Edison Lee is a 4th-year Computer Science major studying high-performance and parallel distributed computing with Dr. Fang Liu. 

How long have you been an undergraduate researcher at Georgia Tech?

I’ve been an undergraduate researcher at Georgia Tech for over a year and a half, working with the PACE (Partnership for an Advanced Computing Environment) team. Specifically, I helped support Dr. Fang Liu and Ronald Rahman in their research efforts.

How did you get involved with undergraduate research?

I got involved after realizing I wanted more exposure to large-scale computing systems beyond what we cover in classes. I was fascinated by how supercomputers function and wanted to work on something where my code directly impacts hundreds of active researchers and students. I reached out to the PACE team through the career website after learning about their work in HPC support for research. After an interview process, I joined as an undergraduate researcher and began contributing to tooling that ensures reliability across thousands of compute nodes.

What are you working on?

I’m developing automated workflows and infrastructure that make HPC testing faster, more precise, and more scalable.

Over three semesters, I progressed from manual testing to building full-scale automation tooling that supports application management across Georgia Tech’s HPC systems. In my first semester, I focused on writing and migrating test cases for dozens of scientific applications, debugging modules, and understanding how compilers, MPI stacks, and modulefiles interact across RHEL7 and RHEL9 systems. In my second semester, I shifted from manual testing towards automation. I developed Python scripts to extract module metadata, classify software by compiler/MPI dependencies, and integrate test management systems like ReFrame to systematically map tests to environments, effectively saving hours of manual labor. In my third semester, I built the full end-to-end HPC test coverage matrix, automating module discovery, environment classification, and coverage population - ultimately producing a reusable tool that visualizes coverage gaps and helping improve long-term maintainability of the PACE software stack.

What is your favorite thing about research/researching?

My favorite thing about research is knowing that I am working on unsolved problems. It’s really an exciting and amazing experience to have so much freedom when finding solutions. But my favorite thing about my role as a researcher at GT was definitely my team. I had invaluable mentors and advisors through Dr. Fang Liu who helped facilitate this research opportunity, and Ronald Rahman who provided constant mentorship throughout this research project. Additionally, Dr. Courtney Hoffman offered essential guidance through the drafting and formulation of my thesis.

What are your future plans and how has research influenced them?

My future plans are to work in fields that combine software engineering, automation, and AI. My research and time at PACE has solidified my interest in working towards cutting-edge technology solutions through automation and AI. It has helped me think more structurally, debug systematically, and create solutions that scale.

What advice do you have for students who want to be undergraduate researchers?

The best piece of advice I had for undergraduate students is don’t wait. Don’t wait for a “perfect moment” or when you are an “expert” to put yourself out there. As undergraduate research students, people won’t expect you to know everything. Just be attentive, curious, and willing to learn and you will navigate your way through research with ease.