About
Hi, thank you for visiting my website! I'm Andrew Peterson — a quantum researcher, security engineer, and software architect based in California. I hold a B.S. in Computer Science from UC San Diego.
My work spans quantum software engineering, cybersecurity, and full-stack development. I've built quantum-encrypted communication platforms, competed in national cybersecurity competitions, and engineered infrastructure for large-scale CTF events. I'm driven by hard problems at the intersection of security, quantum information, and systems engineering.
Education
University of California: San Diego
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
Experience
Quantum Software Engineering Lead (Intern)
Qualcomm Institute — La Jolla, CA
- Architected a video communication platform utilizing end-to-end quantum encryption via photonic circuitry, enhancing data security protocols.
- Optimized Grover's algorithm using Qiskit to solve complex binary constraint satisfaction problems.
- Developed and evaluated Quantum Machine Learning models, implementing classification algorithms via quantum neural networks.
- Mentored a cross-functional team of interns under Dr. Nikola Alic, overseeing software deliverables and the technical setup of a new undergraduate quantum computing lab.
Full-Stack DevOps Engineer & Advisor
Rochester Institute of Technology Esports — Remote
- Engineered and deployed scalable web resources using the MERN stack, leveraging Docker for consistent environment orchestration.
- Orchestrated cloud infrastructure on DigitalOcean, implementing Nginx reverse proxies and Docker Compose to ensure 99.9% uptime.
- Built CI/CD pipelines and monitoring suites, reducing deployment friction and enhancing system performance.
Instructor & IT Systems Specialist
Mathnasium — Temecula, CA
- Delivered advanced technical instruction in Calculus and Computer Science, tailoring complex concepts to diverse student learning levels.
- Directed the center's digital transformation during COVID-19, authoring technical documentation and maintaining IT infrastructure for remote learning.
Projects
End-to-end quantum-encrypted video communication platform built with photonic circuitry at Qualcomm Institute. Demonstrates practical quantum key distribution for real-time media streams.
Interactive nonogram puzzle solver comparing classical brute-force with Grover's quantum search algorithm. Features real-time histogram visualization and optional IBM Quantum hardware execution.
Train and evaluate neural network classifiers across multiple datasets with live training curves, per-class metrics, ensemble voting, and ablation studies. Supports knowledge distillation.
Visual editor for LaTeX resume, CV, and cover letter documents. Drag-and-drop section reordering, per-entry resume filtering, inline variable management, and live PDF compilation.
Interactive knowledge graph for tracking learning progress across quantum computing concepts. Visualizes prerequisite chains and unlocks topics as you learn.
GitHub Repositories
Extracurricular
Co-Founder & President / Technical Curriculum Lead
Quantum Computing at UC San Diego
- Co-founded and scaled the first undergraduate quantum computing organization at UCSD, building a community of 100+ members.
- Developed a comprehensive technical curriculum for workshops covering quantum computing foundations and Qiskit.
- Standardized organizational workflows and digital infrastructure, enabling sustainable leadership transitions.
President & Cybersecurity Competition Member
ACM Cyber @ UCSD
- Trained teams for and competed in national and international competitions including CCDC, CPTC, and Google CTF.
- Authored training modules on penetration testing, network defense, and cryptography.
- Orchestrated weekly technical workshops and "Deep Dive" sessions in advanced security topics.
Lead Infrastructure Engineer & Challenge Designer
San Diego Capture the Flag (SDCTF)
- Engineered the backend for San Diego's largest annual cybersecurity competition, supporting 500+ global participants.
- Provisioned cloud-native infrastructure using Terraform (IaC), managing Postgres and containerized challenge environments.
- Designed and deployed a Discord.JS-integrated submission bot for real-time flag validation and leaderboard updates.
- Developed OSINT challenges testing competitors' investigative digital forensics abilities.
Skills
Languages
Python, C/C++, Java, TypeScript/JavaScript, SQL, Bash, LaTeX, Matlab, Rust
Quantum Computing
Qiskit, Cirq, Quantum Neural Networks (QML), QAOA, Grover's & HHL Algorithms, BB84, Error Mitigation
Systems & DevOps
Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, Linux Kernel, Distributed Systems, CI/CD, Nginx, Git, AWS, DigitalOcean
Cybersecurity
Reverse Engineering (Ghidra/IDA), Network Security (TCP/IP), Penetration Testing, OSINT, Applied Cryptography
Software Engineering
Data Structures & Algorithms, System Design, Design Patterns, Agile/Scrum, Unit Testing
Data Science & AI
PyTorch, Scikit-Learn, Pandas, Computer Vision, NLP, Ollama (LLMs), Statistical Modeling, Jupyter
Infrastructure
PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, RESTful/GraphQL API Design, Microservices, Linux Server Administration
Experimental Lab
Free-space Photonics, Laser Systems, Signal Processing, Oscilloscopes, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)
Achievements
Regional Finalist
2021 WRCCDC
Served as a "floater" role balancing hardening, monitoring Linux systems, and employer communication during the time crunch.
4th Place
Preparatory competition for CCDC where hundreds of teams compete in non-active threat defense and system hardening.
Eagle Scout
Boy Scouts of America
Achieved the rank of Eagle Scout on June 6, 2018.
Contact
Interested in working together or just want to chat? Feel free to reach out through any of the channels below.