Sana Muneer becomes the first to crack the code

By Brianna Wallen

News Editor

A weekend of coding, quantum algorithms and fierce competition resulted in a breakthrough for the university. 

 In a field of top students at the Yale Quantum Institute Hackathon, Sana Muneer became the first student from the institution to claim victory, leaving her mark on the future of quantum computing. 

 “It means alot to me because I represent SCSU,” computer science major Sana Muneer, a senior, said. “It’s been such an exciting and enriching experience.” 

The annual hackathon brought together undergraduate students from across the globe to collaborate on cutting-edge quantum computing projects.  

Muneer said over the span of 48 hours, code was written, theories were tested and solutions were developed.  

The event featured nine different challenges that were sponsored by various companies. 

Muneer said that she participated in the most advanced challenge from Alice & Bob Company, that focused on reconstructing quantum states from Wigner functions. 

“Our task was to reconstruct quantum states from noisy data to figure out the original quantum state,” Muneer said. “It’s like trying to see a clear image through a foggy lens — we built a system to clean the fog and get accurate results.” 

Muneer, who specializes in computer science, said the task was very physics and math heavy.  

“Everything was with coding, but we still needed the concepts of math and physics to be able to write the code,” Muneer said. 

Fortunately, she was paired up with students from Princeton University, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institution of Technology and Korea, who brought diverse perspectives and concepts to their team. 

Muneer said with a variety of expertise, they were able to come together and solve the task. She was also able to learn new resources from them.  

“They know lots of things and they were able to teach me new concepts because they had a background in Quantum and three other hackathons,” Muneer said. 

Derek Faulkner, the Project Coordinator with the Division of Research & Innovation at the university said that Muneer’s participation in the hackathon followed a recent visit to the Yale Quantum Institute through the Institute for Real-World Education and Curriculum Advancement, a program that aims to connect students with real-world opportunities in high-tech fields across the state. 

 For Muneer, winning at the hackathon was more than just an achievement, it was a symbol of possibility. 

 Muneer, who left Afghanistan over two years ago, said she was proud to represent her country and the women silenced by oppression.  

“Currently in my country women are banned from school,” Muneer said. “So doing this really means a lot.” 

Muneer explained that her success was not just for herself, but for those who cannot speak up or have the same opportunities.  

“They’re also a lot of people who are talented and even better than me but they and don’t have the opportunity to show off their skills and succeed,” Muneer said. 

She plans on defying more odds and breaking through barriers in the tech world and inspiring others to follow in her footsteps.  

Muneer said that is determined to break the stereotypes that often hold women back in the tech world.  

“The field is male-dominated, even in my classroom,” Muneer said. “I have one or two female classmates, and sometimes women feel they’re not good at tech.” 

Subsequently, her passion for her work is evident, as she strives to break down barriers and challenge biases. 

“I want to challenge this kind of bias or beliefs, so I try my best to be good in this field,” Muneer said.  

Muneer is just getting started in the world of computer science. She said that her future plans include taking on the complex challenges in the ever-evolving field of quantum computing. 

“I also love learning new things and in tech everyday something new is happening that you need to learn,” Muneer said. 

She already has her sights set on even greater achievements, including next year’s Hackathon at MIT and “analyzing the applicability of post-quantum cryptography on biometric authentication” under the guidance of Dr. Hossain from the computer science department. 

With her passion for quantum computing and determination to break new grounds, Muneer is set to make an even greater impact in the tech world.