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Home / Events

2026 Rising Stars in Computational & Data Sciences Workshop

Lagoon Nebula, via VLT Survey Telescope (VST) at ESO's Paranal Observatory in Chile. "This giant cloud of gas and dust is creating intensely bright young stars, and is home to young stellar clusters." (Wikimedia)
Workshop

All day

April 7, 2026 – April 8, 2026

“Rising Stars: An Academic and Research Career Workshop for Computational and Data Sciences” was an intensive, two-day workshop held at the Santa Fe Institute for early career researches in computational and data sciences. Originally launched at MIT in 2012, Rising Stars events have been hosted in many different fields at institutions across the world. This year's gathering, the seventh Rising Stars workshop, will be co-hosted by the University of Texas-Austin's Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, the Santa Fe Institute, and Los Alamos, Lawrence Livermore, and Sandia National Laboratories. Previous workshops have taken place in 2019 (Austin), 2020 (virtual), 2022 (Albuquerque), 2023 (Austin), and 2024 (Austin).

The workshop consisted of a mix of research presentations, interactive discussion, technical discussions, career advice panels, and discussions about academic/research life. A primary focus of the workshop is broadening the participation of early career researchers in computational and data sciences.

Approximately 30 Rising Stars were chosen for the 2026 gathering at the Santa Fe Institute. Nominations were invited from outstanding candidates in their final year of PhD or within three years of having graduated and not yet in a tenure-track faculty or permanent staff position. Participants came to SFI for two days of research presentations and interactive discussions about academic and research careers, with financial support for travel provided. Nominees were considered based on their technical merit, and their technical and service leadership.

For questions, please see the FAQs linked to the Rising Stars website at the University of Texas, Austin  https://risingstars.oden.utexas.edu

Or contact the Rising Stars Administrator: rs_admin@oden.utexas.edu

Organizers

Karen WillcoxKaren WillcoxProfessor, Aerospace Engineering & Engineering Mechanics, University of Texas, Austin; External Professor & Science Board Member, Santa Fe Institute
David KrakauerDavid KrakauerPresident & William H. Miller Professor of Complex Systems, Santa Fe Institute
James StewartJames StewartSenior Manager, Computational Sciences & Math Group, Sandia’s Center for Computing Research (CCR).
Suzanne KernSuzanne KernDirector of Education, Santa Fe institute
Renée TursiRenée TursiManager, Office of the President, Santa Fe Institute

Co-Organizers

Nicole AretzNicole AretzO’Donnell Postdoctoral Fellow; Oden Institute, University of Texas Austin
Jamie BramwellJamie BramwellDirector, Center for Computational Engineering, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Aric HagbergAric HagbergDivision Leader, Computer, Computational, and Statistical Sciences Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Jeff HittingerJeff HittingerDirector, Center for Applied Scientific Computing, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Aimee HungerfordAimee HungerfordDeputy Division Leader, Computer, Computational and Statistical Sciences, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Alexsandra PachalievaAlexsandra PachalievaResearch Scientist, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Teresa PortoneTeresa PortoneResearch Scientist, Sandia National Laboratories
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