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2025 Nobel Laureate in physics once served as a graduate student mentor at CU Boulder

Kirsten Apodaca — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 20:56:36 +0000

2025 Nobel Laureate in physics once served as a graduate student mentor at CU Boulder Kirsten Apodaca Thu, 10/09/2025 - 14:56

Like many rockstar scientists, 2025 physics Nobel Laureate John Martinis spent time in Boulder’s rich scientific ecosystem mentoring graduate students and inspiring others in quantum computing.

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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

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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Building the quantum workforce of the future: A new study seeks the way

Kirsten Apodaca — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 16:11:50 +0000

Building the quantum workforce of the future: A new study seeks the way Kirsten Apodaca Wed, 10/01/2025 - 10:11

A team of physicists and education researchers including Professor and JILA Fellow Heather Lewandowski and Postdoctoral Research Associate Shams El-Adawy, is spearheading the largest study of its kind exploring how the United States can meet the needs of the rapidly growing quantum technology industry.

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A summer of research at CU Boulder

Kirsten Apodaca — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 23:20:00 +0000

A summer of research at CU Boulder Kirsten Apodaca Mon, 09/22/2025 - 17:20

Kirsten Apodaca

This summer, 10 undergraduates came to CU Boulder from across the country to conduct cutting-edge research through the CU Boulder Physics and JILA Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program.

Now in its 38th year on the Boulder campus, the program is part of a nationwide network of sites funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), designed to provide hands-on research experiences for undergraduates. Students are matched with faculty mentors in physics or a related discipline and spend 10 weeks engaged in a research project.

“The program's core mission is to educate and train the next generation of physicists by providing valuable research experience that is essential for students aiming to attend grad school or for those looking for a competitive edge in the job market,” said Mike Litos, associate professor of physics and principal investigator for the REU program.

Along with Litos, Christine Morrow and Professor Dan Dessau serve as co-principal investigators for the program, providing support and guidance for the program’s ongoing success.

This summer’s REU cohort explored a broad range of research areas including atomic, molecular and optical physics, condensed matter, liquid crystals, plasma physics, and nano-optics.

“We pride ourselves in our record of offering these opportunities to many students coming from institutions that may have limited or no research programs of their own,” said Litos.

In addition to research, REU students participated in professional development activities including courses in machining and electronics, seminars, and lab tours. “Our program goes beyond the laboratory experience by incorporating broadly useful training and skill-building sessions to prepare them for a future as research professionals,” added Litos.

The program culminated with a day of lab tours and presentations, where each student put their research on display. And after their summer of research, these students left Boulder with new skills, lasting connections, and a deeper understanding of what it means to be a scientist.

Check out some photos from this year's REU lab tours:

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From Quantum Physics to Quantitative Finance

Kirsten Apodaca — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 16:09:24 +0000

From Quantum Physics to Quantitative Finance Kirsten Apodaca Mon, 09/22/2025 - 10:09

Kirsten Apodaca

To alumnus Gal Weitz (EngrPhys, ApMath’22), Boulder was a “dream destination” for undergrad. Now working in quantitative finance, Weitz shares how his education at CU Boulder set him up for success in the finance world.

Finding his path

After spending several years in the military, Weitz had to decide what to study. “I remembered that the only two subjects I truly enjoyed in high school were physics and math. That was my sign,” he said.

An avid cyclist who competed for the Israel National Cycling Team, Boulder provided the perfect setting for Weitz to complete his undergraduate studies –– a “world-class” physics department and a bike-friendly environment.

Weitz was at CU during the COVID pandemic, which disrupted the traditional college experience with a sudden shift to virtual learning. For many students it was a difficult transition.

“I felt so lucky to be a physics student,” Weitz said. “Our professors were so dedicated –– hand-writing perfect notes on iPads during lectures instead of using pre-written PDFs or PowerPoints. It felt just like a normal lecture with a good old blackboard, minus the breaks to mop the boards which were so satisfying to watch.”

Discovering research

At CU, Weitz explored several research areas before landing on quantum computing.

He conducted research in condensed matter physics with Professor Dan Dessau where he worked on experimental hardware for superconducting materials. He then shifted to experimental quantum information with the Kaufman Group before settling into a focus on quantum computing with Professor Joshua Combes.

In the Combes group, Weitz developed a novel probabilistic algorithm which achieved superior performance over conventional benchmarking techniques in quantum optimization algorithms.

Weitz earned summa cum laude for his undergraduate honors thesis titled “A Classical Performance Benchmarking Scheme for the Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm.”

