Alumni News

Catie LeDesma (PhDPhys’24) wins 2026 Boeing Quantum Creators Prize

Kirsten Apodaca — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 14:17:31 +0000

Catie LeDesma (PhDPhys’24) wins 2026 Boeing Quantum Creators Prize Kirsten Apodaca Mon, 10/26/2026 - 08:17

Kirsten Apodaca

Postdoctoral researcher and �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder alumna Catie LeDesma is one of this year’s recipients of the prestigious Boeing Quantum Creators Prize, the Chicago Quantum Exchange announced on Oct. 22.

The national award recognizes early-career researchers for work that moves the field of quantum information science and engineering in new directions and aims to increase diversity in the field.

LeDesma earned her PhD in physics at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder in 2024 and is now a postdoctoral researcher working with Murray Holland in JILA.

Her research focuses on developing programmable atom interferometers, a type of quantum sensing technology, using Bose-Einstein condensates in multidimensional optical lattices.

“By precisely controlling ultracold atoms in these engineered environments, we are creating new ways of manipulating and measuring quantum interference,” says LeDesma.

She explains that the overarching goal is to expand the capabilities and flexibility of atom interferometers and explore how new levels of quantum control can enable novel approaches in precision measurement and quantum sensing.

“It was a pleasure to receive this award,” says LeDesma. “The experiments we are pursuing are technically very challenging, and progress often requires considerable persistence, so it was especially encouraging to see recognition of the science. I am also very grateful to my collaborators and to the supportive research environment at JILA and the Department of Physics that makes this work possible.”

Holland, who also served as LeDesma’s PhD advisor, says he has enjoyed watching her experiment progress from its earliest stages into a remarkably capable and versatile platform.

“Catie has driven much of this progress with exceptional independence, creativity, and experimental skill, opening up exciting possibilities for quantum sensing,” Holland says. “It is particularly gratifying to see both her accomplishments and the potential impact of this work being recognized by the broader community.”

The Boeing Quantum Creators Prize carries a monetary award and LeDesma will be recognized along with the other 11 recipients at the Q2B26 x Chicago Quantum Summit, held Dec. 8–10, 2026.

Postdoctoral researcher and alumna Catie LeDesma (PhDPhys'24) is one of this year’s recipients of the prestigious Boeing Quantum Creators Prize, the Chicago Quantum Exchange announced on Oct. 22.

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Q&A: Ken Douglas (PhDPhys’83) discusses his new book on the Nobel-winning field of optogenetics

Kirsten Apodaca — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 14:17:12 +0000

Q&A: Ken Douglas (PhDPhys’83) discusses his new book on the Nobel-winning field of optogenetics Kirsten Apodaca Thu, 10/22/2026 - 08:17

Ken Douglas (PhDPhys’83) had a busy month and wasn’t paying much attention to the Nobel Prize announcements. He had written a book that was nearing publication and had plenty else on his mind. But in early October, he started getting many emails from people he knew. The topic of his new book, optogenetics, had just become the focus of this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

“I was quite surprised,” says Douglas, when he heard the news.

The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to three scientists for their work on optogenetics, a technique that uses very precise light and genetics to control the activity of neurons.

We asked Douglas about his newest book, the science behind optogenetics, and why the field has transformed neuroscience.

Optogenetics and Modern Neurotechnology, Illuminating the Mysteries of the Brain by Kenneth Douglas

What inspired you to write a book on optogenetics and neurotechnology, and why now?

I’ve been witness to many serious mental health issues. Optogenetics seeks to uncover the brain connections responsible for behavior in wellness and mental illness. I was especially interested in brain circuits that don’t work well, for example, in people suffering from clinical depression.

I’ve known too many people who have been devastated by depression and similar disorders. The optogenetics literature allowed me to glimpse, albeit in animal models, the complex neural circuit dysfunction underlying the misery in people I knew. That allowed sympathy to replace my bewilderment.

It also fired me up to read a lot more about optogenetics and other modern neurotechnologies.

For a long time, I was thinking about writing a book on bioprinting, which uses 3D-printing to create living biological tissue with vascular channels, or optogenetics. Then a friend of mine had a kidney transplant. Her transplant made me wonder what her experience might have been if bioprinting was already a mature technology. So, I first wrote a book on bioprinting and when that was finished, I turned to optogenetics.

Who is the book written for: neuroscientists, students, or general readers?

