Contact: James Carskadon
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State University officials celebrated the opening of a new data center Friday [April 20] that will continue the university’s legacy of innovative data science practices.
Mississippi State’s National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center (NSPARC) Data Center contains 3,300 square feet of state-of-the-art technology that can process and store more than 400 terabytes of data, allowing NSPARC to further its mission of using data science to drive human progress. The new facility is located in MSU’s Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park.
“We’re expanding research boundaries like never before,” said Domenico “Mimmo” Parisi, NSPARC executive director. “We are providing students with new opportunities like never before and we are elevating the prominence of the role of universities in our society. We are looking at methods that can expand the use of data in ways that can make a difference in people’s lives.”
NSPARC works with multiple government agencies and organizations to use data science. Workforce development, economic development, early childhood education and human services are just a few of the areas in which NSPARC does valuable research and creates innovative solutions.
“This is an exciting day for MSU,” said Vice President for Research and Economic Development David Shaw. “This university, on so many fronts, is just doing some fabulous things. There’s no better example of that than what’s going on here at NSPARC. As a university, we have been focused for a number of years on data analytics, well before ‘big data’ was the buzzword. Data just in and of itself has no value, so a center like NSPARC is really focused on turning data into usable information so we can make sound decisions. That’s exciting to me.”
The center contains 40 racks holding 20 servers and 60 CPUs running 567 virtual servers. The additional storage and computing capacity will allow the nationally recognized MSU research center to increase its information input and research output. The increased availability and accessibility of data will benefit the many institutions that work with NSPARC to turn reliable numbers into action and policy.
Jackson-based Dale Partners Architects served as the lead design professional for the facility.
Known primarily for its work with smart government and more than 50 data innovations created in the last 10 years, NSPARC has achieved national prominence in the data science field. For more information, visit nsparc.msstate.edu.
MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.