His work from that research group was recently published in Physical Review A, with Weitz as first author.

Pivoting to finance

Until late in his junior year, Weitz was set on pursuing a PhD in physics. That is until he discovered “the dark side” of quantitative finance.

“Like many math and physics majors, I was drawn to solving hard quantitative problems,” said Weitz. But at that point it was too late in the recruiting cycle to land a full-time role after graduation.

Weitz pivoted. After graduating in 2022, he worked as an NLP Software Engineer at Magnifi, a tech company in Boulder, while applying to graduate schools.

He went on to complete a master’s degree in financial engineering at Baruch College. He completed an internship at AQR Capital Management, a global investment management firm, where he now works as a Portfolio Implementation and Research Analyst.

A day-to-day in quantitative finance

Weitz says he spends about 50% of his time on portfolio management, 45% on coding, and 5% in meetings.

“On the portfolio management side, I help rebalance portfolios through a quantitative optimization process — aligning them with our signals, risk models, and constraints — and send the trades to the execution team. On the coding side, I work on projects to improve our systems or implement new capabilities that help us analyze how portfolios and signals behave in real-world conditions. This often involves applying math and economics concepts to develop analytical tools. I also collaborate closely with researchers to implement new strategies and with software engineers to integrate our code into production systems.”

Advice for aspiring quants

For anyone looking to get into quantitative finance, Weitz recommends taking electives in applied math and statistics. He adds, “concepts from Markov Chains, Applied Regression, and Mathematical Statistics show up constantly in interviews and on the job.”

Weitz says the interview process usually involves multiple rounds starting with coding and brainteasers.

“Start practicing on LeetCode as early as freshman year, buy the “green book” and learn it inside and out, take the introductory C++ courses offered at CU, and avoid relying on ChatGPT right away. Try to solve problems yourself first, then use it to check and learn from your mistakes.”

Weitz adds having a few technical projects you can discuss in detail, and a computationally focused internship or research experience as a strong resume booster.

Biggest life lesson & final advice

Weitz said “it’s natural to focus on what’s next — the next role, the next milestone — but it’s just as important to pause and appreciate where you are now and what you’ve accomplished. Your past efforts built the person you are today. And above all, make time for family and friends.”

When asked about advice for current or future students, he emphasized that difficult things will inevitably come. “Develop a tendency to embrace them and push through them,” he said. “Like my old unit’s motto, ‘who dares wins’ – dare yourself to take on challenges, and you’ll develop a lifelong winner’s mindset.”

To students at CU, Weitz says “you are in a great place. I would go back in time to sit in your seats in a heartbeat. Sko Buffs!”

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Space instrument launches to collect stardust

Kirsten Apodaca — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 15:56:32 +0000

Space instrument launches to collect stardust Kirsten Apodaca Mon, 09/22/2025 - 09:56

IDEX, the interstellar dust experiment, is scheduled to launch aboard NASA's IMAP mission on Wednesday, Sept. 24. Professor and LASP Scientist Mihály Horányi serves as the IDEX Instrument Lead.

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CU Boulder spinout Infleqtion to go public with $1.8b valuation

Kirsten Apodaca — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 18:07:44 +0000

CU Boulder spinout Infleqtion to go public with $1.8b valuation Kirsten Apodaca Wed, 09/17/2025 - 12:07

Infleqtion, a CU Boulder quantum technology spinout founded by Professor and JILA Fellow Dana Anderson, has announced a merger to go public, becoming the 10th "unicorn company" out of CU Boulder.

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Daily Camera: CU space dust device to study origins, evolution of solar system

Kirsten Apodaca — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 19:57:19 +0000

Daily Camera: CU space dust device to study origins, evolution of solar system Kirsten Apodaca Tue, 09/16/2025 - 13:57

Professor Mihály Horányi is the principal investigator of IDEX, a space dust instrument built at CU Boulder's Laboratory of Atmospheric and Space Physics that will launch on board a NASA spacecraft on Sept. 23.

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Physicists have created a new 'time crystal'—it won't power a time machine, but it could have many other uses

Kirsten Apodaca — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 16:15:17 +0000

Physicists have created a new 'time crystal'—it won't power a time machine, but it could have many other uses Kirsten Apodaca Fri, 09/05/2025 - 10:15

A team at CU Boulder including physics graduate student Hanqing Zhao and Professor Ivan Smalyukh, have made a curious state of matter in which particles move constantly—like a clock with hands and gears that spin forever, even without electricity to keep them going.

