Queen’s is now home to Canada’s first chapter of Women in High Performance Computing (WHPC), an international not-for-profit that works with partners around the world to highlight women’s contributions and encourage more women to pursue study and careers in the field.

High performance computing, or HPC, uses supercomputers and clusters of connected computer systems to solve data-intense problems. These systems support research in fields ranging from climate science and engineering to health care and artificial intelligence.

Women remain underrepresented in this fast-growing field. A 2021 study found that women accounted for only 10 per cent of authors of peer-reviewed papers presented at major HPC conferences.

Based at the Centre for Advanced Computing (CAC), the Queen’s University WHPC chapter will create opportunities for people across the university and the wider HPC community to connect, share knowledge, and support women in the field.

"We are keen to expand Queen’s capabilities in this field and have proposed a bold plan to help build secure, sovereign, and inclusive supercomputing capacity in Canada," says Nancy Ross, Vice-Principal (Research). "Key to that plan are the people who shape the technology and put it to work. Establishing a WHPC chapter is an exciting step in nurturing a local HPC community that supports connections and advances research and innovation at Queen’s and across Canada."

Based in the United Kingdom, WHPC has 27 active chapters across Europe, Asia, Australasia, and North and South America.

Membership in the Queen’s chapter is free and open to HPC users and professionals, academics, students, supporters, and others interested in the field. Members receive a monthly newsletter and information about events, networking, and mentorship opportunities.

The chapter will launch with a meet-and-greet on Sept. 29, 2026 from noon to 1:30 pm in Stauffer Library, Room 014. The event is open to people who work in HPC, who want to support the chapter’s goals, or are curious about the field. No registration is required.

For details, visit the event page or learn more about the Queen’s WHPC chapter.