#OneNetChampions: Dr. Dany Doughan

University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma

Associate Professor of Chemistry and Computer Science

How long have you worked for your organization?

I joined USAO in August 2018.

Describe what you do on an everyday basis.

I teach courses in chemistry, computer science, and interdisciplinary studies. I advise students in the chemistry major and minor at USAO. I conduct research in computational physical chemistry on potential energy surfaces and reaction dynamics.

How long has your organization been a OneNet customer?

USAO had been using OneNet services before I joined, but in 2020, USAO became part of the OneOklahoma Friction Free Network (OFFN) that allowed USAO to connect to sixteen state and private institutions of higher education in Oklahoma using dedicated high data transfer nodes, all thanks to a generous National Science Foundation (NSF) grant.

How does high-speed internet help your organization serve your community?

High-speed connectivity allows access to computational facilities and capabilities that are typically out of reach for the budgets of smaller institutions of higher education. For example, through wonderful collaborations with high-performance computing (HPC) leaders in the state, my research team is given access to the HPC resources of Langston University, Oral Roberts University, the University of Central Oklahoma and the University of Oklahoma. Through the OFFN connection, my research team is able to transfer the results back to USAO for analysis at a speed of 10 Gbps. Put differently, the opportunity to utilize the HPC capabilities of larger institutions of higher education through a high-speed internet connection enriches and augments the USAO undergraduate student experience.

Why are you a OneNet champion?

I serve as the co-principal investigator for research and education application adoption on the NSF grant that connected USAO to the sixteen Oklahoma institutions of higher education, and I remain passionate about bringing the HPC undergraduate research experience to smaller institutions of higher education.

What would you tell others about OneNet?

A service is as good as the people behind it, and the OneNet team is one of the most diligent, reliable, helpful and knowledgeable teams I have had the privilege of working with.

Read about how USAO leverages ORU’s Titan supercomputer for pharmaceutical research.