UCO Computer Science Student Selected for Prestigious Department of Energy Research Internship

July 3, 2025

University of Central Oklahoma College of Mathematics and Science student Mohammad Aariz, a junior computer science major from Oklahoma City, has been selected for a prestigious 10-week summer research internship at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Under the mentorship of UCO faculty advisor Junghwan “John” Rhee, Ph.D., associate professor of computer science at UCO, Aariz will work on a cutting-edge project exploring vulnerability in quantum computing through system simulation at multiple levels. ORNL is home to Frontier, the world’s second most powerful supercomputer, providing a remarkable environment for hands-on research in emerging STEM fields.

“This opportunity at Oak Ridge is a testament to Mohammad’s dedication and talent. We’re proud to see our students contributing to groundbreaking research on a national level,” Rhee said.

Aariz is a multi-year recipient of the John Taylor Beresford Endowed Scholarship. His prior research, “Depth Camera Assisted Traffic Light Detection,” was completed under the guidance of Shuai Zhang, Ph.D., assistant professor of computer science at UCO, and supported by UCO’s Research, Creative and Scholarly Activities grant.

His selection for the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship program, a nationally competitive initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, marks a significant achievement and highlights UCO’s ongoing commitment to providing transformative undergraduate research experiences.

For more information, contact the UCO Department of Computer Science at cms@uco.edu or call 405-974-5019.

For more information on UCO’s computer science program, visit go.uco.edu/CompScience.

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Tami Jackson

Tami Jackson

Marketing and Development Coordinator, UCO College of Mathematics and Science

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About University of Central Oklahoma

The University of Central Oklahoma is a campus community in motion—leading, innovating and creating transformative learning opportunities that foster success for our students. As Oklahoma’s largest metropolitan university, we provide high-quality, nationally recognized programs that are always evolving and adapting to the needs of our students and the community. This commitment is rooted in our founding in 1890 as the state’s teacher’s college, training those who would educate the next generation of leaders and innovators. We remain dedicated to offering an accessible, affordable education, earning national accolades for social mobility, veterans’ outreach and first-generation student programs.

Guided by the motto “ubi motus est” – which translates to “where movement is” – the university continues to evolve and grow, offering 119 undergraduate and 81 graduate programs to our more than 12,000 students from our main campus in Edmond, Oklahoma, and facilities throughout the Oklahoma City metro. Our colors were the first adopted of any university in the state, and our Bronze and Blue symbolize our greatest strengths—the illumination of new ideas and the endless expanse of a clear sky above. At UCO, anything is possible.

The university is governed by the Regional University System of Oklahoma Board of Regents and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Contact

100 North University Drive Edmond, OK 73034

405-974-2307

ucomm@uco.edu

www.uco.edu