Senior Success: Computer Engineer Suraj Ghumwala Joins U.S. Space Force
Suraj Ghumwala will soon be the first cadet from NJIT's ROTC detachment commissioned into the U.S. Space Force.
The computer engineering major from Rochelle Park said his childhood dream was to be an astronaut, and as the first person in his family born in the U.S. he felt a sense of service to the community, influenced by friends who also joined the military.
Ghumwala chose NJIT because of its strong academics, affordability, commuting distance and diversity, and he truly felt a sense of belonging in his second semester when he switched from computer science to computer engineering and joined the Reserve Officer Training Corps.
"That was definitely a difficult conversation. I talked with my parents about what exactly I'm getting into … I have to serve four years," he explained. "I like being a little hands-on. In computer science, everything happens on the screen. I was more interested in seeing stuff move," Ghumwala explained.
Being in ROTC taught Ghumwala leadership skills that stick. Sometimes he marches around campus, out of habit, instead of walking casually. As a senior he trained cadets on adaptability, critical thinking, leadership and working under pressure. Once commissioned into the Space Force at the starting rank of second lieutenant, he'll be responsible for maintaining satellites used for communications and tracking — "Space surveillance, space lift, space warning and satellite command and control," he stated.
His first assignment will be training in California at Vandenberg Space Force Base. Timing is uncertain due to a backlog of Space Force onboarding from the pandemic, and meanwhile he'll be in the reserves. But he has that delay covered, landing work at Verizon as a network operations engineer. He gained experience in this field by working a part-time job in the networking and telecommunications department of NJIT's Information Services and Technology office, where he's frequently dispatched around campus to fix phones and wifi equipment.
He said that regardless of whether his long-term career path keeps him in the military or leads to civilian employment, he would like to stay in the growing space field and still hopes to launch someday. Space Force members can have careers that lead "To infinity and beyond," he joked.
Ghumwala said he's proud of simply completing the ROTC program. He said it was challenging to get into shape for the military fitness assessment while studying for his electrical and computer engineering classes. His senior project was to design a robotic car for evaluating fires, while his most influential professor was Oksana Manzhura who taught him the principles of circuit design.
"I definitely enjoyed my time at NJIT. ROTC made a major impact for me as a student. The first thing when you go to college is you try to figure out where you fit in. ROTC was a good outlet," he stated.
"He is extremely capable, extremely well spoken, organized and he will absolutely do well in the military," said Air Force Maj. Eric Laake, who teaches in the unit command team. "His ability to use technology, and his technical expertise that he's gotten here at New Jersey Institute of Technology, have all prepared him well to succeed in the Space Force," where there are defensive along with offensive weapons, he noted.
Laake also acknowledged the military's deep history of developing leaders from first-generation American families. "That is something that's always made NJIT stronger," he said, "And it continues to make our country stronger."