The book is written for a general reader who may be curious about scientific subjects but doesn’t have a scientific background.

Can you share an example of how researchers use optogenetics to understand the brain? 

Researchers have used optogenetics to understand how memory is allocated, encoded, stored, and retrieved in the brain.

One remarkable set of experiments demonstrated memory formation in the absence of experience. A team led by Sheena Josselyn and Paul W. Frankland at the University of Toronto artificially implanted a memory for an otherwise never experienced event—namely, in the absence of any sensory experience.

Mice were trained to form a real associative memory between a specific odor and a mild foot shock. The team was able to replace both the odor and the foot shock by optogenetic manipulation of the specific neurons that encoded the odor and the foot shock.

The result was that “mice responded to an odor they had never encountered by avoiding a shock they had never received.” A better understanding of how memory works could benefit a wide range of individuals, from those struggling with memory impairments to those enduring traumatic memories.

For people who may not be familiar with the field, why does optogenetics deserve to be considered a Nobel-level breakthrough?

For historical perspective, Spanish physician and scientist Santiago Ramón y Cajal won the 1906 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. Among his tremendous contributions, Cajal established that the nervous system is made up of discrete individual neurons and that the neuron is the structural and functional unit of the nervous system.

But as Rafael Yuste of Columbia University has written, “As in other fields of science, there is a direct link between the techniques used and the concepts and paradigms that arose from these studies, as investigators cannot make discoveries beyond those that their techniques reveal.”

Apropos of this remark, Sheena Josselyn wrote, “Optogenetics ushered in an era of neuroscience in which neuronal circuits became the new basic unit of inquiry.”

The overarching impact of this Nobel-level breakthrough is that it enables temporally precise, pathway-specific interventions in intact brains. Optogenetics has transformed neuroscience from only observational correlations of neural activity with behavior to revealing causal relationships, the logic of brain function.

When researching and writing this book, what discovery or story surprised you the most?

That’s a tough question because I was so amazed by all the investigations I learned about.

But I’ll point to work by Robert C. Malenka of Stanford and his colleagues (and mention en passant that Malenka was the post-doctoral mentor of Karl Deisseroth, one of the winners of the Nobel Prize for optogenetics).

Malenka studied empathy circuits in mice. Empathy is an integral part of social communication and can be characterized as the adoption of another's sensory and affective state—specifically, states that are more appropriate to another's situation than one's own.

His team induced three different affective states—pain, pain relief/analgesia, and fear—in demonstrator mice and delineated the distinct brain pathways required in the observer mice to share the diverse affective states of the demonstrator.

Among the memorable findings:

Observer mice that had not been subjected to a painful stimulus showed heightened responses compared to the demonstrator mice. As neuroscientist Jeffrey Mogil of McGill University said, “Those [observer] mice act as though they’re in the same amount of pain and in more places. The behavior is astounding.”
Observer mice that did not receive any soothing morphine analgesia behaved as though they also got the drug. As Malenka said, “You’ve actually relieved pain in this animal simply by letting it hang out with another animal whose pain was relieved.”

What do you want people to take away from your book?

At a time when the importance of scientific research is being questioned, this book is particularly timely because it beautifully illustrates how scientific research leads to advances that will benefit human health and societies at large," says Rob Malenka.

One salient point is that the starting place for mammalian optogenetics was completely basic research, namely, the study of so-called algal opsin genes from microbes that are sometimes disparagingly alluded to as “pond scum.”

A priori, microbial opsins have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with how a vertebrate brain works or malfunctions.

Even so, a couple of decades later, scientists by the thousands who are interested in how the mammalian brain performs, are putting these opsins, in the form of membrane proteins, smack dab into the very brains they’re trying to parse.

This is a quintessential example of how basic scientific research can and often does impact discovery in a previously unrelated endeavor. And helps shape solutions to practical problems—say, how to target treatment for Parkinson’s disease.

A second salient point might be encapsulated by Rob Malenka’s comment on the optogenetics book, “At a time when the importance of scientific research is being questioned, this book is particularly timely because it beautifully illustrates how scientific research leads to advances that will benefit human health and societies at large.”

�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder alumnus and research faculty member Ken Douglas reflects on publishing his book about optogenetics just as the field earned this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

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Aaron Young (PhDPhys’24) wins Theodore Hänsch Prize from Optica

Kirsten Apodaca — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 18:51:45 +0000

Aaron Young (PhDPhys’24) wins Theodore Hänsch Prize from Optica Kirsten Apodaca Mon, 10/12/2026 - 12:51

�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder alumnus Aaron Young (PhDPhys’24) is the 2026 recipient of Optica’s Theodore Hänsch Prize in quantum optics.

