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UNO’s Kwangsung Oh Earns Prestigious NSF CAREER Award Grant

The National Science Foundation (NSF) award recognizes early career faculty who show potential to be academic role models and advance their fields of study.

  • published: 2025/02/07
  • contact: Sam Peshek - Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications
  • email: unonews@unomaha.edu
College of Information Science and Technology Assistant Professor Kwangsung Oh, Ph.D. Photo: University of Nebraska at Omaha Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications

College of Information Science and Technology Assistant Professor Kwangsung Oh, Ph.D. Photo: University of Nebraska at Omaha Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications

Kwangsung Oh, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) College of Information Science & Technology (IS&T) Department of Computer Science, has been recognized by the National Science Foundation (NSF) as a rising star in his field.


➡️ What’s new:

  • Oh is UNO’s newest recipient of the prestigious NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award, which supports research from early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the field of computer systems for geo-distributed data analytics (GDA).

  • The 5-year, $550,950 CAREER Award grant will support research into GDA, a technology that helps businesses, scientists, and organizations process large-scale data across multiple cloud platforms.


💡 Why it matters: Many existing GDA systems assume wide area network (WAN) bandwidth is static and limited, leading to inefficient data processing. Oh’s work aims to develop a lightweight framework that dynamically adjusts WAN bandwidth based on GDA workload demands — boosting efficiency without increasing costs. Research impacts include:

  • Faster, more efficient data processing for businesses and researchers

  • Lower costs for companies using cloud and edge computing

  • Enhanced STEM education opportunities for students at UNO


🔎 Zoom in: Oh is the second consecutive faculty member from the Computer Science Department at the College of IS&T to receive an NSF CAREER award. Last year, Jorge Fandinno, Ph.D., received the award to support research into how computers understand information and make decisions, which are vital for AI systems used in important fields like healthcare and national security.


🎤 What they’re saying:

  • Martha Garcia-Murillo, Ph.D., Dean of the College of IS&T: "We are incredibly proud of Dr. Oh for this well-deserved recognition. His innovative research demonstrates his position as a rising leader in computer science, and this award reflects the exceptional talent we cultivate at UNO."

  • Mahadevan Subramaniam, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Computer Science: "Dr. Oh’s recognition marks the second NSF CAREER Award for our department in as many years. This achievement highlights the cutting-edge work taking place at UNO and further establishes our department as a hub for innovation in AI and computer systems."

  • Kwangsung Oh, Ph.D.: "I am deeply grateful for the support from my colleagues and leadership at UNO. This grant will allow us to push the boundaries in my field while fostering new educational opportunities for the next generation of computer scientists."


🌎 The big picture: The College of IS&T is gaining momentum as a leader in tech innovation and workforce development:

  • With the launch of Nebraska’s first artificial intelligence degree program, students are gaining cutting-edge skills in AI, machine learning, and data analytics.

  • Paired with the Learn and Earn Initiative, which provides hands-on experiences like internships and job shadowing, the department is equipping students with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills to meet the growing demands of the tech industry.