Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and North Carolina State University hosted an NSF-funded workshop on materials theory simulations on Nov. 21-22, 2025. The event brought together 70 participants from across North Carolina and beyond who utilized NCShare resources to perform materials simulations and analyses.
“By putting researchers from different backgrounds into a room together, workshops like this build a community of peers and future collaborators,” said Aaron Shankler, a researcher and NCShare collaborator. “For students early in their study or for those pivoting into a new area of theory, it’s a way to jumpstart their understanding of complex techniques that would be difficult to master alone.”
Students accessed NCShare’s shared computing infrastructure during the hands-on portion of the workshop. The segment gave participants an opportunity to both learn about materials theory from scientists on the cutting edge of the field and apply these methods by experimenting with modern computational tools. Shankler said this process helps bridge the gap between abstract concepts and practical application in a way lectures alone cannot.
“A significant impact of using shared resources like NCShare is that we can remove technical barriers to entry by preparing a uniform computational environment in advance,” said Dr. Shankler. “Instead of spending valuable time on software installation and environment troubleshooting, participants could engage with complex science immediately.”
Volker Blum, associate dean for research and Rooney Family Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at Duke, helped organize the workshop and said NCShare was critical to its success.
“NCShare solved a huge problem in terms of sufficient resources for the hands-on simulations and in terms of homogeneity of the infrastructure,” said Blum. “Both aspects are key for meaningful tutorials and help participants focus their attention on the actual science and technology.”
The workshop demonstrates the value of NCShare as a resource for North Carolina’s academic community. With NCShare’s shared infrastructure, participants can continue experimenting and building on what they learned, long after the workshop concluded.