Our Team
Meet our interdisciplinary team of James Madison University undergraduate students as we work on developing our products. The six of us represent seven diverse courses of study, which not only helps to give us a balanced perspective, but also makes things much more fun. Scroll below to learn more about each of our courses of study, experiences, and contributions.
Joanna Lehtinen
Joanna Lehtinen is an Intelligence Analysis Major, and Russian Studies Minor at James Madison University. An avid lover of nature, languages, and a good challenge, she joined H4D in order to provide solutions to real-world problems with the help of her teammates. She is confident in the power of the human mind, and believes that the synergy of her classmates will bring about great solutions this semester!
Christian Caruso
Christian Caruso is a Third Year Computer Information Systems Major at James Madison University with a dual concentration in Emerging Technology and European Business. Christian is fascinated how technology is constantly advancing; improving the world around us at a head-spinning rate. He loves to learn about, and discover how new technology influences economics, politics and society around the globe. Christian hopes to bring his skills and passions to the H4D team this semester to help solve our country’s most pressing issues.
Troy Fries
Troy Fries is a junior Engineering major with a minor in Robotics at James Madison University. Being immersed in JMU’s project-based engineering curriculum has sharpened his abilities to meet customer needs and solve complex problems. Troy’s technical knowledge and interpersonal communication skills are represented through his capstone project, which deals with developing a robotic system for a corporate client to automate functions in spinal fusion surgery. His professional experience is highlighted in his role as project analyst intern at the National Coordination Office, where he worked with federal agencies to develop national research and development strategies. Troy hopes to pursue a career in the intelligence community where he can develop electromechanical systems to solve the nation’s toughest problems.
Erin Few
Erin Few is a junior Political Science major with a dual minor in Humanitarian Affairs and Modern European Studies. She has a true love for service which is shown in her leadership on an executive board, her representation in JMU Student Government, as well as her dedication to the Harrisonburg refugee community through her foreign service fraternity, Delta Phi Epsilon. She intends to bring this passion and drive to her team experience in Hacking for Defense, and hopes to gain professional development skills along with personal growth. Erin’s goals include using her love for service and travel to pursue a career in the public sector, and Hacking for Defense will be a wonderful learning opportunity to help her find her precise path.
Rachel Heatherly
Rachel Heatherly is a senior majoring in writing, rhetoric, and technical communication with a concentration in scientific and technical communication and a minor in computer information systems. Her passion is for researching and editing documents, preferably in the technology field. With knowledge in both computer information systems and writing, she has experience with multiple programming languages, different forms of online documentation, and interpersonal communication skills. Rachel’s hope is to work for the government when she graduates.
Jason Propst
Jason Propst is a graduating senior at James Madison University pursuing a B.S. in International Affairs with a Middle East concentration and a minor in Statistics. His passion is research about government decision making processes and how quantitative and qualitative research can be used harmoniously. He plans to go to graduate school for Statistics after graduation and then pursue a research career in the think tank sector to help bridge the gap between academia and policy. He joined Hacking for Defense (H4D) to tackle a problem with individuals from diverse academic backgrounds, discover how different perspectives can be used to solve tough issues, and how he can apply these perspectives to his own research.