Tina Declerck Named NERSC Deputy for Operations

Tina Declerck, Systems Department head at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC), has been named NERSC deputy for operations, applying her many years of experience managing compute systems at NERSC. 

In recent years, Declerck led the system installation and acceptance efforts of the last three supercomputers, including NERSC-9 (Perlmutter). As deputy for operations, Declerck will work to coordinate division-level enhancements with other Lab operational efforts, in addition to her current job managing all computational, networking, security, monitoring, business support, and facility work at NERSC.

“Tina has been a key member of NERSC’s leadership team for many years and is very dedicated to the laboratory’s mission and to diversity and inclusion,” said NERSC Director Sudip Dosanjh. “Her new role as the NERSC deputy for operations builds on her current responsibilities for computer systems, networking, security, facilities, operations, and business support. As the deputy for operations, she will coordinate computer and facility upgrade activities across the division and will coordinate maintenance, power upgrade, and other operational efforts with Berkeley Lab. We are very fortunate to have Tina at NERSC.”

In addition to her work at NERSC, Declerck has previously worked in industry and served as an officer in the United States Air Force. In her role as department head, Declerck is already responsible for much of the operational work at NERSC, making her a natural pick for this position. 

“I am excited to take on the role of deputy for operations, which will allow me to interact more closely with the Lab as we grow our capabilities within NERSC,” said Declerck of the promotion. “High performance computers use a lot of power and cooling infrastructure, and I look forward to continuing the work started by my predecessor, Jeff Broughton, to identify ways to improve our environmental impact, which has been a priority at NERSC. I hope my experience operating these systems can bring some ideas for more efficient computing practices, in addition to the facility improvements we are already working on.”

Since 2017, NERSC has been working with Sustainable Berkeley Lab on the Lab’s Energy and Water Management System (EWMS), which is certified to the global ISO 50001 international energy management standard. Since the EWMS program began, the Lab has improved the energy efficiency of its operations by 26%, saved $2.17 million in utility costs, and avoided 4,400 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. For these efforts, Berkeley Lab received a 2021 Energy Management Insight Award from the Clean Energy Ministerial, an international forum that promotes policies and programs to advance clean energy.