About Blue Nucleus
Blue Nucleus is an experiential learning platform created and led by GVSU's Applied Computing Institute (ACI). Blue Nucleus is a marketplace providing comprehensive custom software development services, where project teams are a blend of professional and student developers. With a mission to offer transformative experiential learning, the consultancy aims to integrate classroom knowledge with real-world multidisciplinary projects for all computing students.
Faculty & Staff

Hans Dulimarta, Ph.D. - Professor
Dr. Dulimarta is currently an associate professor at GVSU’s School of Computing and Information System. His research interests are in computer graphics and mobile applications. In recent years, Hans has served as a consultant on a number of industry-sponsored software development projects. He earned his PhD in Computer Science at Michigan State University, thanks to a scholarship provided by the Indonesian government. As a scholarship awardee, he was required to return and work for the Indonesian government after finishing his doctoral studies. After completing the employment requirement as a university professor in Indonesia, he decided to come back to return to USA and chose West Michigan as the home for his family.

Jonathan Engelsma, Faculty Mentor
Jonathan Engelsma is the founding director of GVSU’s Applied Computing Institute (ACI). ACI provides applied computing services and collaboration opportunities in cybersecurity, apps, data science, health informatics, high-performance computing, and beyond to industry partners In addition to his leadership of ACI, Jonathan serves as a professor of computer science in the GVSU School of Computing and Information Systems, where he teaches courses in distributed systems, mobile computing, and web development. Prior to joining the faculty at GVSU, Jonathan spent almost two decades working in the tech industry and has numerous publications and patents in mobile computing-related areas. Jonathan earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Michigan State University in 1993.

Nathan Katzman, Developer
Nathan graduated with a Bachelor’s from University of Michigan in Computer Science during Spring 2023. Nathan then went on to graduate with a Master’s in Applied Computer Science from Grand Valley State University during Spring 2025. Nathan currently works as an independent contractor at Blue Nucleus at the Applied Computer Science institute at GVSU. Nathan has experience in various coding languages and is looking forward to working on new projects.

Max Mulder, Senior Developer
Max completed his BS in Computer Science at the University of Michigan and then spent a number of years working as a software developer at Amazon. Max has a knack for coding and is always game for a tough technical challenge. He particular enjoys mentoring less experienced developers and helping them grow.

Rajvardhan Patil, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor
Rajvardhan Patil is currently an Assistant Professor in the School of Computing. His research areas include Natural Language Processing, Generative AI, and Applied Machine Learning.

Rahat Rafiq, Faculty Mentor
Dr. Rafiq is currently an assistant professor in the School of Computing. His research interests mainly concentrate on social computing, data mining, cyber safety, ubiquitous computing, and distributed systems. Before joining GVSU, Rahat worked at ThoughtSpot, a startup based in Palo Alto, California, for 14 months. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was one of the co-founding members of CUCyberSafety Lab. His Ph.D. dissertation is titled “Scalable and Timely Detection of Cyberbullying in Online Social Networks.”

Brock Thane - Office Coordinator
Brock is the Office Coordinator for Blue Nucleus, ACI, the School of Computing Graduate Programs, and the Regional Math and Science Center. He completed his BS in Business Administration, from Central Michigan University, in 2019, majoring in both Marketing and Logistics. Brock has 10 years of administrative experience ranging from billion dollar companies, to universities, to businesses with less than 10 employees.
Current Students

Tara Barnett, Developer
Tara is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science at GVSU and is expected to graduate in April 2026. She loves working on impactful projects and learning new skills to apply outside of the classroom. After graduation, she plans on pursuing either a Master’s Degree in Public Policy for Technology, or an industry position to gain more technical experience.

Muttaki Bismoy, Developer
Muttaki is a developer specializing in full-stack and applied machine learning at Blue Nucleus, GVSU. He recently designed a multimodal feedback system for public speech delivery leveraging transformer-based NLP models. Building on his expertise in computer vision and reinforcement learning from human feedback, he developed and deployed a robust Oak wilt detection model for Michigan DNR. Proficient in model enhancement, fine-tuning, and applied ML, Muttaki has also built interactive web platforms using VueJS, Flask, and Streamlit. Passionate about impactful, real-world applications, his projects have secured funding from PRTS, Michigan DNR, the City of Grand Haven, and MTRAC. With a strong commitment to continuous learning, he integrates emerging technologies into his research and development efforts.

Collin Brennan, Developer
Collin earned a Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance from Western Governors University in 2024. He is now pursuing a second Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science at Grand Valley State University, with an expected graduation in 2027. Collin is passionate about programming and enjoys using it as a creative outlet to bring innovative ideas to life.
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Aroup Dhruba, Developer
Aroup is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Applied Computer Science. With seven years of experience as a Full-stack software engineer, he has worked with various Y-Combinator, Silicon Valley, and unicorn startups. Before Blue Nucleus, he worked in identity management systems in the biggest unicorn startup in Bangladesh that aimed at ensuring financial inclusion for marginalized populations in his country.

Malek Garrach, Developer
Malek has a Master's degree in Information and Communication Technologies from the Higher School of Communication of Tunis (Sup'Com). He has over two years of experience working on various data science projects and is particularly interested in working with data using techniques such as image classification and segmentation. He also enjoys learning more about AI agents and large language models, and applying them to real-world applications.

Hoan Lam, Developer
Hoan is a master’s student at Grand Valley State University, pursuing a degree in Applied Computer Science. Prior to returning to school, he worked for several years as a controls engineer. Hoan aims to leverage his industry experience to tackle real-world project challenges with practical, hands-on solutions. Outside of academics, Hoan is passionate about music and enjoys live performances of all kinds.

Lucy Roop, Developer
Lucy is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science at GVSU and has just completed her first year of classes. She is also on track to attain her Master’s in Applied Computer Science by the Fall of 2028. Relatively new to the field, Lucy is eager to gain new hands-on experiences and collaborate with her colleagues. She is passionate about bringing a unique perspective to her projects, and she enjoys finding creative solutions to logical challenges.

Matt Smith, Developer
Having graduated from GVSU's nursing program in 2020, Matt worked as a progressive care registered nurse for several years prior to returning, this time studying computer science. Matt is currently working towards the combined Master's Degree in Applied Computer Science with an expected graduation date in 2027. With aims of utilizing a background in health care and a growing knowledge of software development, Matt aspires to create innovative solutions to bridge health disparities and improve health care access.

Patrick Waga Odongo, Developer
Patrick Waga is currently pursuing a Masters of Applied Computer Science Degree from GVSU. He has 7 years experience building mobile applications. He looks forward to collaborating with others across various projects.

Zachary Williams, Developer
Zach is currently pursuing his Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science at GVSU. He has just finished his first year of classes. He is excited to work with teammates on real-world projects and learn new skills. When he's not programming or learning mathematics, Zach works as an assistant Taekwondo instructor.
Former Students
Image | Name | Designation | Short Description | Social Links |
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Kline, Natalie | M.S Applied Computer Science (2025) | ||
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Mendoza, Zar | BS in Computer Science (2024) | Mobile Application Developer | |
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Qureshi, Usman | M.S Applied Computer Science (2023) | DevOps Engineer | |
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Schneider, Cameron | M.S Applied Computer Science ( 2025) | ||
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Tran, Minh | BS in Computer Science (2025) | Research Software Engineer | |
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Vrooman, Mateo | B.S. Computer Scinece (2025) | Software Engineer |