Michael Sandoval
About Michael Sandoval
Michael Sandoval is an HPC Engineer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, specializing in scientific visualization and training programs for Python libraries. He has a background in physics and has held various research and teaching positions at San Jose State University and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Work at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Michael Sandoval has been employed as an HPC Engineer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory since 2021. In this role, he develops and maintains training programs for various Python libraries, including PyTorch, CuPy, h5py, and mpi4py. He also leads the Data Visualization and Analytics Training Series, focusing on enhancing the skills of users in high-performance computing environments. Additionally, he coordinates the OLCF Monthly User Call, which facilitates communication and updates for users of the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility.
Previous Experience in High-Performance Computing
Before joining Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Michael Sandoval worked at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, from 2016 to 2021. He served as a Graduate Research Assistant for five years and as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for one year. His earlier experience includes a role as a Student Researcher at San Jose State University from 2014 to 2015 and as an REU Student Researcher at SRI International for eight months during the same period. These positions contributed to his expertise in high-performance computing.
Education and Expertise
Michael Sandoval earned his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Physics with a concentration in Astrophysics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he studied from 2015 to 2021. Prior to that, he obtained a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Physics from San Jose State University, completing his studies from 2010 to 2015. His educational background provides a strong foundation for his work in high-performance computing and scientific visualization.
Advocacy for Scientific Visualization Tools
Michael Sandoval advocates for the use of Blender for scientific visualization, promoting its application in high-performance computing environments. He specializes in scientific visualization using tools such as VisIt and ParaView, and he is responsible for their maintenance at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility. His efforts aim to enhance the visualization capabilities available to researchers and users in the field.