Quantum Computing for the Quantum Curious

Ciaran Hughes received his PhD in Theoretical Physics from the University of Cambridge. Afterwards, he moved to the Theoretical Physics Division at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. His research involves understanding how the smallest particles in the universe talk to one another in order to create the world we live in. Particularly, his research includes calculating quantum phenomena associated with the strong force of nature using high performance computing and quantum computing. Utilizing these techniques, his research strives to find new particles and forces of nature which have never been seen before.

Joshua Isaacson obtained his undergraduate degree from Case Western Reserve University and his PhD from Michigan State University in physics. He is currently working as a postdoctoral researcher at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. His research interests are fairly broad, ranging from simulating events at the Large Hadron Collider to topics related to quantum computing. He became involved with quantum computing as a means to improve the algorithms used at the Large Hadron Collider.

Anastasia Perry earned her M.S. in Physics from Kiev University in Ukraine, where she did research in mathematical physics. She taught undergraduate physics labs at Rutgers University in New Jersey and Lewis University in Illinois. Anastasia completed her M.A. in Secondary Education, and during an internship at Fermilab she collaborated on developing high school modules for quantum computing. Currently, she teaches physics at Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. Anastasia is committed to supporting underrepresented students and engaging them in advanced topics in physics.

Ranbel Sun graduated from MIT with a B.S. and M.Eng in Electrical Engineering. She went on to teach high school physics and math at independent schools for 7 years, most recently at Phillips Academy in Andover. Her teaching philosophy focused on developing problem-solving skills and empowering students to take ownership over their learning. She introduced quantum computing into the high school classroom in 2019 and continues to pursue interests at the intersection of education and engineering.

Jessica Turner received her education in Glasgow and Durham (UK) before accepting a postdoctoral research position at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in 2017. She is currently a faculty member at the University of Durham. Her research interests include theoretical particle physics and cosmology and she is particularly fascinated by neutrinos which are the most elusive known particles.