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.

Faculty & Staff

Hans Dulimarta, Ph.D., Faculty Mentor

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.

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 particularly enjoys mentoring less experienced developers and helping them grow.

Rajvardhan Patil, Ph.D., Faculty Mentor

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.”

Jackson VanHaitsma, Administrative Assistant

Jackson is the Administrative Assistant for Blue Nucleus and the ACI, in addition to his role as an Academic Department Coordinator in the College of Computing. He received a BS in Digital Communications from Calvin University in 2017. Jackson has worked in higher-ed settings for 13 years.

Current Students

Gabriel Braun, Developer

Gabe served in the U.S. Navy from 2019-2025 as an Aviation Electrician on F/A-18F Super Hornets and has moved on to further his education pursuing a degree in computer science. He is actively working towards his bachelors in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics and CyberSecurity. Gabe is passionate about problem-solving, continuous learning, and bringing creative design to life in his work.

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.

Conner DeGraaf, Developer

Conner DeGraaf is a Computer Science Major. He plans on bring a human oriented design to all his projects in and outside of work/school. Conner is really excited to learn more and hopefully start more personal projects.

Jaweher Hichri, Developer

Jaweher is currently pursuing a combined master’s degree in AI and Data Science and has a background in Computer Science. She is passionate about learning new things, she works well in teams, demonstrates strong collaboration and leadership potential, and has spent the last several years developing and refining her technical skills. Outside the IT domain, Jaweher is also a designer. She is eager to apply her knowledge to real-world projects, as she brings dedication, adaptability, and a growth mindset to every team she joins.

Quo "Leo" Ho, Developer

Leo is a student at GVSU pursuing his master's degree in Artificial Intelligence.

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.

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.

Hadrian Smith, Developer

Hadrian is majoring in Software Engineering and has just completed his first year of classes. He is interested in low-level software development and occasionally dabbles in game development. He is currently building his own operating system entirely from scratch, with an end goal of being binary-compatible with Windows. Hadrian is excited to gain real-world experience in software development and collaboration while building real and useful products.

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.

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.