Shaun Pexton (Ry. 2017-22) was featured on the Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science website this week as part of a series highlighting graduating students ahead of Commencement. The profile focused on students who have made the most of their time at Yale - academically, creatively and within the wider community - and Shaun’s four years on campus offered plenty for them to draw from.
Originally from Brighton, Shaun arrived at Yale with a long-standing interest in quantum mechanics and a desire to study broadly across disciplines. He graduates this year with a double major in Applied Physics and Computer Science, having combined research, teaching, music and student leadership throughout his time at the university.
Alongside co-leading the Yale Undergraduate Quantum Computing Club, Shaun served as a first-year counsellor, taught computer science and music in local schools, and played jazz across New Haven. His interest in quantum developed into senior research on quantum error correction under Professor Aleksander Kubica - work that later led to an ongoing collaboration with researchers at IBM - where Shaun has contributed to projects connected to the practical challenges of building quantum computing systems. In the Yale feature, he described the appeal of working on problems that are both theoretical and directly relevant to emerging technologies.
His love of music remained a constant alongside Shaun’s research. In the article, he speaks about the parallels he sees between improvisation in jazz and creativity in quantum physics. “Jazz is really about expression through improvisation,” he said. “And quantum is very creative.”
Shaun also reflected on the broader opportunities he found during his time in the US higher education system. Having considered studying in the UK, he ultimately chose Yale for the flexibility to combine subjects and pursue interests beyond a single academic track.
We wish Shaun all the best this autumn, when he will continue that interdisciplinary approach as he begins a PhD in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT, focusing on quantum error correction and quantum computing architectures.
You can read the full article on Shaun on the Yale website.