Alumni News

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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Chuankun Zhang (PhDPhys'25) wins 2025 Boeing Quantum Creators Prize

Kirsten Apodaca — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 19:15:06 +0000

Chuankun Zhang (PhDPhys'25) wins 2025 Boeing Quantum Creators Prize Kirsten Apodaca Thu, 09/25/2025 - 13:15

Chuankun Zhang (PhDPhys'25) has been named a recipient of the 2025 Boeing Quantum Creators Prize. This national honor recognizes early-career researchers whose work is propelling quantum science and engineering in bold new directions.

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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.”

�鶹��Ƶing 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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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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Recent grad reaches new heights in aerospace

Kirsten Apodaca — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 14:49:22 +0000

Recent grad reaches new heights in aerospace Kirsten Apodaca Thu, 07/17/2025 - 08:49

Andrew Sapuppo (AeroEngr, EngrPhys'24)

Andrew Sapuppo graduated in May 2024 with dual Bachelor of Science degrees in aerospace engineering and engineering physics from the �鶹��Ƶ. Learn more about his undergraduate research experiences, career path, favorite CU memory, and advice for future students.

From the nanoscale to black holes

While an undergrad, Andrew worked at the CU Aerospace Nanoscale Transport Modelling (CUANTAM) Laboratory with Professor Sanghamitra Negoi, where he contributed to improving the robustness of potential quantum computer storage systems. He also worked as a space plasma instrumentation analyst at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), where he evaluated the accuracy of instruments aboard NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale Satellites (MMS).

In addition to his engineering experience, Andrew wrote and successfully defended an honors thesis on Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) feedback and galaxy formation by simulating plasma accretion flows around supermassive black holes.

Career takes flight

After graduating from CU, Andrew became a computational plasma physicist at Thea Energy. Here, he helped develop technology for fusion reactors by optimizing diverter systems.

Now, Andrew works directly in the field of human spaceflight. He works as a propulsion systems engineer at NASA’s Marshall Spaceflight Center as a contractor. His work entails analyzing the Main Propulsion Systems (MPS) on the Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) of the Space Launch System (SLS) block 1B. Specifically, he creates thermal models of the liquid oxygen (LOx) and hydrogen tanks to benchmark performance for various stages of flight.

Additionally, Andrew oversees the main propulsion systems for the Commercial Crew Program (CCP) for SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. His work ensures Falcon 9 meets mission requirements to send NASA astronauts to the International Space Station safely.

Favorite CU Boulder memory

Andrew recalls his favorite memory was hiking to the Royal Arch the first weekend he moved there with people he barely knew. That group would become great friends throughout all of college.

Advice for future students

Get involved with as many different groups after school as possible, both academic and recreation based. Use them to really figure out what you like and surround yourself with people who have similar goals, so you can all help each other accomplish them.

Andrew Sapuppo (AeroEngr, EngrPhys’24) shares how his education and research at CU Boulder led to his career as a propulsion systems engineer.

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Jun Ye (PhDPhys'97) and Steve Swanson (EngrPhys'83) featured in Coloradan Alumni Magazine

Kirsten Apodaca — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 17:05:43 +0000

Jun Ye (PhDPhys'97) and Steve Swanson (EngrPhys'83) featured in Coloradan Alumni Magazine Kirsten Apodaca Tue, 07/15/2025 - 11:05

The Coloradan Alumni Magazine highlights five CU innovators – two of whom are CU Boulder Physics alumni. Their stories were written by equally outstanding CU affiliates, who personally know and understand the importance of their work.

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Two alums selected for Sandia distinguished fellowships

Kirsten Apodaca — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 13:59:35 +0000

Two alums selected for Sandia distinguished fellowships Kirsten Apodaca Tue, 07/01/2025 - 07:59

Kirsten Apodaca

CU Boulder Physics alums Olivia Krohn (PhDPhys’23) and Dan Herman (PhDPhys’22) have been awarded distinguished fellowships at Sandia National Laboratories. The prestigious fellowships are three-year appointments that support independent and groundbreaking research.

Hruby Fellow Olivia Krohn

Olivia Krohn (Photo by Randy Wong)

Krohn was awarded the Jill Hruby Postdoctoral Fellowship, named for the first woman to lead a national security lab. Krohn’s research focuses on molecular collisions, particularly at low energies. Her team employs advanced laser techniques which help control the velocity of molecules and measure the energy distribution after molecules collide.

Krohn completed her PhD in physics at CU Boulder in 2023 with Professor and JILA Fellow Heather Lewandowski. Her dissertation focused on trapping laser-cooled ions to perform and observe cold chemical reactions. She was also awarded the 2025 Justin Jankunas Doctoral Dissertation Award in Chemical Physics by the American Physical Society.

