Quantum science and technology, like many STEM fields, must make significant strides to improve the gender diversity of its students, researchers, and industry workforce. Doing so can ensure that this emerging field attracts the full range of talent, while also bringing new perspectives to the field and enhancing broader economic and social equality. Join this discussion led by several women working in quantum and related STEM fields to learn more about their professional experiences, and the institutional programs and exciting youth initiatives that are changing the face of quantum.
Program
- 10:00am – Opening remarks
- 10:10am – Navigating Swiss and US quantum as a woman: Prof. Yiwen Chu (ETH Zurich)
- 10:20am – Fixing the leaky pipeline in STEM: Prof. Bernadette Spieler (PH Zurich)
- 10:30am – K-12 quantum education innovation: Kiera Peltz (The Coding School)
- 10:40am – Moderated discussion with Q&A
- 11:10am – Breakout rooms networking with the panelists
- 11:30am – End of event
iCal / Outlook
Event start time
-
Boston
10:00AM
Speakers
-
Bio
Prof. Yiwen Chu
Assistant Professor, Hybrid Quantum Systems, ETH ZurichAfter completing her undergraduate studies at MIT, Chu pursued her Ph.D. in quantum optics with nitrogen vacancy center at Harvard in the group of Prof. Mikhail Lukin. Wanting to try out a different quantum system, she worked on circuit QED as a postdoc in the group of Prof. Rob Schoelkopf at Yale. Through collaborations with the group of Prof. Peter Rakich (also at Yale), Chu also added quantum acoustics and optomechanics to her repertoire.
Since 2018 Prof. Chu has been a tenure track Assistant Professor of Hybrid Quantum Systems at the ETH Zurich. Her research focuses on exploring new materials, designs and geometries for developing superconducting qubits and cavities. Her experiments have demonstrated the entanglement of individual electron spins with photons in a solid state system based on nitrogen vacancy centers in diamond. She has also gained international recognition for developing a new system of coupling superconducting qubits to mechanical resonators. -
Bio
Prof. Bernadette Spieler
PH ZurichBernadette Spieler is Professor for Computing Skills in Education at the Zurich University of Teacher Education in Switzerland. Spieler received her PhD in 2018 from the Institute for Software Development at Graz University of Technology. Her current research interests include basic computer science education, AI didactics, maker education, programming concepts, game design and software development. Her work is focused on how to engage teenagers in playful computer science activities, with the dedication to enhance the experiences of girls in particular.
-
Bio
Kiera Peltz
Founder, The Coding SchoolKiera Peltz is Executive Director of Qubit by Qubit (QxQ), a nonprofit initiative of The Coding School focused on training the future diverse quantum workforce. To date, QxQ has trained over 20,000 K-16 students and educators, as well as current members of the workforce, from 125 countries. With a focus on diversity and inclusion, over 55% of students are from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds in STEM. Kiera is also the Founder and CEO of The Coding School, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to training the next generation in emerging technologies. Kiera graduated magna cum laude from Brown University and holds masters degrees from the University of Cambridge and Tsinghua University. She is a Gates-Cambridge Scholar, Schwarzman Scholar, and on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 for Social Impact.
Moderator
-
Bio
Sebâ Topuz
Academic Engagement Associate, Swissnex in Boston and New YorkAs an Academic Engagement Associate, Sebâ supports the Swissnex team in connecting the Swiss higher education ecosystem to academic partners on the East Coast. Prior to joining Swissnex, Sebâ worked as a project assistant at the University of Bern and is an M.A. Candidate in Public Management and Policy at the KPM Center for Public Management. Before that, she majored in Political Science at the University of Zurich and focused her research and work on the strategic management of higher education and public organizations.
WorldQuantumDay
This event is a part of World Quantum Day on April 14.
The World Quantum Day is a bottom-up initiative aiming at promoting the public understanding of Quantum Science and Technology around the World.