George Mason University was the only university representing Virginia at the 2023 Quantum World Congress (QWC) underscoring its commitment to quantum advancements. QSEC played a pivotal role in rallying faculty and students to make a strong showing and enrich the program of QWC.
The Quantum World Congress (QWC), an annual gathering that unites the global quantum ecosystem, including researchers, innovators, technology developers, legislators, industry experts, and students, commenced in 2022 with a mission to accelerate the value of the growing quantum industry. In a continuation of the existing initiative, the Congress returned to the Greater Washington region on September 26-28, 2023 at Capital One Hall in Tysons, Virginia.
Notably, George Mason University was the only university representing Virginia at QWC underscoring its commitment to quantum advancements. The transdisciplinary Mason Quantum Science & Engineering Center (QSEC) played a pivotal role in rallying faculty and students to make a strong showing and enrich the program of QWC.
Mason’s presence at QWC was evident throughout the program. President Gregory Washington delivered an opening keynote at the beginning of the Congress on September 26. Also on the QWC agenda, QSEC Education Director Jessica Rosenberg, associate professor in the College of Science, and QSEC Associate Education Director Nancy Holincheck, associate professor in the College of Education and Human Development, hosted a boot camp that equipped teachers with tools to make quantum education accessible in K-12 classrooms.
“Over the past couple of years, Mason hosted several boot camps and workshops providing K-12 teachers with an overview of what quantum is, why it is important, and where to find resources to integrate quantum concepts into classrooms,” Rosenberg said. Rosenberg also led the QWC panel discussion on Connecting Talent Development Pipelines.
Mason’s commitment to quantum innovation was further exemplified by the Mason I-Corps Immersive Quantum Cohorts, hosted by Mason Enterprise at QWC. This 3-session bootcamp facilitation guided Mason innovators in how to transform their ideas into market-ready solutions. The bootcamp focused on evidence-based idea evaluation, offering hands-on learning experience detailing how to begin to successfully nurture a fledgling idea into a more viable and implementable potential solution to benefit society.
Prior to this 2023 QWC, Mason Institute for Digital InnovAtion Executive Director, Kamaljeet Sanghera, and QSEC Director, Patrick Vora played pivotal roles in the organization of multiple QWC sessions, including the Quantum Domain Workshop and The Quantum Leap: Exploring Data Centers of the Future.
In summer 2023, QSEC launched the Pathway to Quantum Summer Immersion Program in partnership with Potomac Quantum Innovation Center (PQIC). This program provided paid internship opportunities to selected high school students around the Greater Washington region. Several of these students and their experiences were showcased at the Launch Pad on QWC. The poster presentations covered their experiences with a variety of topics, such as quantum materials, sensing, computing, and communication.
Mason QWC presence was substantial in the exhibition area. Nancy Holincheck and Fangyu Cao, QSEC Assistant Director of Research Operations, organized Mason’s booths which highlighted our education and research efforts. A total of fifteen QSEC faculty and students, including seven dedicated student volunteers and participants in the I-Corps bootcamp, staffed Mason’s booths over the course of the three-day congress. Visitors from industry and regional developments displayed significant interest in potential research collaborations on joint grant applications, shared facilities, full-time and part-time degree programs, as well as internship and workforce development opportunities.
Mason QSEC quantum research collaborations with regional developments also paved the way for translational economic development opportunities. Following the conclusion of QWC, a South Korean delegation of quantum technological companies and agencies visited the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA). Invited by FCEDA, Dr. Patrick Vora provided insights into Mason research and QSEC’s initiatives in quantum research and workforce development in the meeting before discussing potential translational quantum research and collaboration opportunities in Northern Virginia.
It is a busy and exciting time for quantum at Mason. In the academic year (AY) 2022-2023, QSEC’s research grants surged by an impressive 60% compared to the previous AY, a remarkable five-fold increase since QSEC inception in 2018.
On behalf of QSEC, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the many faculty, researchers, staff, students, and alumni for their outstanding contributions to the strong showing of Quantum@Mason at QWC, and we eagerly anticipate Mason’s continued leadership in the field of quantum in Virginia.