Student-Led Research Defines a New Era in Rowland Hall Computer Science

When Rowland Hall introduced Advanced Research Computational and Mathematical Sciences in 2024, it marked a milestone: for the first time, students could pursue self-directed, college-level research in computer science. In the class’s inaugural year, students looked into how technology can help solve real-world questions in a variety of areas—including cybersecurity, emergency response services, and health care—and published work with the potential to influence industry and academia.

Listen to this story | Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

The milestone was a decade in the making. While Rowland Hall has offered computer science classes for more than 40 years, the program we recognize today really kicked off in 2014—the year the Upper School began offering Exploring Computer Science. Class options only grew from there. Initially spurred by the school’s 2014 Strategic Plan, which set a goal to provide the Intermountain West’s most outstanding math and science program, the Upper School grew its computer science offerings over the next 10 years, adding classes in robotics and programming, as well as two Advanced Placement courses. And students can't get enough. Today, the most passionate can exhaust the division’s offerings by the end of their junior year—and they still want more.

Ben Smith ’89, chair of the Computer Science and Innovation Department, is constantly on the lookout for ways to expand his department's offerings, and he was aware his advanced students were ready for a new challenge. So when the Upper School rolled out Advanced Research in 2023 to provide more avenues for student-designed projects and original research, Ben knew adding a computer science option to the lineup would be a success.

“It’s a testament to the maturity of the computer science department, which was an infant 10 years ago,” said Ben. In one short decade—thanks to Rowland Hall's ongoing investments not only in the Upper School, but also in the lower and middle schools—the program has gotten to the point where students are prepared to design their own areas of study and conduct college-level research as juniors and seniors.

In its first year, seven seniors jumped at the opportunity to take AR Computational and Mathematical Sciences. Like those in AR Humanities, students choose their individual fields of interest. They also identify at least one professional in their field who will act as subject matter expert and mentor, with Ben further assisting with project management and the research process. This year’s students focused their research on a variety of topics:

• Spencer Brady explored using Grover’s algorithm for efficient quantum space optimization.
• A. Cichos used field-programmable gate arrays, or FPGAs, and 8-bit computer design to explore instruction set architecture.
• Aiden Gandhi explored U-Net vertebrae segmentation for spinal cord stimulation.
• Frances Hodson looked into drone-based 3D modeling for smarter surveying.
• Jack Revoy examined the supply chain dangers of open-source software and cyberattack prevention.
• Evan Weinstein explored drone pathfinding algorithms for emergency response.
• Teo Welton conducted a comparison of CNN and tree-based algorithms on MNIST and Tiny ImageNet datasets.

The projects aren’t only impressive—they’re making a real impact in students’ chosen fields. One local team benefiting from this collaboration is the University of Utah NERVES Lab, which works to improve quality of life for people with neurological impairments. Class member Aiden Gandhi, who’s interested in artificial intelligence’s role in health care, interned at the lab and used his AR project to contribute to their work. “I knew I wanted to do some research in this area, and my interests and what they need aligned,” he said.

Aiden was able to jump into an early project around spinal cord stimulation, a process in which doctors implant electrodes into a patient’s spine to improve their quality of life. Because this process is imprecise, the team is interested in how AI can improve it. Leaning on his computer science background, Aiden programmed U-Net architecture to build maps of patient spines from X-rays, which will help doctors better determine the ideal spots to place electrodes. He found the experience incredibly rewarding and is thrilled his research will help further the NERVES Lab’s goal to improve lives.

Helping people worldwide has always been what’s appealing to me.—Aiden Gandhi, class of 2025

“Helping people worldwide has always been what’s appealing to me,” said Aiden. “This has been much more challenging than other projects, but much more rewarding because the impact is clear.”
 
Classmate Spencer Brady also helped further knowledge in his chosen field: quantum computing. Spencer said he’s fascinated by this young area of computing, which uses quantum mechanics to more quickly solve complex calculations, including those a classical computer can’t handle. (For comparison, classical computers—the ones we use daily—use bits, or 0s and 1s, to solve calculations, while quantum computers use qubits, which use quantum mechanics to be both 0 and 1 simultaneously.)

