Since joining Stony Brook University’s computer science department in the middle of October 2021, CQT graduate Supartha Podder is settling into his role as an Assistant Professor.
He is anticipating new responsibilities which include supervising students and teaching a graduate course on quantum computing in the coming semester. “Quantum computing is a topic close to my heart and I am getting the opportunity to teach it,” says Supartha. “I am really looking forward to that.” He will also be a part of the recruiting committee for the new student intake.
Supartha’s passion for educating and helping others shows in another project. Since 2011, he runs AALO, a charity organisation for underprivileged students in India, with friends from his undergraduate days. The organisation provides scholarships for students to continue their education and one-to-one mentorship.
In his research, Supartha works on quantum computing and complexity theory. He says he is fascinated by the possibility of quantum advantage, which asks for what problems quantum computers can or cannot give a speedup over classical computers, and how much speedup they can give. Supartha is also fascinated by quantum cryptography, an area of cryptography where quantum objects are used to achieve cryptographic tasks that are either classically impossible or less efficient.
“CQT gave me a lot of exposure to research which has already and is going to help me a lot,” says Supartha who enjoyed interactions with researchers at CQT and visitors from around the world, remembering exchanging ideas in CQT’s Quantum Café. Supartha completed his PhD in computer science in 2016 and was supervised by Principal Investigator Hartmut Klauck.
While in Singapore, he enjoyed the amenities the NUS campus had to offer, Singapore’s food, nature trails, places that he could visit with his family and rollerblading in West Coast Park. He also made lifelong friends. “When we had to leave Singapore, my wife and I were very sad. I would put it as some of the best five years of my life both academically and non-academically,” says Supartha.