Student Spotlight: Anthony Middleton – From Classroom to Cutting-Edge Research

SURI Scholar Explores AI-Powered Phishing Detection at Summer Symposium

Bowie State University computer science major Anthony Middleton knows firsthand the transformative power of hands-on research. As a two-time participant in the Semester-based Undergraduate Research Institute (SURI), Middleton immersed himself in projects addressing today’s most pressing challenges—an experience he describes as life-changing. 

“Being in the SURI internship twice showed me how elite the program is in research for life-changing projects,” Middleton said. 

At the 2025 SURI Symposium, held July 31–Aug. 1 in the Center for Natural Sciences, Mathematics & Nursing Building and the Student Center Ballroom, Middleton joined more than 50 SURI Scholars presenting research spanning artificial intelligence, public health, environmental science, and social sciences. His project focused on AI-powered tools to detect phishing attacks, training machine learning models on phishing datasets and evaluating their accuracy in real-world scenarios. The work demonstrated promising results in identifying malicious attempts before they reached potential victims. 

“SURI gives students the opportunity to go beyond the textbook,” said Dr. Samuel M. Amoah, one of the computer science faculty mentors. “They become creators of knowledge, solving problems with practical solutions that have real-world implications.” 

For Middleton, the program offered more than academic enrichment. “The opportunity to apply what I’ve learned in the classroom to meaningful research pushed me to think bigger about how technology can make a difference,” he said. 

As Middleton moves toward completing his bachelor’s degree in computer science, his SURI experience has built a strong foundation for professional growth and a deeper commitment to solving real-world problems through innovation. 

Learn more about the Semester-based Undergraduate Research institute (SURI) at Bowie State.