Maria dove into her graduate studies with no prior experience or particular interest in quantum technology or cryptography. Professor Monica Nevins, Maria’s supervisor, introduced her to an exciting new field called “post-quantum cryptography.” She enrolled in quantum computing and cryptography classes, read research papers in this field, began working on a problem called the Hidden Subgroup Problem (HSP), and quickly became enthusiastic about it. The framework of the HSP encompasses different areas of mathematics, including representation theory, quantum computing, combinatorics, and even statistics, allowing Maria to use a wider spectrum of mathematical skills to solve problems and broaden her knowledge of mathematics, computer science and quantum physics.
Maria is a strong advocate for industry collaborations. She received a MITACS Accelerate award to undertake an internship with Sectigo Ltd., a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, where she worked on post-quantum cryptography. As a valuable member of the Sectigo team, she shared her mathematical knowledge to examine potential threats to existing post-quantum cryptographic algorithms and to raise quantum awareness.
Upon graduation, Maria plans to work in the cybersecurity industry. However, she hopes to nurture her scientific curiosity by remaining close to the research community at uOttawa that has so positively supported her. She plans to do so by attending conferences and following research conducted by uOttawa researchers. Maria considers Prof. Nevins to be a true inspiration and mentor, and admires her passion for mathematics. Maria’s experience as a graduate student taught her not to be afraid to pursue her own passion. It takes hard work and it can be difficult but very rewarding. She adds, “It is a lot of fun to overcome challenges in a field you enjoy.”
In addition to the various projects she is currently undertaking, Maria has been involved in the Mathematics and Statistics Graduate Student Association (MSGSA) as VP External and participated in the 13th Annual Ottawa Mathematics conference hosted online in light of the global pandemic.
