Claflin University Students Complete Machine Learning Capstone with Savannah River Mission Completion

Claflin University continues to build on its commitment to excellence in STEM education through a renewed partnership with Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC). Four Claflin scholars from the University’s Department of Mathematics and Computer Science recently completed a high-impact capstone project in partnership with SRMC, to improve safety and efficiency at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS).  SRMC is the liquid waste contractor for DOE at SRS.

The project challenged students to develop a system to identify and categorize nuisance alarms within SRMC's control systems. These nuisance alarms—often caused by non-critical, repetitive, or transient events—can overwhelm operators and obscure critical system alerts. The Claflin team successfully created a model that analyzes alarm patterns, classifies them based on operational behavior, and recommends remediation strategies to minimize unnecessary alerts.

Members of the Claflin research team were Kameron Carter (Blythewood HS/Columbia, S.C.), a junior computer science major with a minor in cybersecurity; Kiara Mikel (Wade Hampton HS/Yemassee, S.C.), a senior computer science major; Jy'Nese Spivey (Jersey City, N.J./James J. Ferris HS),

a senior computer science major; and Karrington Stanley (Spring Hill HS/Irmo, S.C), a junior computer engineering major with a minor in cybersecurity.

Working under the guidance of Dr. Karina Liles, chair of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science and Associate Professor of Computer Science, the students collaborated closely with an assigned SRMC mentor, who provided operational insights and real-world data to support their development efforts.

"This project allowed our students to step into real-world engineering environments and apply cutting-edge AI techniques to meaningful challenges," said Liles. "They not only enhanced their technical skills but also learned how to navigate teamwork, communication, and systems thinking in a high-stakes context."

The partnership was part of SRMC's education outreach program to support Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and prepare the next generation of scientists, engineers, and technologists. It also provided students with firsthand exposure to nuclear operations and career opportunities within the

DOE ecosystem.

Claflin University continues to prioritize experiential learning through strong industry partnerships that empower students to become bold, innovative, and globally engaged leaders in STEM.