Every day in Iowa State’s computer science help room is a surprise for graduating senior Rahul Sudev (’26 computer science). As a lead tutor responsible for assisting across seven courses, Rahul never knows what questions students might bring with them when they walk in the door.
“It keeps me on my toes that I need to know all these different classes and their content,” he said.
Rahul’s ease with the unexpected makes him a natural leader in the help room. It’s also helped him navigate his journey as an international student, sharpened his problem-solving skills, and inspired him to chase big ambitions, from hackathons to marathons.
For Rahul Sudev (’26 computer science), every day is an opportunity to learn something new. (Hannah Olson-Wright/Iowa State University)
From India to Iowa State
Rahul grew up in Bengaluru, a city known for being a global technology hub and the capital of Karnataka, a state in southwest India. His parents both work in the software industry, and Rahul discovered his aptitude for science and math early on in school.
“I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do back then, but I knew that learning software engineering or computer science would open up a lot of avenues for me,” he said.
Rahul had always wanted to study abroad, and a friend who attended Iowa State told him about the university’s strengths in computer science and engineering. After growing up in one of India’s largest cities, Rahul was surprised by the pace of life in the Midwest and at Iowa State.
“I love it here,” he said. “Everyone’s so welcoming, and any opportunity that you go for, people make you feel like you belong there. That’s what I like most about Iowa State – the people.”
Embracing experiences
Since arriving on campus, Rahul has embraced one new experience after another. He saw his first snowfall, joined the Honors Program, participated in the Start Something LAS Academy, competed in the College-by-College Pitch Off, and served as a senator for the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers, an Iowa State student organization. As an honors student, he also conducted undergraduate research with Associate Professor of Economics Bertan Turhan.
During his first year at Iowa State, Rahul even found a job as a student teacher for supplemental instruction, leading three calculus sessions per week. That jumpstarted his interest in helping his peers through tutoring, eventually leading to his role in the computer science help room.
“I loved it when students were coming back, and it became a friendly discussion,” he said about supplemental instruction. “Students would have a good update and say, ‘Oh, I solved this problem without taking too much time. I was able to do really well on my exam.’ And that made me really happy. So, I stuck with it.”
Unlocking career opportunities
Other experiences include Rahul’s internship last summer with Allegion, a global security company. Rahul worked with a software team in Golden, Colorado, that integrates solutions for Schlage electronic locks used in apartment complexes. Using Bluetooth technology, property owners and residents can customize security options, such as granting access to a maintenance worker or revoking access at the end of a lease.
Rahul contributed to software testing tools, helped with feature development, and worked on fixes to improve the application’s responsiveness.
“I feel like working in software is all about being able to learn on the job because every single day you find something that you don’t know about,” he said.
During his internship, he made new connections and even had an opportunity to speak with his division’s head of global software and the CEO. Rahul was invited to stay on last fall for a remote internship, which helped boost his confidence about his professional skills.
“I was always scared that maybe I wasn’t technically proficient enough going into the industry,” he said. “Doing positive work that made an impact affirmed a bit more that I am.”
Hackathons and marathons
Rahul Sudev. (Hannah Olson-Wright/Iowa State University)
When Rahul has an idea, he works hard to figure out how to make it happen. He ran his first marathon last fall in Des Moines, after researching how to develop a training plan, and will run the Greater St. Louis Marathon this spring.
Throughout his time as a Cyclone, he’s also honed his problem-solving skills at high-level hackathons.
“I just applied to one on a whim,” he said. “I didn’t think I’d get in because it’s pretty big.”
With support from the undergraduate travel fund, the Honors Program, and even individual faculty and staff, Rahul has participated in hackathons at UC Berkeley, Harvard, and Cal Hacks, the world’s largest collegiate hackathon held in San Francisco. There, students typically go from idea to demo in 48 hours. He met students from around the world, learned from tech industry leaders, and gained insight into startup culture.
Rahul said his favorite hackathon project, though, was completed here at Iowa State, where his team earned third place for building physical hardware to attach to nurses’ face shields. Their idea was to ease nurses’ workloads by assisting with tasks such as automating notetaking, reviewing patient history, or even making a 911 call during a volatile situation.
“The nurse could talk to [the device] like Iron Man talks to Jarvis, saying, ‘What are this person’s vitals? What is this patient’s history?” Rahul explained.
Ready for takeoff
Through his time as a Cyclone, Rahul has seen how computer science can intersect with every industry. Now, following graduation, he’ll take on another new opportunity with a job as a software engineer at Collins Aerospace.
Rahul’s role will be with a commercial flight management systems team that builds software for flight decks and works with hardware and embedded systems. It’s a new challenge, but one he’s eager to begin.
“With computer science, what has surprised me the most is how much there is to learn,” he said. “There are a lot of unsolved problems in computer science if you’re working in theory, which is really cool. I always thought there was a certain amount you’d learn and then you’d stop. But it’s never-ending. I really like that. It keeps me on my toes.”