By Brenna Meade, International Engineering Program Manager, Internet2
Beginning Dec. 1, 2026, the Workforce in IT Networking at SC (WINS) program is pleased to welcome Internet2 as an administrative partner. The move builds on the program’s success in promoting workforce development in network engineering and high-performance computing.
WINS began at the 2015 International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage, and Analysis (SC15) and was a joint effort between the Energy Sciences Network (ESnet), the Keystone Initiative for Network Based Education and Research (KINBER), and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), in partnership with SCinet.
The program’s early success led to a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation. Marla Meehl, integrated network services manager at UCAR, and Wendy Huntoon, cyberinfrastructure expert at KeystoneREN, were its principal investigators.
Each year, WINS sponsors five to seven early- to mid-career IT professionals from the U.S. research and education IT community to participate in SCinet, one of the fastest and most advanced computer networks in the world.
Participants gain hands-on experience and mentorship from community members. They join nearly 70 alumni to build lasting professional relationships as they attend community conferences and are introduced to cutting-edge tools and groundbreaking research.
Internet2 has long supported WINS through the Internet2 Emerging Leaders (I2EL) program, sponsorship, and other forms of support. Internet2 will step into a new capacity as a cooperative sponsor, taking on the primary role in administering the program going forward.
The WINS program is cooperatively managed by ESnet, Indiana University, Internet2, and UCAR. Its management team includes Brenna Meade, international engineering program Manager at Internet2; Marla Meehl, integrated network services manager & assistant director of enterprise IT at UCAR; Heather Hubbard, program manager for international networks at Indiana University; Kate Robinson, network engineer at ESnet; and Jason Zurawski, science engagement engineer at ESnet.
Applications for the SC27 cohort open Dec. 7, 2026 – Jan. 31, 2027
An early to mid-career IT professional looking for a unique hands-on opportunity?
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