Truman Fellow Dan Herman

Dan Herman (Photo by Craig Fritz)

Herman received the President Harry S. Truman Postdoctoral Fellowship and is developing earth science and quantum applications of optical frequency combs. His research is both fundamental and has real-world applications by improving atmospheric remote sensing.

Herman conducted his doctoral research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), culminating in a PhD from CU Boulder in 2022. His research centered on improving fiber frequency comb technology and bridging those advances to industrial applications. Following his PhD, he held a postdoctoral position at NIST and with Professor Scott Diddams at CU Boulder.

Read more about Sandia’s 2025 distinguished fellows.

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Alum Dan Cole (PhDPhys'18) reflects on research experience at NIST

Kirsten Apodaca — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 18:48:59 +0000

Alum Dan Cole (PhDPhys'18) reflects on research experience at NIST Kirsten Apodaca Thu, 04/24/2025 - 12:48

Now a quantum physicist at Infleqtion, Dan Cole reflects on his experience conducting research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as part of CU’s Professional Research Experience Program (CU PREP).

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Sense of awe led alum to physics

Kirsten Apodaca — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 18:40:19 +0000

Sense of awe led alum to physics Kirsten Apodaca Thu, 04/03/2025 - 12:40

Kirsten Apodaca

Ben Chapman (PhDPhys'17)

Ben Chapman (PhDPhys’17) never had a master plan to be a physicist, but now he’s a Principal Quantum Hardware Manager at Microsoft.

Chapman says what he loves most about physics is “the sense of awe that comes from connecting with length, time, and energy scales that are far from the meters, seconds, and joules of the human experience.”

He majored in math and physics at Dartmouth College because he enjoyed the coursework. Following that sense of awe, after college he got a job in a physics lab and his boss encouraged him to apply to PhD programs. He recalls it wasn’t straightforward –because he didn’t take a conventional path to graduate school.

A world-class program in Boulder

“I chose CU because it’s in Boulder and the program is world-class. He added “it was a great decision.”

Chapman thrived at CU and made a lasting impact.

He completed his thesis on superconducting quantum circuits with Professor and JILA Fellow Konrad Lehnert, which he added was an incredible opportunity. “I feel so incredibly fortunate for the chance to have worked with Konrad,” Chapman said.

Chapman was also one of the original organizers of CU-Prime, a student-led organization aimed at building community and supporting undergraduates in physics. The group was formed in 2013 and is still flourishing, offering biweekly research talks, a 1-credit hour class for first-year undergraduate students, and a mentorship program.

Building a quantum computer

After finishing his PhD, Chapman spent four years as a postdoc at Yale with Professor Rob Schoelkopf before joining Microsoft.

In his current role, he manages a small team who develop the readout hardware for Microsoft’s quantum computer. He likens it to working as a postdoc; driving multiple projects, keeping the team motivated and excited, and helping them see how their efforts are advancing longer-term goals.

With many major tech companies racing to build a quantum computer, the job is high stakes, and Chapman has his sights set on the ultimate goal. “I want to build a rocket ship that goes to the moon – not a literal one – but the quantum computing version of that.”

Trusting the process

Professor and JILA Fellow Konrad Lehnert and Ben Chapman
at his thesis defense.

Chapman said one of his biggest career lessons so far has been to trust the process of ‘doing’ physics. “Even difficult problems can yield answers with persistence. It took me a while to learn that,” he said. At early stages of his career, he wondered “how will I have an idea that no one else has had before?”

“That feeling remained for many years through college and the beginning of graduate school,” he added. “But as you keep doing it, it gets easier and things that used to seem impossible become an everyday thing. You get better at plying the craft.”

He recalled a class he took at CU from Professor Noah Finkelstein on Teaching and Learning Physics, which introduced him to concepts in education like impostor syndrome and growth mindset. “Being able to have conversations around these topics and learn the vocabulary was very useful to me.”

Throughout his education and so far into his career, Chapman has leaned in to being comfortable with uncertainty. Through each phase, he’s trusting the process and holding on to the sense of awe that first drew him in.

Ben Chapman (PhDPhys’17) never had a master plan to be a physicist, but now he’s a Principal Quantum Hardware Manager at Microsoft.

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Alum Dave Steinmann (Phys'90) discovers a new species of pseudoscorpion

Kirsten Apodaca — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 15:57:45 +0000

Alum Dave Steinmann (Phys'90) discovers a new species of pseudoscorpion Kirsten Apodaca Wed, 03/26/2025 - 09:57

CU Boulder alum and experienced caver Dave Steinmann recently discovered a new species of pseudoscorpion in Mallory Cave, with a moniker honoring its namesake hometown.

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