The prestigious prize is awarded to early-career scientists for pioneering research on quantum technologies with goals of advancing basic research with meaningful global impact and transitioning ideas into commercial ventures.

Young was selected “for his work with ultrafast and high-resolution spatial light modulation for cold atoms,” according to Optica.

Named in honor of Nobel Laureate and Optica Honorary Member Theodor W. Hänsch, the prize is funded by Hamamatsu Photonics, MenloSystems, and Thorlabs. Young is the second �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder alum to receive the award, following Raghavendra Srinivas (PhDPhys’20) who was selected in 2024.

Young completed his PhD in physics in 2024 under the mentorship of Professor and JILA Fellow Adam Kaufman, and he is now a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard University.

�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder alumnus Aaron Young (PhDPhys’24) is the 2026 recipient of Optica’s Theodore Hänsch Prize in quantum optics, a prestigious prize awarded to early-career scientists for pioneering research on quantum technologies.

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Recent grad heads to Washington to help shape quantum policy

Kirsten Apodaca — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 20:16:18 +0000

Recent grad heads to Washington to help shape quantum policy Kirsten Apodaca Wed, 08/05/2026 - 14:16

Kirsten Apodaca

Joey Pontiff (Phys’26) is taking his physics and political science education to the nation’s capital this summer, working for the Commission on Quantum Primacy — a national initiative focused on supporting U.S. leadership in quantum technologies. The position is hosted by the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP) and places Pontiff at the intersection of science, industry and policy. Right where he wants to be.

Led by Senators Todd Young and Ben Ray Luján, who co-chair the commission, the group brings together influential figures in the quantum realm, including leaders from national laboratories, large technology companies and quantum startups.

It's exciting to see how industry, academia and government all have to work together," says Pontiff. "For quantum to succeed, you need all three."

Pontiff started this summer as an intern but soon after was offered a full-time role as Associate Director of Future Technology Platforms with a focus on quantum, AI for science, talent and workforce.

In this role, Pontiff uses his technical background to provide insights and translate technical needs into policy recommendations for the commission. He also helps develop recommendations on building an ecosystem of quantum talent and on innovative applications of quantum technology.

"It's exciting to see how industry, academia and government all have to work together," says Pontiff. "For quantum to succeed, you need all three."

A Quantum Scholars connection

Pontiff initially landed the internship from a connection made with SCSP through Quantum Scholars, a �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder program that encourages undergraduates to learn more about quantum science and the growing quantum industry.

He first met Ryan Carpenter, special advisor for SCSP, when Carpenter spoke to the scholars last year. Pontiff continued building on that relationship by attending the AI+ Expo supported by SCSP and staying connected afterward.

Earlier this spring, Pontiff was considering taking a gap year after graduation, but he reached out to Carpenter for advice about the science policy world.

Having completed a political science minor alongside his physics degree, Pontiff says he has always been fascinated by policy. Public service also runs in his family. His great-great-grandfather served in the U.S. Senate and several other relatives have led careers in government.

As quantum technologies continue to advance, Pontiff sees an increasing need for scientists who can bridge the gap between technical expertise and public policy.

Soon after interviewing with SCSP, he got the internship offer and quickly made plans to start the summer in Washington, D.C.

Being engaged

One piece of advice Pontiff emphasizes is being engaged in whatever you do.

“I’ve had some of the best experiences and made many wonderful friends from the times I have been most engaged,” he says.

Initially, he joined Quantum Scholars because he wanted to meet other students and learn more about the field, but Pontiff became a key leader of the program, serving as chair of the student-led executive board over the past year.

Pontiff was a key force behind the program launching social meetings in addition to the regular programming. He played a pivotal role in establishing the Alice and Bob mentoring program and helped organize the Physics and Quantum Research Expo.

“Quantum Scholars has been such a gratifying experience in my college career,” he says. “I’ve built so many connections that I will carry with me.”

Building community in the great outdoors

One of Pontiff’s big takeaways from college has been the importance of building community, and for him, that extended beyond the classroom.

