Computer Science student cracks the code for national scholarship nomination

Judah Nava’s love for problem-solving and computers started at a young age.

“I was always tinkering with my electronics… I’d break the motors thinking I could put them back together,” he said.

After receiving his first laptop, he had a habit of downloading programs and games from the internet, which eventually damaged his computer.  
 
He learned how to fix his laptop, and that involved completely resetting the computer, which introduced Judah to Linux, an operating system commonly used in computer science.

This passion and fascination with computers eventually propelled him into college and the study of civil engineering, although that quickly changed.

“After trying a single programming class, I immediately switched,” he said, recalling his first year of college in Montana.

After that school year, he transferred to Minnesota State University Moorhead. Judah was invited to a research position working closely with his professor, Dr. Hanku Lee, after taking one class with him. This research, which Judah has been doing since 2021, led him to be a 2024 Goldwater Scholarship nominee.

The Goldwater Scholarship is one of the most prestigious undergraduate awards given in the sciences. Congress established the scholarship in 1986 in honor of former U.S. senator and 1964 presidential candidate Barry Goldwater.

Judah’s primary research has been on a programming language called Python. Python is widely considered to be the most user-friendly language for those not experienced with programming. However, it has limitations, which is where Judah’s research fills in.

Programming languages can process a large piece of data across hundreds of computers at the same time to cut down on the workload, commonly called ‘distributed computing.’ Python does not provide this ability, which is crucial for researchers in any field to analyze data they have collected.

Judah’s research is paving the way for researchers in any field to analyze data more simply and efficiently, but his research is only part of the end goal. Judah wants to grow MSUM’s Computer Science & Information Systems Department and provide more opportunities for future students to learn and engage in computer science and its adjacent fields.

“We’re finally finding more opportunities for students to get engaged in computer science related fields; that gave me the motivation to be in a leadership position where I can get things done,” he said.

Judah has been a strong advocate for additional Computer Science and Information Systems Department equipment and funding. Judah and Dr. Lee’s research demonstrates the value of the department and recently resulted in a grant for 16 computers that can run cloud computing simulations. Judah has also pushed for funding for the Association for Computing Machinery club, which recently received funds to purchase 3D printers.

Judah’s experience at MSUM has helped him grow personally and professionally, and his research has helped him make the most of what he’s learning and given him insight for his career moving forward.

“MSUM has provided me with hands-on experience for my future,” he said.  
Judah has also had the opportunity to travel with Dr. Lee to present their research at conferences across the country.

“We got to travel to North Carolina to present our research, and we currently have the opportunity to present at a conference in Hawaii this year,” he said. 

Judah hopes this research and Goldwater Scholarship nomination give him a better chance to join an ivy league research team in graduate school.

“This scholarship provides money for more research and more opportunity… we’re going for MIT or Harvard,” he said.

Goldwater Scholarship awards are announced on March 29.