Meeting up with old friends and making new ones is something that post-attendee surveys consistently tell us is a key reason why people attend the SC conference. And there will be plenty of folks to see at SC22 in Dallas.

Registrations for the conference are mounting, tracking at pre-pandemic numbers and predominantly for in-person attendance. If you’ve been on the fence about attending, now’s the time to make your plans to join the HPC community for what’s shaping up to be an outstanding conference. There’s still plenty of time to register; read about your registration options and then use the links in Step 4 to register.

SC22 strives to be an inclusive conference; ALL are welcome. We offer family resources including session access, a Parents Room that provides private feeding areas, and on-site care for children ages 6 months and older.

What’s Happening at SC22

Speed is the foundation of HPC, and will be at the forefront of our industry over the next year as more exascale systems come online. So it’s fitting that speed also serves as the foundation for SC22, with the theme HPC Accelerates. The conference offers a robust technical program, plus programs geared just for students and those early in their careers. Due to popular demand, pocket-sized, a program-at-a-glance guide is available at the registration desk.

A key metric of how an SC conference is shaping up is exhibit booth sales. And exhibitors are turning out to show their wares in Dallas; the exhibit hall will be filled with 350 exhibitors. Many exhibitors have increased their booth space from previous years. We’re also excited to welcome more than 50 new exhibitors, too. Be sure to grab your exhibitor map at the registration desk when you claim your badge so you can plan your stops and more easily navigate the exhibit hall.

There are options to connect with other attendees in the SC22 mobile app that will go live on November 1. The app is available for free for both Android and Apple devices; download from your app store (links will also be on the SC22 website). Once you configure the app’s settings to let you be visible to other attendees, you can interact with others whether they’re in Dallas or participating digitally.

If this will be your first time attending an SC conference, please check out the first-timers page and plan to attend the first-timers session on Monday, November 14, at 4 pm. You’ll learn tips for navigating the conference and have a chance to ask questions.

So join us in person in Dallas – or via the Digital Experience. It’s shaping up to be a great conference and we can’t wait to see you!

In our increasingly digital world, email has become the primary medium for professional communication. Making a good impression and using proper email etiquette can make a marked difference for all of us, especially for Early Career professionals.

With the return of a robust in-person conference, chances are you’ll be making new contacts with whom you’ll want to keep in touch. Follow these tips from the Early Career Program to help your emails sound professional and garner faster, more informative responses.

Use these tips from to keep in touch with those you meet at SC22.

Make the Subject Clear

The subject line is one of the first items a correspondent will notice. If you make your subject line short, concise, and clear, your email will more likely be given appropriate attention. Let’s look at an example:

Title 1: “Quick question”
Title 2: “Software Quality Process Question”

You might be tempted to go with the first title – it’s short and claims that the question is quick. The receiver, however, has no concept of the topic. Is it a subject in which they have sufficient knowledge? Will answering that question right now require context switching? The more descriptive you can be with the fewest words is the right way to get your reader’s attention.

Address and Sign-off Respectfully

How should you address your correspondent? Unless you are already familiar with them, it is always best practice to be more formal as a way to show your respect. Use their proper title and name (e.g., “Dr. Smith”) and make sure to spell it correctly. Additionally, make sure your salutation is sufficiently formal. Good examples are: “Good morning/afternoon”, “Dear (name)”, and “Hello, (name).”

Similarly, be professional and formal in your own sign-off and signature. End gracefully by using a phrase such as, “Please let me know if you have any questions” or “Thank you for your time.” You may then amend these with a professional farewell such as “Best” or “Sincerely”. We also highly recommend creating a standard signature block that includes your name, professional title, company or institution name, and your contact information. For example:

Dr. Janet Smith
Research Scientist
Institute of Science
P: 555-123-4567
E: jsmith@email.com

Keep It Short

Much like your own, your reader’s time is precious. If you can say it in fewer words, do. Start your email with one sentence that gives a high-level summary of the rest of the content. Use formatting to your advantage to bring attention to important information (e.g., bullet points, bold, italics). Make sure the questions, action items, and deadlines are explicit and easy to find. As an example:

I am writing this email to request a review of my presentation for the workshop next week. If you could please do the following:

Review the attached file
Send feedback by Friday at 12 pm

Avoid Informal Language

Tone and meaning are frequently lost in text-based media. This is especially true when taking cultural or language differences into account. Miscommunication can easily occur when cultural differences aren’t taken into consideration. It may be common for you to “hammer out details” with your colleagues, but to one who speaks English as a second language, they may not immediately understand what that means. To ensure clarity and accessibility, strive to use proper language with correct grammar and avoid slang/colloquialisms, excessive humor, and undefined acronyms.

Don’t Wait Too Long

Responding to emails quickly is an important factor in building a reputation as a reliable colleague. It can be difficult to reply to every email sent to you, but you should try. If a correspondent has taken the time to reply to you or reached out to you with a question of their own, it is a sign of respect to respond accordingly – and will make them more likely to do the same for you in return. If you can’t reply to the whole email now, that’s fine – send back a quick reply to let them know when you will get back to them (e.g., “I appreciate you sending this email and will reply in full next week.”).

Review Before Sending

Before hitting the send button, take a few minutes to review your email once again. If you are responding to an email, be sure you answered all the questions asked of you and be sure you are not asking questions already answered in the original message. Proofread to correct misspelled words. Are you confident your email is as professional as it can be? Then send it on its way!

Safe Space noun 1. a place that provides a physically and emotionally safe environment for a person or a group of people, especially vulnerable individuals and marginalized groups can feel secure and respected. 2. a place where people can freely express themselves without fear of prejudice, negative judgement, discrimination, or harassment.

SC strives to be an inclusive conference where all feel welcome. Should you not, here’s what to do.

While you are attending SC22, CARES will be there. You can find us in the Inclusivity Office in Room D164 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, or send a message to cares@sighpc.org and a member of the CARES Committee will contact you to set up a confidential meeting. We encourage all attendees – those in-person as well as virtually via the Digital Experience to please reach out if you experience discrimination or harassment, or have witnessed it, especially if you are unsure of next steps.

CARES members at SC22 can be identified by a diamond-shaped CARES button.

The SIGHPC CARES program was instituted last year to raise awareness of, and deter, discriminatory, harassing, or other unethical behavior and incidents related to SIGHPC activities and publications. Our goal is to empower all SIGHPC community members to speak up if they observe such behavior.

The role of CARES is to serve as a resource for those who experience discrimination and harassment at SIGHPC events like SC22. The CARES Committee is composed of well-known and respected people in the HPC community who are approachable, empathetic, and willing to help individuals navigate the ACM reporting and accountability process with respect and complete confidentiality. They are intended to act as a sounding board and provide advice on the appropriate next steps. The role of the CARES Committee is purely advisory.