by Marielle Payton, Student Public Relations Writer
For Nishant Nedungadi, working on classified government projects in a physics laboratory was not necessarily what he envisioned when he pursued a degree in computer science at Cedarville University. But after two summer internships with John Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory, Nedungadi has accepted a full-time position with the prestigious research facility.
Nedungadi worked at the laboratory during the summers of his sophomore and junior years helping with projects for the Air Force and other defense organizations. Some of his projects included complex strings of code to be used in technology pertaining to defense weapons, simulation design and software development. Since much of his work is classified, Nedungadi was required to obtain a security clearance.
Nedungadi didn’t always see a future in computer science.
“I wasn’t sure yet what I was passionate about,” he admitted. “But I did know Cedarville had an amazing computer science program. Back then, they were one of only seven schools in the nation to be accredited for their cyber operations program, and the only Christian school. I found that impressive.”
Cedarville’s computer science degree features a rigorous, cutting-edge curriculum with a specialization in cyber operations. In addition to being nationally accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, Cedarville’s cyber operations track has been certified as a National Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations (CAE-CO) and a National Center for Academic Excellent in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD).
"While at John Hopkins, I was able to really apply that knowledge and expand on it even more. It was really intimidating at times, but I liked knowing that I was contributing in a small part to keep our country safe," said Nedungadi.
While the internship at John Hopkins gave Nedungadi an invaluable learning experience, he credits the opportunity to his time at Cedarville and the friendships and relationships he’s built with professors and fellow students. “The cyber operations major helped me learn so many important skills, and the internship really helped me grow in those areas. I’m incredibly grateful for both.”
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 5,082 undergraduate, graduate, and dual-enrolled high school students in more than 175 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is one of the largest private universities in Ohio, recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, including the department of engineering and computer science as well as high graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings. Cedarville’s MSN program has been ranked #4 in Ohio and #89 in the nation according to US News and World Report, and Cedarville has been ranked #4 nationally by the Wall Street Journal for student engagement. For more information about the University, visit cedarville.edu.