Joshua Hutchinson

“There’s no better feeling than the moment when everything finally clicks together and the thing you made is working,” Joshua Hutchinson says.

Hutchinson began his computer science journey as a student at Mesa Community College where he knew he wanted to work in a STEM field but was unsure of his future major. After finding a passion for programming in an early class, he joined the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, to complete his more advanced coursework.

Once admitted, he felt right at home.

“There’s an infectious spirit that inhabits the entire campus,” Hutchinson says. “From the students to the faculty, everyone here seems to be on the same wavelength. They want to make the world a better place.”

He says that he’s inspired by a desire to design solutions that make a real difference.

“I just love to be a part of making something that really has a positive impact,” Hutchinson says. “We’re in the middle of an ever-changing technological landscape, with new ideas and technologies sprouting that have the potential to improve lives in so many different ways.”

It’s a philosophy he put into practice for his student capstone project. He worked as part of a team that integrated quantum computing with artificial intelligence, or AI, to create a system that could remove unwanted noise, or grainy dots, from images to enhance their quality. The rewarding project exposed the student researchers to both quantum computing and innovative AI concepts.

Hutchinson is proud of his ability to maintain a perfect grade point average while juggling his full-time job as a software engineer and his research projects. Thanks to extra classes completed over the summer, he will graduate a semester early.

Up next, Hutchinson will continue his educational journey in the Fulton Schools, joining the Accelerated Master’s Program. Once he has his master’s in hand, he will continue seeking new opportunities. He’d love to put his expertise to work in the space domain. Hutchinson is interested in computer science applications in terrestrial rovers and asteroid mining.

Hutchinson says he’s especially grateful for the support from Ira A. Fulton himself.

“Without his investment, I wouldn’t be here! The Fulton Schools has given me the opportunity to find who I am, what I’m meant to do, and help me thrive,” he says.

Read about other exceptional graduates of the Fulton Schools’ fall 2024 class here.