THREE QUESTIONS FOR
Wei Feinstein

You are the High-Performance Computing Services Lead for the Lab’s IT Division. What are the biggest challenges and biggest rewards of your role?

Let me start with the rewards aspect. Our team supports researchers across nearly all divisions at the Lab. They use our HPC services and computing resources in their research. The most gratifying aspect of my role, and a primary reason I joined the Lab, is knowing that we contribute to their world-class scientific discoveries.

For instance, consider GRETA, a decade-long project now relocating to Michigan State University. GRETA is a gamma-ray detector system used for studying nuclear reactions. We provided the GPU cluster for real-time data processing for what I believe is the world's largest gamma-ray detector—it's truly mind-blowing to be part of such a story. Another example is the Joint Genome Institute, for which we built a customized HPC cluster called Dori with over a hundred compute nodes. This has significantly accelerated their job turnaround times, facilitating the discovery of genomic insights.

Regarding the challenges, our ScienceIT team comprises talented engineers and consultants with strong technical expertise, but it is a relatively small group. On top of supporting a large user base at Berkeley Lab, we also manage UC Berkeley’s data center. The biggest hurdle is maintaining daily operations for users while introducing new technology with a wide portfolio of services, both on-prem and in-cloud. It’s tough to get users on board with new tools, build innovative services, and keep our infrastructure up-to-date to support them. For AI workflows, GPUs are critical, and we’re constantly chasing advanced nodes like the H100 and B100, which are pricey yet high-performance hardware built for AI workflows.

You were recently honored by the UC Womxn in Technology (WIT) Committee as one of the “women driving change in information technology at UC.” How did that make you feel?

I am truly honored and delighted by this recognition. Information Technology has become crucial for education, research, and daily operations, and its importance is only increasing with the advent of AI. Technology underpins everything these days, and any progress would be difficult without it.

It’s a well-known fact that the IT field has historically been dominated by men. This holds true across various fields, including high-performance computing, cybersecurity, and networking. Therefore, as a female professional in HPC, receiving this award validates that women can excel and lead changes. It also gives me a stronger sense of responsibility to elevate and support women in the IT field. 

You also serve as co-chair of the Women's Support & Empowerment Council Policy Subcommittee. What drew you to this leadership role, and what specific changes or initiatives are you most excited about working on?

In my early career as a software engineer in the private sector, I barely remember any groups like WSEC; there simply weren't any. I recall that my maternity leave was practically nonexistent. However, the Lab stands out for its unique culture, which fosters open communication and provides employees with opportunities to thrive. Happy employees lead to increased productivity, making it mutually beneficial for both the employees and the Lab.

The WSEC is all about helping and empowering women at the Lab, and I've loved working with this exceptionally talented and brilliant group of women. Even with their busy careers, they still give their time to support the Lab and its leadership. As co-chair of the Policy Sub-Committee, my job is to gather and share what female employees are concerned about and then team up with HR and the Lab’s senior leaders to make our policies better. For instance, we successfully advocated for the reinstatement of paid paternity leave. Currently, we're focusing on clarifying HR terms because they can sometimes be confusing for employees. We're also committed to promoting pay transparency, which is a goal that various employee groups are working on together.

If you could give advice to your younger self just starting out in technology, or to other women considering a career in high-performance computing, what would you tell them? 

Believe in yourself. Confidence doesn’t come naturally to many people; it took me time to build mine. For anyone interested in HPC, start using it to gain experience. If you discover a passion for HPC, actively pursue entry into the field and grow. When an opportunity arises, embrace it, step beyond your comfort zone, and explore. Before you know it, you'll be integrated into the HPC community as an HPC professional.