Vanderbilt Quantum Initiative, a student organization focusing on the study and research of quantum computing, competed in the Quantathon V2 Quantum Computing competition held in Columbia, South Carolina from Oct. 9-12.  

The Quantathon is held annually by the South Carolina Quantum organization and hosts teams from across the world to solve real-world problems. The Vanderbilt team won the competition, making them eligible to compete in the International Hackathon for Social Good hosted by New York University Abu Dhabi in April 2026. 

At the competition, each team competed over the course of 24 hours to solve assigned problems the world is facing and to build an ecosystem of collaborative quantum research. Vanderbilt’s team implemented quantum mechanics principles in order to solve mathematical problems associated with the financial market in a more resourceful and energy-efficient way. The victory represents Vanderbilt’s first win in the event, which is the largest competition of the International Quantum Circuit 2025 — a series of quantum computing competitions held around the world. 

First-year Santiago Lombardi said despite this being the second year the event has been held, he enjoyed his experience.  

“The event in general was pretty cool, although small. You could tell that this was the event’s second year,” Lombardi said. “However, it was pretty well organized, and the mentors were extremely eager to help, which made the overall learning experience a fun and engaging one.” 

First-year Zach Macaskill-Smith said that although the team consisted only of first-year students with limited prior experience with quantum mechanics, they were able to work together successfully. 

“We came in as a group of five freshmen, many of whom had only been introduced to quantum as a part of VQI in the weeks preceding, but we had the passion, curiosity and perseverance to dive into learning something new and win, even when some of our competitors had Ph.D.s in quantum physics and mathematics,” Macaskill-Smith said. “I could really feel in the room that everyone really embodied Vanderbilt’s ‘dare to grow’ motto, as all the team members weren’t afraid to dive into this completely new territory.” 

First-year Melissa Warner said the competition’s fast-paced environment helped her succeed when working on the team’s project.  

“It honestly felt surreal, partly because of how fast-paced it was,” Warner said. “We didn’t sleep for the 24 hours we worked on the project, and I was really hesitant going into the competition because I felt unprepared. Looking back, I think that was one of the best parts. It pushed me [to succeed] in a way that I wouldn’t have otherwise.” 

First-year Unmol Sharma said he believes that team’s passion for engineering and the help of their president, senior David Nizovsky, helped them win the grand prize at the competition. 

“Having people as passionate as Vanderbilt students in engineering and being able to access the resources offered by the Vanderbilt Quantum Initiative was definitely a great help,” Sharma said.“Even at the hackathon, being mentored by senior David Nizovsky, head of the Quantum Initiative, was what I truly believe pushed us over the hump [and helped us win]. There’s such a culture of mentorship at Vanderbilt that it can truly make the difference in environments like these.” 

Macaskill-Smith said he hopes the team’s experience at the competition can help inspire students to try new things and experiences.  

“Don’t be afraid to try things outside of your comfort zone,” Macaskill-Smith said. “You don’t have to be an expert to get involved. Try things like this hackathon, and you never know, maybe it will end up going a lot better than you expected.”