Wharton Computing Center

Wharton Computing Center is a state-of-the-art computing facility located at the University of Pennsylvania, providing support to the Wharton School and its community, including Adam Grant, Philip Tetlock, and Katherine Milkman. The center is part of the university's efforts to advance artificial intelligence research, in collaboration with institutions like Carnegie Mellon University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. With its cutting-edge technology, the Wharton Computing Center enables students, faculty, and staff to engage in innovative projects, such as those led by Michael Kearns and Rakesh Vohra, and to explore new frontiers in data science and business analytics with experts like Lyle Ungar and Duncan Watts.

History

The Wharton Computing Center has a rich history, dating back to the early days of computing at the University of Pennsylvania, where pioneers like John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert developed the ENIAC computer. Over the years, the center has evolved to meet the growing demands of the Wharton School community, with support from alumni like Leonard Lauder and Ronald Perelman. The center has been instrumental in introducing new technologies, such as cloud computing and high-performance computing, to support research and education, in partnership with organizations like IBM, Microsoft, and Amazon Web Services. Today, the Wharton Computing Center is a hub for innovation, with collaborations with institutions like Stanford University, Harvard University, and California Institute of Technology.

Facilities and services

The Wharton Computing Center offers a range of facilities and services, including computer labs, classrooms, and meeting rooms, equipped with the latest technology from companies like Dell, HP, and Apple. The center provides support for software development, data analysis, and visualization, with tools like Tableau, Power BI, and Matlab, and offers training and workshops on topics like Python programming, R programming, and SQL, led by experts like Andrew Ng and Fei-Fei Li. The center also partners with other departments at the University of Pennsylvania, such as the School of Engineering and Applied Science and the Perelman School of Medicine, to provide a comprehensive range of services, including those offered by Penn Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Technology infrastructure

The Wharton Computing Center boasts a robust technology infrastructure, with a high-speed network and storage systems from vendors like Cisco Systems, NetApp, and EMC Corporation. The center's data center is equipped with servers from HPE and Dell EMC, and storage systems from IBM Storage and Hitachi Vantara, and provides a secure and reliable environment for data storage and processing, with support from cybersecurity experts like Bruce Schneier and Whitfield Diffie. The center also offers cloud computing services, in partnership with Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform, and supports research in areas like machine learning and natural language processing with tools like TensorFlow and PyTorch, developed by researchers like Yann LeCun and Geoffrey Hinton.

Academic and research support

The Wharton Computing Center provides academic and research support to the Wharton School community, including students, faculty, and staff, with resources like Wharton Research Data Services and Wharton Executive Education. The center offers consulting services and training programs on topics like data science, business analytics, and digital marketing, led by experts like David Bell and Peter Fader. The center also partners with other institutions, such as MIT Sloan School of Management and Stanford Graduate School of Business, to advance research in areas like finance, marketing, and operations management, with support from organizations like National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health. Additionally, the center collaborates with industry partners like Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, and McKinsey & Company to provide students with real-world experience and skills, and to support research initiatives like those led by Wharton Financial Institutions Center and Wharton Center for Human Resources.

Governance and administration

The Wharton Computing Center is governed by a steering committee composed of faculty and staff from the Wharton School and the University of Pennsylvania, including representatives from Penn Arts and Sciences and Penn Engineering. The center is administered by a team of IT professionals and support staff, led by CIOs like Joanna Rosen and Tom Murphy, who work closely with alumni and industry partners to ensure that the center's services and resources meet the evolving needs of the Wharton School community, with support from organizations like EDUCAUSE and Internet2. The center also collaborates with other departments at the university, such as the Penn Libraries and the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, to provide a comprehensive range of services and resources, and to support initiatives like those led by Penn Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Category:University of Pennsylvania