MSU Data Center opens with public celebration

Evidence of Mississippi’s innovative use of data will abound as the new National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center (NSPARC) Data Center at Mississippi State University celebrates its grand opening on Friday, April 20. The public is invited to join civic and private industry leaders from Mississippi and the NSPARC staff at 100 Technology Dr. in MSU’s Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park for brief remarks and a ribbon cutting at 1:30 p.m. In the spirit of Super Bulldog Weekend and MSU pride, a tailgate-themed reception will follow.

Attendees are invited to come and go from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., when food, drinks, music by the MSU Jazz Ensemble and tours of the Data Center will be offered after the ribbon cutting. The cutting will be held outside the center, and the reception will be under a tent in the adjacent parking lot, so attendees should dress for the weather. This event is free and open to the public, and it will take place rain or shine.

“We have been working toward this new Data Center for a couple of years now,” NSPARC Executive Director Domenico “Mimmo” Parisi said. “It would not have been possible without the support of many people, and that is why we want to share this celebration with the public.”

The public is exactly who will benefit from the center, which will be able to store more than 400 terabytes of data. NSPARC works with multiple government agencies and organizations to use data science to improve quality of life. Workforce development, economic development, early education and human services are just a few of the areas in which NSPARC does valuable research and creates innovative solutions.

The Data Center gives NSPARC the capacity to increase its contribution to society and academia. With 40 racks holding 20 servers and 60 CPUs running 567 virtual servers, this center is equipped with state-of-the-art technology ready to process and store data from various sources as NSPARC seeks to further its mission to use data science to drive human progress.