Dr Robert C. Bell (Rob Bell)

CSIRO ASC

Bureau of Meteorology / CSIRO HPCCC

Current Positions

CSIRO Advanced Scientific Computing (ASC)
Technical Services Manager

Bureau of Meteorology / CSIRO
High Performance Computing and Communications Centre (HPCCC)
Chief Technology Officer

Function

• The Chief Technology Officer supports the HPCCC operation, specialising in areas such as scheduling.
• The ASC Technical Services Manager is responsible for the delivery of corporate ASC services to all of CSIRO. This includes taking responsibility for the systems services delivered to CSIRO through the HPCCC.

Professional Interests

• Applied mathematics
• Geophysical fluid dynamics
• Atmospheric science
• Numerical analysis
• Scientific computing
• Computing services
• Benchmarking of computer systems
• Storage facilities for scientific data
• Backup technologies

Key Skills

• Fifteen years' scientific computing experience in support of atmospheric sciences
• Over twenty years' of management of computing facilities for scientific research
• Over eighteen years' of experience in running high performance computing systems
• Over eighteen years' of experience in running large-scale storage systems for scientific data
• Managed the CSIRO Supercomputing Facility (CSF) from 1992 to 1997. The Manager was responsible for the operation of the CSF, and the management of the Supercomputing Support Group, which provided high level support to CSIRO users of the CSF.
• Acknowledged expertise in data storage management
• Demonstrated ability in the application of knowledge in areas of applied mathematics, numerical analysis and programming, to build and maintain large Fortran programs for scientific research
• Presentation and communication skills

Achievements

• Sole programming of the first computer model of the Quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO)
• Total redesign of a key program for studying atmospheric stability, to provide two orders of magnitude performance improvement, and to allow higher configurations to be run. This and other collaborative work supported the work of a David Rivett medal-winning scientist.
• Implementation of the major recommendations of a five year plan for computing at the Division of Atmospheric Research
• Member of the CSIRO Supercomputing Facilities Task Force in 1989
• Responsible for benchmarking systems for the CSIRO Supercomputing Facilities Task Force
• Technical Management of CSIRO Supercomputing since from 1990 to 1997, including the initiation of service in 1990, the transfer to a new site and system in 1992, and the introduction of automation for large-scale storage facilities in 1993.
  This facility proved highly productive for CSIRO users, because of the funding arrangements, the CSIRO and Cray Research support staff, the Cray Y-MP system's reliability, and because of the closely coupled storage system. The system averaged 98.5% utilisation over five years.
• Member of the Working Party for the establishment of the CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology High Performance Computing and Communications Centre (HPCCC).
• Member of the Evaluation Committee for the HPC system for the HPCCC.
• Member of the HPCCC Management Committee.
• Deputy Manager of the HPCCC

Professional Qualifications

1971 BSc (Hons) Monash University

1977 PhD Monash University. Thesis title: "Quasi-Geostrophic Ocean Models"

Previous Experience

2003-07 CSIRO HPSC Technical Services Manager

2003- HPCCC Chief Technology Officer

2002 & 2003 Short-term consultancies with the Arctic Region Supercomputing Center

1997-2003 HPCCC Deputy Manager

1992-97 CSIRO Supercomputing Facility Manager.

1990-92 CSIRO Supercomputing Support Manager.

1987-90 CSIRO Division of Atmospheric Research, Computing Group Leader.

1983-84 Visitor at the UK Meteorological Office Forecasting Research Branch

1974-90 CSIRO Division of Atmospheric Research, Scientific Support.

1970-71 Commonwealth Meteorology Research Centre, Vacation Employment.

1969-70 Commonwealth Meteorology Research Centre, Vacation Employment.

1968-69 CSIRO Division of Meteorological Physics, Vacation Employment.

1967-68 CSIRO Division of Meteorological Physics, Vacation Employment.

Professional Affiliations

Member of the Royal Meteorological Society (F.R.Met.S.)
(RMS)

Member, Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society Inc.
( AMOS)

Other Roles

1995-1997: Chairman of the Occupational Health and Safety Committee for the CSIRO Division of Information Technology

1993-1996: Chairman of the Cray User Group Australia

1994-1996: Asia/Pacific Representative on the Cray User Group Board of Directors

Publications

• List of publications from time at CSIRO Atmospheric Research