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Twice a Buff: Kerrie Ellzey’s path to physics

Kirsten Apodaca — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 15:44:06 +0000

Twice a Buff: Kerrie Ellzey’s path to physics Kirsten Apodaca Thu, 09/04/2025 - 09:44

Kirsten Apodaca

Returning to college for a second degree takes grit and determination – and Kerrie Ellzey (Psyc’12, Phys’17) had both.

After completing her degree in psychology from CU Boulder, Ellzey taught preschool for several years before deciding to make a change. In high school, she loved physics and missed the sciences.

“I specifically wanted to study physics because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do as a career, but I wanted to understand how the world worked at a very basic level,” she said.

That curiosity shaped not only her academic focus but also how she engaged with the CU Boulder community the second time around.

Reimagining the college experience

During her first bachelor’s degree, Ellzey wasn’t involved in many extracurriculars. Returning for a second degree allowed her to approach school differently. While an undergraduate in physics, she conducted undergraduate research and worked to improve community in the department.

“I completed an undergraduate honors thesis, got involved in CU-Prime, helped plan the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics, and volunteered on other community building efforts in the department,” said Ellzey.

Ellzey’s undergraduate research with Professor Alysia Marino focused on neutrinos – the most abundant and smallest particles with measurable mass in the universe.

As part of her research, Ellzey evaluated detector options used to monitor muons, a byproduct of creating the neutrino beam sent from Fermilab, a national laboratory that specializes in high-energy particle physics.

“We put commercial and prototype detectors into the beamline at Fermilab and compared their performance to simulated performance predictions. I did both the simulation analysis and the hardware data analysis.”

After defending her honors thesis and graduating with her second bachelor’s degree in physics, Ellzey looked to what was next for her career.

From academia to aerospace

She briefly worked at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) conducting arctic ice research before joining Ball Aerospace (now BAE Systems, Inc) as a material science engineer.

“Material science and detailed engineering was a fantastic way to become familiar with the company and technology, but after about a year I was feeling a desire to understand the larger context of what I was working on,” she said.

She then transferred into a tactical modeling and simulation group.

“I have had the incredible opportunity to create performance prediction models of RF Mission Systems and then attend flight and field test events that proved out the performance of these systems.”

She’s now expanding her work experience into a broader systems engineering role, but still with an emphasis on modeling and simulation as well as occasional test events. Ellzey also mentors earlier career engineers in performance prediction modeling and test data analysis, which she finds incredibly rewarding.

Her day-to-day in her current role varies depending on the project she’s working on.

“Sometimes I’m at a computer debugging code and crunching data, and sometimes I’m in a lab troubleshooting test hardware,” she said. “Every day I collaborate with folks from different disciplines, and periodically I make presentations and brief customers on the big picture impacts of our systems and their performance.”

Lessons from a non-traditional path

In a competitive job market, it’s not always enough to have the technical know-how.

“Show you are a well-rounded human and get technical work experience,” Ellzey advised.

As someone who now interviews others, she assumes candidates will have a research experience or internship. But those that also do something else with their time – like volunteering, leading a student organization, working as a learning assistant – are the ones that stand out.

Physics taught me how to persevere, self-teach, and gave me the technical foundation for a career in systems engineering.
- Kerrie Ellzey

“Those experiences help show that you will thrive in a team environment,” Ellzey added. “I didn’t put my preschool teacher work experience on my resume, but hiring managers asked about the gap in time. When I told them, that ended up being a huge selling point!”

Ellzey said she has frequently dealt with impostor syndrome because of her non-traditional career path and background. But after considering her collective experience, her mindset shifted.

“I realized all the seemingly random things I have done actually make me an asset to my team. Physics taught me how to persevere, self-teach, and gave me the technical foundation for a career in systems engineering. I also have the people skills to work well with folks of any background and that came from so many of the experiences and learning opportunities I had outside of the classroom,” said Ellzey.

Advice for future students

To make the most of your college experience, Ellzey recommends doing more than just going to class.

“College and early career can be difficult and isolating but having a community can help you be resilient during the challenges,” she said. “You will meet more people, be part of a larger community, and grow as a person.”

Ellzey’s journey is a testament to the power of curiosity and persistence. From her first degree at CU Boulder, to teaching preschool, pursuing physics, and now launching her career in aerospace – her path has led her to success. For students considering a second degree or a career change, her advice is simple: pursue your curiosity and embrace your unique experiences. They just might be your greatest strengths.

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