MC2 Student Receives ARCS Graduate Scholar Award in Cybersecurity

A University of Maryland graduate student specializing in cryptography has been recognized for his outstanding academic achievements and research.

Alexander “Sasha” Frolov, a first-year computer science doctoral student working in the Maryland Cybersecurity Center (MC2), has been named a 2025–26 scholar by the Metropolitan Washington Chapter of the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation. The $15,000 award honors exceptional graduate students pursuing degrees in science, engineering and biomedical research.

Frolov, who previously worked as a software engineer on the cryptography infrastructure team at Meta, focuses on zero-knowledge proofs—cryptographic protocols that allow someone to prove a statement is true without revealing why it’s true.

These tools have become significantly more efficient in recent years, enabling practical applications. Working with collaborators, Frolov has helped develop systems that can verify statements like a person’s presence in Washington, D.C., without disclosing any additional location data, or confirm that a video was edited from footage captured by a specific Sony camera—without exposing the trimmed content.

Ian Miers, an assistant professor of computer science and Frolov’s co-adviser, highlighted Frolov’s exceptional ability to connect theory with practice.

“What distinguishes Sasha is his rare ability to bridge theoretical cryptography with practical, scalable implementations that solve real-world problems,” says Miers, who also holds an appointment in the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies and is a core member of MC2. “His technical depth—in both the mathematical foundations and software engineering aspects of cryptography—makes him an ideal candidate for this fellowship. I’m confident Sasha will make significant contributions to the cybersecurity field.”

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