After a difficult start to his college career at the University of Washington, Pontiff transferred to �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder and got involved in many communities across campus. He joined several recreation clubs but soon realized he wanted to meet more people interested in adventure sports. Together with fellow student and former Quantum Scholar Tyler Kivelson, they founded the Big Mountain Club, bringing together adventure-seekers who support each other on achieving their next big goal.

What began as a small group of outdoor enthusiasts has grown into a thriving community of over 200 members connected through GroupMe. The club connects backcountry skiers, climbers, trail runners, mountain bikers, whitewater rafters and other athletes looking to challenge themselves and support each other.

“We wanted to form a community of like-minded people who wanted to push themselves and find their limits,” says Pontiff.

A life-changing fall

One of the most transformative experiences during Pontiff’s college career came very unexpectedly.

In the summer of 2024, just before the fall semester was set to begin, he suffered a traumatic brain injury during a rock-climbing accident in Clear Creek Canyon. He remembers the feeling of falling and then waking up to a team of EMTs rushing him into an ambulance. The fall fractured several vertebrae and resulted in a subdural hematoma.

His recovery was long and difficult. Pontiff spent weeks sleeping up to 18 hours a day and struggled with vision problems that required special tinted glasses and several hours of eye therapy every day.

Despite the challenge, he decided to stay enrolled instead of stepping away from school. “When something like that happens, it gives you massive clarity on what truly matters in life,” he says.

With the help of meditation and craniosacral therapy, Pontiff continued his studies while recovering.

Earlier this summer, he returned to outdoor climbing and summitted the Second Flatiron in Boulder, marking his first climb since the accident.

“You don’t know how much you enjoy things until you go without them,” says Pontiff. “And you don’t know what you’re capable of until you’ve crawled out of the depths. But I wouldn’t trade the journey for anything.”

Chasing the wind and turning into the storm

Looking ahead, Pontiff isn’t certain where his career will take him. Instead of mapping the future out, he’s learning as much as he can, exploring, and listening to what the world tells him. Or as he puts it, “chasing the wind,” a nod to one of his favorite books, The Name of the Wind.

No matter what lies ahead, his personal philosophy is to face challenges head on.

“When a storm is coming, bison don’t run away from it,” he says. “They turn directly into the storm because they know it’s the fastest way through.”

For students facing challenges, his advice is simple: “If there’s an obstacle in front of you, don’t run from it. Turn into it. Really engage with it. That’s the fastest way to get through it and that’s how you learn the most.”

Joey Pontiff with his family at graduation in front of the Duane Physics building.

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In Memoriam: Stephen Halley White (Phys’63)

Kirsten Apodaca — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 20:13:53 +0000

In Memoriam: Stephen Halley White (Phys’63) Kirsten Apodaca Wed, 07/08/2026 - 14:13

Stephen Halley White, a �鶹��Ѱ�� alumnus and pioneering biophysicist, passed away on May 31, 2026.

White earned his bachelor’s degree in physics from �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder in 1963. As an undergraduate, he held several pivotal research positions: working in Professor Walter Tantilla’s lab as an NMR electronics technician, helping Professor Donald Burckhardt develop a speech-synthesizing system, and studying the development of a liquid-state laser with Professor Seth Mizushima.

He went on to earn both his master’s and doctoral degrees at the University of Washington. After serving as an Army captain, White completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Virginia.

In 1972, White joined the faculty at the University of California Irvine as a founding member of the Department of Physiology and Biophysics. He led a research program in membrane biophysics, connecting physical chemistry and biophysics with molecular cell biology.

Throughout his career, White made significant contributions to the Biophysical Society through numerous leadership roles, including service as president from 1996 to 1997. He received the society’s Distinguished Service Award in 1999 and was named a fellow in 2002.

In 2013, White and his wife Jackie Dooley established an award at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder to recognize exceptional undergraduate physics research projects—a tribute to the research experiences that had such a profound impact on him as a student. The Stephen Halley White Undergraduate Research Award is presented annually to two students and is one of the highest honors for physics and engineering physics undergraduates.

“Steve approached me when I was chair to establish this award because he felt his undergraduate research at �鶹��Ѱ��played a foundational role in his distinguished career,” says Paul Beale, professor and former chair of physics. “He and Jackie were always impressed by the outstanding students who received the Stephen Halley White Undergraduate Research Award. I will miss my dear friend.”

