Welcome
Hello, I'm Jake Zaia. Welcome to my personal website. You can use the following links to find my resume, portfolio, and the source code for this website (licensed under GPLv2). If you're looking for more information about who I am and what I do, keep reading to the sections below. This static web-page is being hosted via Mail-in-a-box though I rarely check the email address associated with this server.
I am currently looking for work, particularly in quantum computing research. If you're a research lab who has somehow found this website, please don't hesitate to reach out. My main areas of interest are in accelerating practical uses of quantum computers through library development, tooling, and quantum error correction. I am a software engineer by trade, and thrive at making tools for other software engineers to tinker with.
If you're looking to get in contact with me and you want to ask me some questions or schedule a time to chat, please email me at one of the email addresses listed below or connect with me on LinkedIn. Otherwise, if you found me from one of my projects, or from a community I'm a part of (such as r/QuantumComputing), message me on github or in the relevant community and I'll respond as soon as I see it.
About
Education
My Education
I will be graduating from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) with a master's degree in computer science (MSCS) in December 2024. My main area of study is theoretical computer science with a focus on quantum computing. Prior to coming to CMU, I graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) with a BS in computer science in 2023. While there, I specialized in theoretical computer science and cybersecurity, and completed a triple minor in mathematics, quantum information science and technology, and computing security. Fun fact: I was the first ever person to graduate RIT with the quantum information science and technology minor, since it was first offered the year of my graduation.
Teaching
For the fall semester of 2024 I am designing and running a StuCo at Carnegie Mellon. This 3 unit (1 credit) course called Intuitive Quantum Computing aims to bring quantum computing concepts to an undergradutate level. The goal is to break down concepts into a simple digestible form for a more thorough understanding that does not rely on the mindset of "shut up and calculate". The focus is on the computational aspects of quantum computing such as computational models, algorithms, complexity theory, and cryptography. This course is targeted at students with a moderate computer science background, particularly students in their 2nd to 3rd year of a computer science or related bachelor's degree.
Tutoring
I am a lifelong teacher and tutor. I started my tutoring career as a volunteer in high school, and continued into the private sector in college via Wyzant. I love helping people learn and grow as I teach them computer science and mathematics in a way that's easy to understand. In total I have almost 10 years of tutoring experience in both computer science and mathematics, at the middle school, high school, college, and adult level and over 1,250 hours of experience on Wyzant alone. This experience spans various programming languages and paradigms, and covers fields from computing fundamentals to object oriented languages to operating systems, pure theory, embedded development, algorithm optimization and computer graphics.
Communities
I am a moderator over at r/QuantumComputing where I help remove bot & spam posts and ensure discussions are high quality. I am also a Wikipedia contributor, helping share knowledge with the world, primarily for quantum computing topics.
Work
During my college career I have worked a series of internships spanning a wide breadth of computer science topics. Most recently, I have worked at the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) helping to conduct novel research in several roles. My current role involves identifying and solving issues with creating fault-tolerant quantum systems. Prior roles have involved analysis of data compression and creating test environments for ML-enabled security systems. I have also worked for MITRE in both a development and research capacity. My research was involved in symbolic manipulation of qubit states, whereas my development roles were mostly associated with an internal resource management research project and the F-35 project. Earlier in my career, I worked for Herrick Technology Labs, as an embedded software developer working on software defined radio systems, and for Morgan Stanley as a web developer for an internal website. I'm always open to explore new opportunities to grow more as a developer.
For a more detailed list of everything I've worked on, please see my resume.
Free & Open Source Software (FOSS) Endeavors
FOSS & Linux
This website, in addition to being open source itself, is being hosted through Mail-in-a-box, which is an open source implementation of a mail, file storage, and HTTP server. I am an active participant in and proponent of the free and open source community throughout the internet, my community, and especially at RIT, where I served as secretary and then president of the RIT Linux User's Group. I love linux-y things, and encourage wider adoption of Linux for both technical and ethical reasons wherever I can.
Hackathons
Moreover, I am a frequent attendee of hackathons, and have attended well over 20 across the state of New York and the surrounding area. My teams and I always enjoy working hard to produce something interesting, whether it be for the betterment of society or just to make something fun. For examples of some of these projects, please visit my portfolio, which lists many of my hackathon, personal, and school projects. I have also mentored hackathons on occasion and provided administrative and technical knowledge to participants and organizers. In addition, I am a Certified Rockstar Developer and contributor to the Rockstar Language project and community.
Contact
Feel free to reach out to me at one of the following emails:
- jakezaia00 {AT} gmail.com for business inquiries
- jzaia {AT} cmu.edu for academic opportunities and inquiries