Michael E. Papka

Michael E. Papka is a Senior Scientist at Argonne National Laboratory and a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). He serves as Deputy Associate Laboratory Director for Computing, Environment and Life Sciences at Argonne and directs the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility, a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science facility. Previously, he held a Presidential Research, Scholarship and Artistry Professor role at Northern Illinois University, where he founded the Data, Devices, and Interaction Laboratory (ddiLab). His work bridges computational science, visualization, and STEM education initiatives.

Research interests include high-performance computing, data analysis, visualization, and simplifying access to computational resources for scientists. His efforts span collaborations with Argonne’s Advanced Photon Source and the NSF-funded Sage project for AI at the Edge. He actively promotes computational thinking through K-12 programs, including Argonne’s summer coding camps and the Argonne Training Program on Extreme-Scale Computing (ATPESC).

Scientific awards include the ACM Gordon Bell Prize, R&D100 award for Access Grid 3.0, multiple Best Paper Awards, and recognition from Argonne’s Board of Governors for education and performance. He contributes to academic advisory committees at Loyola University Chicago and Harvard University.