Spencer decided to look into how quantum computing can be used for spatial optimization—the best way to arrange items within a space, such as efficiently packing a box or a container ship. While classical algorithms exist, he explained, actually finding the optimal configuration involves a level of testing that very quickly becomes too complex. Using Grover's algorithm, a classical quantum search algorithm, as a foundation, Spencer experimented with using a quantum computing program for spatial optimization, defining the problem so the quantum computer could understand it, and consequently solve it. And while his project didn’t end with a perfect answer or solution, Spencer feels it’s helped move forward our understanding of this emerging technology.

“Quantum computing is such a new field; you have to try it on every program to see if it’s better,” he said. This contributes to collective knowledge around possible solutions to complex problems, and may also serve as a jumping-off point for other researchers.

“At some point you just have to put research out in the world. You learned stuff, you found stuff, you maybe put another stepping stone out there for future researchers,” said Spencer. “Maybe someday it will help somebody. Maybe somebody will see my work and think, ‘We can do this even better.’”

It’s a perspective that Ben wants his AR students to take away from the class: that they can contribute to a body of knowledge, even if their projects don’t feel “done.”

“Research is inherently never done, by definition,” he said, and he wants students to get comfortable with that fact. “You are contributing, to the best of your ability, to the knowledge that already exists. If you’re lucky, you might push the ball farther than someone else.”

Like in any other AR class, students are required to share their work publicly. In addition to giving presentations this spring, many class members are ending the year writing papers they’ll send to science journals for consideration. “I didn’t realize how valuable that experience would be, putting your ideas on paper, explaining to others the culmination of your scientific research,” said Aiden.

Rowland Hall is pushing toward students doing things that actually matter to the world—not writing essays just to write essays, but to publish and advance science. AR classes enable you to do that.—Spencer Brady, class of 2025

It’s an opportunity these young researchers hope their peers try—especially because these valuable experiences can’t be found at every school. When asked why he’d recommend AR classes, Spencer recalled this fall’s State of the School address, where Head of School Mick Gee highlighted the growth of exciting research opportunities.

“Mick talked about how Rowland Hall is pushing toward students doing things that actually matter to the world—not writing essays just to write essays, but to publish and advance science,” he said. “AR classes enable you to do that. That’s an opportunity everybody should take advantage of. Not many high schoolers get to do that.”

Ben agrees, and he’s using his experience creating and teaching AR Computational and Mathematical Sciences to imagine future courses—with an eye on equity.

“I’m now thinking about how this can be broadened. How do we give more students, not just our top students, this type of opportunity?” he said. A longtime proponent of breaking down barriers in computer science, Ben believes this begins by taking STEM off a pedestal.

“Most people’s knee-jerk reaction to computer science is, ‘I could never understand that,’ but in fact these students have delved into areas that on the surface look really complicated, but are accessible for everyone,” he said. “Anybody who has the fortitude, really, can engage with these topics and learn.” And his role, he added, is to help even more students understand this so they’re empowered to do great things.  

Special thanks to the professionals who mentored this year’s AR Computational and Mathematical Sciences students:

• Spencer Brady was mentored by Adam Crenshaw (L3Harris) and Dr. Nathan McLaughlin (PsiQuantum).
• A. Cichos was mentored by Dr. David Hovemeyer (Johns Hopkins University), Jakub Oleksy (GitHub), and Caelum van Ispelen ’23 (computer science student at the University of Utah and Rowland Hall Middle School MathCounts coach).
• Aiden Gandhi was mentored by Ashley N. Dalrymple, PhD, Chimdi Ihediwa, and Kyle Valestrino (all at the University of Utah NERVES Lab).
• Frances Hodson was mentored by Anson Fogel (Locus Studio), Mina Golazad (construction engineering student at the University of Utah), and Bill Tatomer (Rowland Hall).
• Jack Revoy was mentored by Adam Crenshaw (L3Harris) and Noah Masur (Take-Two Interactive Software).
• Evan Weinstein was mentored by Charles Dawson (Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources), Anson Fogel (Locus Studio), Mary-Lou Smulders (Dedrone), and Tascha Knowlton (Rowland Hall).
• Teo Welton was mentored by Maiko Sell and Yi Jin (both at Rio Tinto).

Advanced Research