomko (Ohio Supercomputer Center), joined by Jane Combs (University of Cincinnati), Preston Smith (Purdue University), and Scott Michael (Indiana University). The discussion focused on fostering collaboration, strengthening community engagement, and shaping the future of AI-integrated cyberinfrastructure.

Beyond ICICLE: Key Highlights from MWRCD 2025

One of the most captivating sessions was the keynote by Daniel Blankenberg from Cleveland Clinic, discussing the world’s first quantum computer dedicated to healthcare research — the IBM Quantum System One. Blankenberg emphasized how the convergence of quantum computing, AI, and machine learning is set to revolutionize biomedical research, from drug discovery to precision medicine.

Another insightful panel explored best practices for deploying AI chatbots in HPC environments. Projects like QA Tool for ACCESS, AnvilGPT, and hpcGPT demonstrated how LLM-based chat interfaces can streamline research support. Key lessons: design simple Q&A systems to reduce hallucinations, use human-in-the-loop feedback, and integrate Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) for context-aware responses.

Reflections

Participating in MWRCD 2025 as part of ICICLE not only highlighted the institute’s contributions but reinforced the importance of community-driven innovation. From middleware advancements to quantum computing and AI deployment discussions, the event showcased how collaborative efforts are shaping the future of research computing.

If you’re passionate about advancing AI-integrated cyberinfrastructure, now is the time to engage with initiatives like ICICLE and be part of this transformative journey.