View UC Irvine's memoriam for Stephen Halley White

Recent Stephen Halley White Award Recipients

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Alexander Aeppli (PhDPhys’25) receives Deborah Jin thesis award

Kirsten Apodaca — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 12:58:01 +0000

Alexander Aeppli (PhDPhys’25) receives Deborah Jin thesis award Kirsten Apodaca Thu, 06/11/2026 - 06:58

Kirsten Apodaca

Physics alumnus Alexander Aeppli (PhDPhys’25) is the recipient of this year’s Deborah Jin Award for Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Research, a national honor awarded by the Division of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics (DAMOP) of the American Physical Society. Aeppli received the award at the annual DAMOP meeting held June 1-5, 2026, in Providence, Rhode Island.

The Deborah Jin Award recognizes outstanding doctoral-level research in the areas of atomic, molecular or optical physics. Originally established in 1992, it was endowed and renamed in 2016 in honor of the late Deborah Jin, former JILA fellow and adjoint professor of physics at the �鶹��Ѱ��, for her outstanding contributions to the field.

Aeppli was selected “for pioneering work that pushes the frontier of coherence times and measurement precision in optical lattice clocks,” according to the award citation.

“It’s a wonderful honor to receive this award in recognition of my PhD,” said Aeppli. “I have looked up to many of the past thesis prize winners, so joining their ranks is indeed humbling.”

Aeppli completed his doctoral research with Professor and JILA Fellow Jun Ye, whom he credits for providing “consistent guidance and support.” While this is nominally an individual award, Aeppli said it represents a collective effort.

“I would not have received this award if I did not have the support of this excellent department, the wealth of knowledge and community at JILA, and many brilliant mentors and peers,” he said.

Now working as a quantum engineer at Atom Computing, Aeppli is building quantum computers using many of the same techniques he learned during his PhD.

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Hanqing Zhao (PhDPhys’25) awarded prestigious Glenn H. Brown Prize

Kirsten Apodaca — Wed, 27 May 2026 21:20:22 +0000

Hanqing Zhao (PhDPhys’25) awarded prestigious Glenn H. Brown Prize Kirsten Apodaca Wed, 05/27/2026 - 15:20

Kirsten Apodaca

Ivan Smalyukh and Hanqing Zhao

Recent PhD graduate Hanqing Zhao was awarded the prestigious 2025 Glenn H. Brown Prize from the International Liquid Crystal Society (ILCS). The award is presented to recent doctoral graduates whose theses demonstrate an “outstanding contribution to the science of liquid crystals.” Zhao will be recognized for the award at the upcoming International Liquid Crystal Conference in June 2026.

Zhao, who is now a postdoctoral associate at the International Institute for Sustainability with Knotted Chiral Meta Matter at Hiroshima University, completed his PhD at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder in 2025 under the mentorship of Ivan Smalyukh, professor of physics and RASEI fellow.

Zhao’s research focused on creating and observing particle-like structures known as topological solitons and time crystals in liquid crystal systems. With external force, these structures can organize into ordered states, forming not only spatial crystals, but also “crystals in time,” known as time crystals, explains Zhao.

Among many contributions, Zhao was lead author on a highly publicized paper in Nature Materials last fall, which described the creation of a time crystal visible to humans. This work was featured by �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder Today.

“I would like to thank my advisor, whose guidance made it possible for me to carry out this exciting work during my PhD,” says Zhao. “Receiving this award is a wonderful encouragement and a very meaningful start to my research career. It also motivates me to continue contributing to the liquid crystal community in the future.”

Zhao is the third graduate from the Smalyukh Group to receive the prize, joining Benny Tai (2022) and Angel Martinez (2016).

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Distinguished alumnus John Richardson (Phys'42) passes away at 104

Kirsten Apodaca — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 17:08:31 +0000

Distinguished alumnus John Richardson (Phys'42) passes away at 104 Kirsten Apodaca Mon, 04/06/2026 - 11:08

Kirsten Apodaca

John M. Richardson (Phys’42), distinguished alumnus from the �鶹��Ѱ��, passed away on January 18, 2026, at the age of 104.

Richardson was a 2002 recipient of the George Norlin Award, the highest honor conferred by the university’s alumni association, in recognition of his distinguished career in telecommunications, information technology and related fields. The George Norlin Award recognizes outstanding alumni who have demonstrated a long-lasting commitment to excellence in their professional career and a devotion to the betterment of society and their communities.

Richardson earned his bachelor of arts degree in physics at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder in 1942. Following his undergraduate studies, he enrolled in the physics PhD program at Harvard University. While at Harvard, he interrupted his studies to serve in the Navy during World War II, then returned to complete his PhD in physics in 1951.

