JILA News
To highlight the pivotal role of federal funding in advancing quantum research, the National Science Foundation (NSF) hosted its inaugural Quantum Showcase on Capitol Hill two weeks ago. The event highlighted the potential of government-funded quantum initiatives and included NSF-funded quantum researchers nationwide. JILA, a joint institute between the University of Colorado Boulder and NIST, was represented at the event by JILA Fellow and University of Colorado Boulder Physics Professor Heather Lewandowski and JILA graduate student Qizhong Liang, a member of JILA and NIST Fellow Jun Ye’s research group.
JILA and the University of Colorado Boulder's Department of Physics proudly announce two 2024 Physics Department Teaching Award recipients: JILA Fellow and NIST Fellow and Professor Eric Cornell and JILA Fellow and Professor John Bohn. These awards recognize their exceptional dedication to teaching and their profound impact on students at different levels of their academic journey.
JILA is thrilled to announce that Dr. Mitch Begelman, a JILA Fellow and esteemed professor in the Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder, has been elected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences. This prestigious honor is bestowed in recognition of his distinguished and ongoing contributions to original research in astrophysics.
Luke Coffman, a dedicated undergraduate research assistant at JILA, part of the University of Colorado Boulder, has been awarded the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship for the 2024 academic year. This award places Coffman among a select group of 438 students nationwide recognized for their significant achievements and potential in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics research.
Dr. Peter L. Bender, an esteemed experimental physicist and a foundational member of JILA (formerly the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics) at the University of Colorado Boulder, passed away recently, leaving behind a legacy marked by significant contributions to the fields of geophysics, astrophysics, and precision measurement.
As a JILA Fellow from 1963 to 1995 and later a Fellow Adjoint, Bender was deeply and actively involved in pioneering research that has shaped our understanding of the universe.
JILA undergraduate student Aaron Barrios has recently been honored with the prestigious Jacob Van Ek Scholarship, an accolade conferred by the University of Colorado Boulder College of Arts and Sciences to a select group of exceptional undergraduates. This year, Barrios is among 23 distinguished students to receive one of the college's highest honors, reflecting his outstanding contributions and academic excellence in the fields of Physics, Astronomy, and Mathematics.
At the 2024 Conference of World Affairs, held at the University of Colorado Boulder, two prominent figures in the Colorado quantum industry shared their insights into the rapidly evolving quantum technology landscape. Dana Anderson, a JILA Fellow, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ professor of Electrical Engineering, and the CSO of Infleqtion (previously ColdQuanta), joined forces with Corban Tillman-Dick, CEO and Founder of Maybell and chair of Elevate Quantum, a consortium of over 80 quantum-focused companies in Colorado.
Building on efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in physics, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ Department of Physics and JILA will host a Conference for Undergraduate Women and Gender Minorities in Physics (CU*iP) in January 2025. The conference will bring approximately 150 students from the Midwest region to Boulder.
The three-day regional conferences are sponsored by the American Physical Society (APS) and held annually at select institutions around the country. They are designed to provide professional development opportunities for undergraduate women and gender minorities through networking, keynote speakers, career advice, and graduate school sessions.
Dr. Xun Gao has been honored with the designation of JILA Fellow, highlighting his anticipated contributions to JILA’s research. In addition to his appointment as a JILA Fellow, the Department of Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder has added Gao as an Assistant Professor. His enthusiasm for the collaborative spirit that characterizes the JILA and ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ communities promises to bring fresh perspectives and innovative research to the forefront.
The Heising-Simons Foundation's Science program has announced a generous grant of $3 million over three years, aimed at bolstering theoretical and experimental research efforts to bridge the realms of Atomic, Molecular, and Optical (AMO) physics with quantum gravity theories. Among the recipients, a notable grant was awarded to a multi-investigator collaboration spearheaded by the University of Colorado Boulder (ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ) and JILA, a joint institute of ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).