Rodrigo is a Physics Ph.D. candidate at Harvard University and is simultaneously pursuing a secondary-field concentration at Harvard STS. Rodrigo‘s physics research uses classical optimization techniques to improve the computational capabilities of near-term, intermediate-scale analog quantum computers.

From the moment he joined Harvard, he became heavily involved in organizing with the Harvard Graduate Student Union. His passion for formulating organizational change, together with his research into quantum computation, led him to start thinking about ways to meaningfully attend to the societal aspects of his field. Rodrigo joined the Harvard STS program in January of 2022 and is currently conducting research on the political and geopolitical aspects of quantum technologies’ funding, workforce development, and instituted research directions in the US. He recently completed an internship at IBM Quantum, working on Responsible Quantum Computing research. Rodrigo is a co-founder of the Quantum Ethics Project, an organization supporting young researchers who want to develop a richer scientific scholarship by incorporating ethical questions into their training. He is also a co-president of the GSAS Quantum Science and Society student group aiming to open up spaces for interdisciplinary conversations around quantum and society at Harvard University.