He began his professional career back in Boulder, as the deputy director for radio standards at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) where he supervised the development of the first atomic clock and the transition to the international atomic time standard. In 1964, he was awarded a gold medal for service from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Richardson later held a series of leadership positions at the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C., contributing to high-profile efforts including national security telecommunications, international audio broadcasting, supercomputer performance and electronic email.

In 1991, Richardson joined the faculty of the University of Maryland, University College, where he taught courses in telecommunication policy and the foundations of information technology. In 1996, he became Chair of the Department of Information and Telecommunications Studies. In 2002, Richardson won the President’s award for distinguished service at the University of Maryland.

In recognition of his professional and scientific contributions, Richardson was elected a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, the American Physical Society, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

"John had a keen intellect, loved science and engineering, and highly valued his education at CU,” said John Cumalat, professor of physics and former chair of the physics department.

In 2002, Richardson retired and moved back to Boulder, but he was very active during retirement. Cumalat recalled having lunch with him at Chatauqua several years ago. Richardson was 100 at the time and had driven himself to the restaurant.

“He kept up with department events, attended George Gamow dinners and public lectures, and was a long-time loyal donor to the university and department,” added Cumalat. “He was a remarkable individual.”

View Richardson's Obituary

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Mark Saffman (PhDPhys'94) awarded 2026 APS Ramsey Prize

Kirsten Apodaca — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 16:31:50 +0000

Mark Saffman (PhDPhys'94) awarded 2026 APS Ramsey Prize Kirsten Apodaca Fri, 11/07/2025 - 09:31

�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder alum Mark Saffman (PhDPhys'94) has been awarded the American Physical Society's 2026 Norman F. Ramsey Prize in Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics, and in Precision Tests of Fundamental Laws and Symmetries. Saffman is the Johannes Rydberg Professor of Physics and director of the Wisconsin Quantum Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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Josephine Meyer (PhDPhys’25) awarded 2025 Boeing Quantum Creators Prize

Kirsten Apodaca — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 17:19:28 +0000

Josephine Meyer (PhDPhys’25) awarded 2025 Boeing Quantum Creators Prize Kirsten Apodaca Thu, 10/09/2025 - 11:19

Josie Meyer

Kirsten Apodaca

Josie Meyer

Recent graduate Josephine Meyer (PhDPhys’25) has been named a recipient of the prestigious Boeing Quantum Creators Prize. The national award recognizes early-career researchers who have pushed the field of quantum information science and engineering in new directions.

According to the list of prior recipients, Meyer is the first to receive the award specifically for quantum education and ethics research.

Meyer’s research focuses on the teaching and learning of quantum computing and quantum information science. Her underlying goal is to ensure the coming generation of quantum researchers receive the education they need to succeed both professionally and personally.

Meyer is also an internationally recognized advocate for the responsible development of quantum technologies. She promotes holistic approaches to education that prepare students not only to design, but to think critically, about the technologies they’re developing.

“Receiving this award is a powerful acknowledgement that the work I’m doing in quantum education and ethics is just as important – and just as much “quantum” – as the people building quantum devices or developing algorithms,” said Meyer.

Bethany Wilcox, associate professor of physics and Meyer’s research advisor, described Meyer’s impact on developing the field of quantum information science (QIS) education. “Josie’s early work was critical to establishing quantum information science education research as a solid and impactful educational research tradition,” said Wilcox.

Image Credit: Chicago Quantum Exchange

When the field was emerging, research was scattered across many disciplinary journals with little collaboration. To address this, Meyer routinely published outside her home discipline of physics education research and became an “instrumental leader in forging a dedicated international QIS education research community,” according to Wilcox.

Although her postdoctoral fellowship was cancelled due to a National Science Foundation grant termination, Meyer is making strides – continuing to publish research and receiving broad recognition for her work. Working closely with her professional network and collaborators at George Mason University, Meyer says this year might be her most productive yet in terms of scholarly work.

The Boeing Quantum Creators Prize carries a monetary honorarium, and Meyer will be recognized along with this year’s recipients at the annual Chicago Quantum Summit, taking place Nov. 3-4.

Recent graduate Josephine Meyer has been named a recipient of the prestigious Boeing Quantum Creators Prize. The national award recognizes early-career researchers who have pushed the field of quantum information science and engineering in new directions.

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