High-performance computing (HPC) has been pushing the boundaries of performance, scale and durability for years, powering breakthroughs across many industries including research, science, defense, climate and finance etc.
As the market accelerates with a focus on AI, so does the need for inclusive leadership. At VDURA, we believe that diversity isn’t just a tick box activity; it plays a strategic role at the core of an enterprise. That’s why we’re proud to continue our support for the Women in HPC (WHPC) community at Super Computing 2025 (SC25), helping foster visibility, mentorship, and momentum for women across the HPC ecosystem.
Last year at SC24, VDURA sponsored the WHPC Happy Hour and conducted a series of one-on-one interviews with women leaders in the field. These conversations offered a glimpse into the career journeys, roles and advice of women shaping the future of HPC. From technical leadership to community advocacy, their stories underscored the breadth of talent and perspective in the industry. Watch the full interviews (here).
This year, we’re building on that momentum at SC2025. VDURA will host a panel session featuring women in leadership roles across the HPC landscape. Confirmed participants include Elizabeth L’Heureux (BP), Lindsey Fox (Vanderbilt), Beth Turman (VDURA), and Rebecca Leonard (Dell), with additional voices to be announced soon.
The panel will explore leadership pathways, technical challenges, and the evolving role of women in shaping HPC’s future, offering insights not just for those in the field, but for those considering it.
That commitment also extends locally. Julia Wheeler of VDURA recently co-founded the Pittsburgh WHPC Chapter alongside Alison McWilliams of the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center. With 19 members and growing, the chapter is part of a global WHPC network spanning 68 chapters across five continents, each one a testament to the power of community-led leadership.
We are also proud to spotlight the contributions of Beth Turman, who has been a consistent champion in the high-performance computing (HPC) ecosystem for years. Her advocacy within the wider industry, and specifically her active involvement with the Texas chapter of Women in HPC — brings meaningful momentum to our initiatives at VDURA. With her strategic insights and hands-on engagement in building community, she not only advances dialogue around parallel architectures and data-intensive workloads, but also supports an inclusive pipeline of talent that fuels velocity, durability and simplified operations in storage solutions.
We invite you to join us at SC25, whether in person or online, and be part of the conversation. Let’s celebrate the women who power HPC and inspire the next generation to lead.