New York University and SandboxAQ have joined forces to provide quantum education opportunities in response to the high demand for specialized talent in this emerging field. Quantum technologies offer significant opportunities for future STEM professionals, with transformative potential across various industries, including computing, telecommunications, finance, defense, healthcare, and more.
The advancement and application of quantum technology rely heavily on both the availability and development of a workforce. Without a current workforce, technological progress would come to a standstill, while without a potential workforce, future progress would cease. To address this, NYU and SandboxAQ have collaborated to design an undergraduate Quantum Technology Minor program at the Tandon School of Engineering. Tandon and SandboxAQ will be hosting an Educator Workshop on March 24-25, which will include lab and campus tours of NYU, meetings with students and faculty, and a closing dinner reception.
The workshop will be led by SandboxAQ's Head of Education Outreach, Dr. Marianna Bonanome, and Residency Program Manager, Dr. Kayla Quinnies, with co-leadership from Dr. John Di Bartolo, Chair of NYU Tandon's Applied Physics Department and Russell Ceballos, Director of Innovation at QuSTEAM and the Chicago Quantum Exchange.
SandboxAQ residents, including Quantum Sensing Resident Alison Rugar, Cryptography Software Engineering Resident Jason Goertzen, and AI Resident Brenda Miao, will be flying in from around the world to contribute their expertise towards creating the Minor Degree program. During the workshop, residents will present a survey of the latest Quantum Technology and AI industry trends. Postdoctoral AI Resident Constantijn van der Poel will also lead a design session focused on an NYU/SandboxAQ Hackathon planned for Fall 2023.
Russell Ceballos of QuSTEAM will co-present two breakout sessions during the workshop, leveraging his extensive experience in quantum education and QuSTEAM's inclusive approach. The sessions are designed to highlight current workforce opportunities available for quantum engineers, share best practices and models from existing undergraduate programs in quantum technology (QT), guide faculty and administrators in identifying and addressing barriers to success for a QT minor degree program, and support participants in designing their program. Additionally, Sanket Panda, Product Manager at IBM Quantum, will give an Introduction to Qiskit, and Qunnect, SandboxAQ's Strategic Investment Partner, will host workshop participants at their labs at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Ultimately, NYU educators will incorporate insights gained throughout the workshop, the strengths of the existing major degree programs and resources, and the university's mission in order to make Tandon’s undergraduate Quantum Technology Minor a leading program to educate tomorrow's quantum workforce. This partnership with NYU is part of SandboxAQ's educational outreach program, which includes university partnerships and student residencies. The program aims to foster collaboration between the private sector and academia to build a quantum future that everyone can benefit from.
