November 8, 2007
Dan Reed has been at the helm of The Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI) since it was launched in 2004 as a multidisciplinary institute with collaborative support from UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke University, NC State, and the state of North Carolina. The center provides advance computing resources and tools for data analysis, visualization and collaboration. Reed has recently stepped down as RENCI director to assume directorship of Scalable and Multicore Computing at Microsoft starting Dec. 3. Deputy Director Alan Blatecky will take on the role of interim director. Before coming to RENCI, he was the executive director of the San Diego Supercomputer Center, one of the National Science Foundation's original supercomputing centers, and directed the National Science Foundation's Middleware Initiative from 2001 to 2003. Reed will assume the chair of RENCI’s external advisory board. The university is at a critical juncture meeting the rapidly expanding computing needs for campus researchers and RENCI is envisioned as a key component in these efforts. Input from faculty regarding these efforts will be valuable in directing the resources of the University.