Skip to main content

Blue Nucleus Team

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.

Portrait of Dr. Hans Dulimarta

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.

Portrait of Maxwell Mulder

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.

portrait of rahat rafiq

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.”

Current Students

Portrait of Rodney Brown

Rodney Brown, Developer

Rodney Brown is a junior currently pursuing his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science at Grand Valley State University. He is excited about collaborating with a team to develop software solutions and deepen his understanding of emerging technologies by applying them in practical, real-world settings. Rodney is passionate about continuous learning and values hands-on experience.

Portrait of Nikolai Escondo

Nikolai Escondo, Developer

Niko served in the U.S. Army from 2018-2023 as a medical laboratory technician and made the decided to transition into a career in computer science. He is currently pursuing his Master's Degree in Applied Computer Science, Bachelor's in Computer Science, and Minor in Mathematics. He's passionate about learning and problem solving - traits which he aims to channel into building creative, real-world applications.

Portrait of Bilal Khan

Bilal Khan, Developer

 Bilal Khan is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Applied Computer Science at GVSU. He has a background in full-stack development and enjoys building scalable web applications. His interests include software architecture, AI-driven solutions, and cloud-based systems. Khan is passionate about solving real-world problems through technology and continuously improving his technical and research skills.

Portait of Hoan Lam

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.

Portrait of Mario Ordonez

Mario Ordonez, Developer

Mario is currently pursuing his Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering at Grand Valley State University and it's his first year at GVSU after transferring from Grand Rapids Community College. He's excited about collaborating on real-world projects and gaining hands-on experience within the software industry. Mario is eager to continue growing and learning as a software engineer and looks forward to a career in computing. Long term, Mario hopes to deepen his understanding of software engineering, so he can use those skills to eventually pursue a career in the game industry.

Portrait of Todd Parcheta

Todd Parcheta, Developer

Todd is currently pursuing his Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science at Grand Valley State University, with a strong enthusiasm for creating solutions and collaborating on impactful projects. He looks forward to applying his skills to real-world projects and gaining hands-on experience.

Portrait of Tobin Richards

Tobin Richards, Developer

Tobin is in his sophomore year pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science at Grand Valley State University and was drawn to the field through a close relative. He is excited to gain hands-on experience and apply his coding knowledge to real-world applications. Tobin enjoys learning new technologies and improving his skills while building reliable software.

Portrait of Ksenija Rubez

Ksenija Rubez, Developer

Ksenija is an undergraduate at Grand Valley pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity with a minor in Computer Science. She is passionate about secure system design and understanding why systems fail. Her academic and technical work focuses on strengthening her programming skills, while studying what makes systems resilient and more importantly, vulnerable. Outside of computing, Ksenija loves reading (especially world classics), drinking coffee, and exploring fashion. 

Portrait of Drake Setera

Drake Setera, Developer

Drake is a Junior currently pursuing his Master's Degree in Artificial Intelligence, Bachelor's in Computer Science, and Minor in Mathematics at Grand Valley State University. He is eager to gain hands-on experience and apply his coding knowledge to make real-world applications. Outside of class, Drake also enjoys challenging himself with math problems and coding projects, such as creating a working computer in Minecraft and Google Sheets.

Portrait of Noah Strasler

Noah Strasler, Developer

Noah is a senior about to get his Bachelor's of Computer Science from Grand Valley State University. His particular interests in the tech world are Embedded Systems and Machine Learning. 

Portrait of Zachary Williams

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.

Portrait of Muttaki Bismoy

Muttaki Bismoy

M.S. Applied Computer Science (2025)

Cybersecurity & ML PhD Student

Portrait of Natalie Kline

Natalie Kline

M.S. Applied Computer Science (2025)

Portrait of Patrick Waga Odongo

Patrick Waga Odongo

Portrait of Cameron Schneider

Cameron Schneider

M.S. Applied Computer Science (2025)

Portrait of Mateo Vrooman

Mateo Vrooman

B.S. Computer Science (2025)

Software Engineer

Page last modified March 4, 2026