Ahmad Tarraf joined our team at the beginning of September and will take over the NHR4CES coordination at NHR4CES@TUDa from Thorsten Reimann, who was the coordination lead at NHR4CES@TUDa since 2021.
From Mechatronics to HPC: Ahmad’s journey
Ahmad’s career path has taken him from his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in mechatronics to doctoral studies in computer science, and now to coordinating national and international research collaborations. After his studies, he earned his Dr. rer. nat. at the Goethe University in Frankfurt for his work on formal verification in the design methodology group, and subsequently worked as a postdoctoral researcher in high-performance computing at TU Darmstadt. There, he coordinated several collaborations and played a key role in the EuroHPC projects “ADMIRE” and “DEEP-SEA”, including the establishment of the cross-project “Malleability Initiative”. Throughout, his own research has always remained the most important part of his work: He is currently preparing to defend his habilitation thesis, titled “Performance Modeling and Adaptive Optimization for Data-Intensive High-Performance Computing”, with the defense scheduled for October.
Ahmad’s outlook on his role at NHR4CES
At NHR4CES, Ahmad will focus primarily on coordinating projects, driving new initiatives, and fostering collaborations, while also strengthening the research presence at the HRZ. Building on his previous experience in research, he is eager to connect his new role with the work and expertise he has developed throughout his academic career. Rather than leaving his research background behind, he aims to expand it and bring his passion for research into new projects and collaborations. He is especially looking forward to developing new ideas together with other researchers and contributing to the German and international HPC landscape.
Beyond HPC and Mechatronics
In addition to his scientific work, Ahmad enjoys a variety of hobbies: He has practiced taekwondo for many years and holds a black belt. At the university sports program, he works as an assistant coach and also serves as a referee at competitions. Next to taekwando, he is also passionate about Hyrox.
Outside of sports, Ahmad enjoys motorcycling, as well as renovation projects. Since moving into his own house, he has turned his garage into a workshop, where he builds furniture and experiments with 3D printing. “I really enjoy these practical activities because they give me a break from working at the computer. I can be creative and work with my hands.”, he says.