Rushil Punukollu

Colorado Springs, CO

Junior @ United States Air Force Academy

i'm a 20 y/o Electrical & Computer Engineering undergrad at USAFA. i love building things and solving problems. i enjoy electronics, software development, and making an impact. When I'm not building or coding, you can find me at the gym, getting laps in at the pool, or traveling with my friends.

* education

united states air force academy

b.s. in electrical & computer engineering (aug 2024 - may 2028)

pursuing a degree in electrical engineering with a minor in robotics. coursework includes data structures, algorithms, digital logic design, signals and systems, and embedded systems. Cadet Wing Operations Center Cadet in Charge SPARK Deputy Director

* work

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Research Intern - (Summer 2026 - Current)

developed computer vision algorithms for a multimodal sensor testbed, enabling real-time detection and tracking of nuclear materials across nationally deployed edge systems in support of the laboratory’s national security mission.

Tesla

Autopilot Architecture Intern (Fall 2023 - Spring 2024)

Optimized V12 Autopilot perception models for object detection in coordination with MITES interns. Improved pedestrian recognition accuracy, enabling real-time autonomous evasive maneuvers.

MITES - Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Research Intern (Summer 2023)

Researched handheld TPUs capable of running LLMs with power efficiency comparable to a Raspberry Pi. Developed proof-of-concept carbon footprint mobile app using MIT App Inventor. Worked in joint internship with Tesla to develop computer vision architecture.

Scopos (Orion Scoring Systems)

Computer Vision Intern (2023)

Designed camera vision systems and 3D-printed components for electronic rifle target scoring. Work contributed to over $2M in product sales.

DAENIT IT Systems

Machine Learning Developer (2023)

Developed and deployed AI chatbots for 45+ companies to enhance customer engagement. Integrated CNNs and AWS services for scalable, human-like interactions.