Student Profile – Juliette Noyer
Juliette Noyer has always been inspired to go the extra mile—literally and figuratively. Originally from Chambéry, France, she moved stateside in 2019, chasing her dreams of studying biomedical engineering. Now in her first graduate year at San José State University, she is on a mission to make a meaningful impact in healthcare while honoring the values and legacy of her grandfather.
Juliette’s passion came from her grandfather, who was a lifelong sports enthusiast and her greatest supporter. In 2017, she lost her grandfather to cancer which solidified her desire to contribute to life-saving advancements. Her mom taught her to always dream big and embrace the world’s possibilities, and her father taught her that hard work and humility matter most. “Their values are with me every day, reminding me to approach healthcare and athletics with purpose,” she says.
She started triathlon and track at just 13 years old, and competed at a high level in France. Her athletic experience taught her that setbacks aren’t roadblocks, but growth opportunities. “Being an athlete has helped me embrace challenges as part of the journey,” she explains. “It’s shown me how to view obstacles as chances to learn, both in sports and in life.”
During her five years at the National Collegiate Athletics Association, she learned to balance the demanding training schedules and rigorous engineering coursework. “I’d set clear goals and communicate openly with my professors about my commitments,” she says. “While I had to make sacrifices, it instilled a discipline and a sense of purpose that have carried into my career and research.”
The most challenging time was during peak season when competition and exams often overlapped. It can be overwhelming, but Juliette’s support system of coaches, family, and teammates helped her through the most challenging times, especially her trainer Rachel who supported her mentally and physically. These challenges made her respect the importance of balance, recharging, and knowing her limits. Even with all these challenges, Juliette gains something more rewarding, a sense of community, being part of something bigger, and achieving goals on behalf of SJSU.
After officially retiring from collegiate athletics, her advancement in her field has only grown. With support from the Biomedical Engineering department and the Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering, she has received the Future of Silicon Valley Scholarship, the Outstanding Senior Award, and the Undergraduate Research Award—achievements that propelled her work in cardiovascular and mitochondrial research. “The support from both my athletic and academic departments has been incredible, providing me with connections to mentors and leaders in my field.” she shares.
Juliette’s advice for young athletes is “Embrace every moment and don’t shy away from tough days—they’re what builds resilience. Sports teach you so much about who you are and what you can achieve.”
After graduation, she plans to start her Ph.D. journey to further her impact in biomedical engineering, with a specific focus on cardiovascular research, a field close to her heart.
Halloween History
The holiday’s origin is traced back to the Celtic festival of Samhain over 2,000 years ago. The full holiday name was “All Hallows Even (or Eve)” which got shortened to “Hallowe’en” and now to what we know as “Halloween”.
The term “trick or treat” originated from a German-American Christmas tradition where children would dress up and let adults guess the identity of their costume.
Orange and black color tie to the holiday tie back to the Celtic festival of Samhain according to the Library of Congress. It marks the end of the harvest season represented in the color black and the beginning of the winter with the orange color.
A full moon on Halloween night only occurs every 18-19 years according to NASA, the last one was in 2020 and the next one will occur in 2039.
According to a 2023 WBIW radio station report 25% of adults pretend not to be at home during Halloween
The World’s Smallest Quantum Computer: A New Era in Quantum Computing with a Single High-Dimensional Photon – Prof Ahmed Banafa
Data processing has achieved a major leap with the development of the world’s smallest quantum computer using a single high-dimensional photon and time-bin encoding, which runs complex algorithms like Shor’s without needing extreme cooling. This breakthrough creates a compact, noise-resistant, and scalable system with the potential to revolutionize fields from cybersecurity—where quantum capabilities could upend current encryption—to artificial intelligence, drug discovery, and logistics optimization. As photon-based quantum systems become more feasible for real-world applications demands for new approaches in policy, security, and innovation rise. Read the full article now!