Reposted from the Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute.

After more than a decade of shaping advanced cyberinfrastructure at the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), William L. (Bill) Miller joined the University of Utah in September as the senior director for research computing and data—a pivotal appointment that signals the university’s commitment to artificial intelligence, research and innovation at scale.

In this new position, Miller will strategically support and enhance the university’s pioneering computational and data-enabled research. He will also helm the Center for High Performance Computing (CHPC), which provides powerful computing systems, expert guidance and secure environments to help thousands of researchers at the U and across the region make scientific breakthroughs and push their fields forward.

“We are extremely excited to have Bill join us—he brings extensive experience from his previous roles, where he led the development and oversight of large-scale research infrastructure and initiatives at the national level,” said Manish Parashar, chief AI officer for the university and director of the Scientific Computing and Imaging (SCI) Institute, which includes CHPC. “We look forward to his vision and leadership as we deploy advanced cyberinfrastructure in support of Utah’s AI innovation ecosystem.”

AI has been a university priority since October 2023, when President Taylor Randall launched the $100 million One-U Responsible AI Initiative at the SCI Institute to boost AI-powered research and related infrastructure. Since then, Parashar and other university officials have secured partnerships and computing power, including initial CHPC upgrades in spring and a recent $50 million partnership with Hewlett Packard Enterprise and NVIDIA. Moving forward, Miller will be integral to such developments.

“I am very excited to begin this new leadership role and look forward to working with my colleagues to grow the university’s support for cutting-edge computational and data-intensive research and innovation across campus, the state, and regionally,” Miller said. He expects to take a holistic approach to drive the university forward as a leader in AI research and education: “It requires major expansion of our AI infrastructure, which comprises computational, data, networking, and software resources, as well as nurturing and growth of our specialized workforce of technologists, researchers, and students,” he explained.

Miller brings a rare blend of technical depth and policy expertise to the U. He earned a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan and pursued a successful first career in scientific space mission development at NASA and in Europe. He later earned a Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of California, Davis, and conducted experimental research using electrophysiology and non-invasive brain imaging at the University of California, San Francisco, and in positions abroad.

In 2008, Miller joined NSF as a science and technology policy fellow and rose through federal appointments—including program officer in the Directorate for Biological Sciences; acting deputy head of the Office of Budget, Finance and Award Management; and ultimately senior advisor in the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure. In that last position, he devised national cyberinfrastructure strategies and initiatives, orchestrated the National AI Research Resource pilot, and fostered open science and research infrastructure efforts across federal agencies to make research and data more accessible and reusable for everyone. His work often bridged disciplines and borders, including leading the U.S. delegation to the G7 International Open Science Working Group and serving as senior technical advisor to the Department of Energy on detail from NSF.

Miller’s career—spanning academia, industry and several federal government agencies—positions him to strengthen university collaborations with various stakeholders throughout the region. “Perhaps equally important, I am closely familiar with the realities and challenges of being a user of research infrastructure, complex software and data systems,” he said. At the core of his work: connecting researchers with the tools they need to drive discovery.

CHPC was previously led by Thomas Cheatham, who returned full-time to his tenured position in the College of Pharmacy’s Department of Medicinal Chemistry. Under Cheatham’s watch, the number of researchers at the U and beyond using CHPC doubled and diversified—a trajectory expected to continue under Miller.

“It is really the perfect time to move quickly and strategically to advance research computing and data for our researchers and educators in this moment of disruption and change in the national scientific enterprise,” Miller said. “The SCI Institute and CHPC are right at the center of transforming this vision into action—through technology together with an extremely strong and dedicated team of professionals who work closely with researchers and stakeholders at SCI, University of Utah Health and across the colleges.”

• Kelly Hermans Communications manager Scientific Computing and Imaging (SCI) Institute
  ‭(706) 296-8037‬ kelly.hermans@utah.edu