News & Past Events
2025
International Year of Quantum (2025) Event Calendar
Mr.G Show Celebrates World Quantum Day with Light, Lasers, and the Mysterious World of Quantum
Bozeman-area students, teachers, parents and citizens were treated to a free science show on Wednesday, April 16, 2025 to celebrate World Quantum Day. The show featured sound, lasers, light, and the mysterious world of quantum science. Organizers stressed that no prior understanding of quantum was necessary to enjoy the show.
The show was performed by Glenn Govertsen, also known as Mr. G, a retiredphysics teacher from Missoula who has entertained audiences around the world withhis engaging science performances.The April 16 event is being organized by MSU’s Applied Quantum CORE – or QCORE -- and its education and workforce development team in the Science Math Resource Center.MSU’s QCORE has undertaken an ambitious research agenda with a focus on quantum computing, quantum sensing and quantum communications.QCORE is supported by funding from the Air Force Research Laboratory.
City of Bozeman honors World Quantum Day with mayoral proclamation
At the April 8, 2025 meeting of the Bozeman City Council, Bozeman Mayor Terry Cunningham
read a mayoral proclamation to celebrate World Quantum Day and the vibrant ecosystem
that surrounds the field of quantum technologies.
The proclamation recognized the long history of research and business development in the City of Bozeman and surrounding Gallatin Valley that has catalyzed the ever-growing community of entrepreneurs, educators, scientists and students. Mayor Cunningham also lauded quantum's capacity to excite and engage the next generation of innovators, engineers and scientists, and encouraged residents, schools, businesses and the broader community to participate in activities that highlight the significance of quantum science and its role in shaping the future.
You can watch Mayor Cunningham's reading of the proclamation as Agenda Item H of the Bozeman City Council meeting recording on April 8, 2025. The mayor also read the proclamation at a spring social gathering hosted by Montana State University's QCORE and the Montana Photonics and Quantum Alliance.
Science Olympiad 2025 celebrates quantum
Opportunities to learn about quantum technologies were sprinkled throughout the Science
Olympaid 2025 state tournament held at Montana State University on March 4, 2025.
Kicking off the festivities was STEM Night at the Museum of the Rockies, featuring
a booth with demonstrations led by Dr. Krishna Rupavatharam, QCORE's Chief Technology
Officer; Molly Iversen, Youth Quantum Outreach Leader from the Science Math Resource
Center, as well as future science teachers from the Department of Education who are
earrning their Quantum awareness badge.
On tournament day, keynote speaker Luke Colberg of the MSU Optics and Photonics Society extolled the wonders of science as he recounted his own career path and encouraged the students to consider all the amazing discoveries to be made -- from gene editing to quantum computing to life on other planets. Later in the day, students in the Talks & Tours program could attend "Introduction to Quantum Science," a talk from MSU's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. All activities honored 2025 as the International Year of Quantum.
Inclusive Community Camp hosts QuantumQuest
Inclusive Community Camp, or ICC, is an MSU camp that serves students with a range
of abilities, such as Down Syndrome.
For the past few years, the camp has been incorporating STEAM (STEM + the Arts), and the Summer 2024 theme was quantum.
Students took part in a variety of activities and visited the Montana Nanotechnoloy Facility and spent time with the MSU Optics and Photonics Society. The camp was sponsored by QCORE. Read more about QuantumQuest.
2024
Quantum State Convening - Oct. 11, 2024
MSU's Science Math Resource Center, together with the Montana Work-based Learning Initiative, hosted New Frontiers in Quantum and Emerging Technologies on Oct. 11, 2024. This statewide convening brought together K-12 educators, higher education professionals, industry partners, and state and local government to learn about and share opportunities driving future economic and career pathways in Montana.
To learn more and watch videos of keynote talks and panel discussions, visit the New Frontiers in Quantum and Emerging Technologies convening website.
Read Action Steps for Montana, a report-out from the statewide convening
Quantum Under the Big Sky: Workforce Development report
Published in August 2024 and authored by Jason Yager, executive director of the Montana Photonics and Quantum Industry Alliance, this 12-page report outlines the state of the workforce in quantum and quantum-adjacent
industries in Montana as well as an overview of the educational pathways that prepare
Montanans for jobs in this emerging industry. The report also includes current gaps
as well as opportunities for future growth.
The report is available for free download, with printed reports available through MSU later in August 2024. The report was commissioned by MSU's Applied Quantum CORE (QCORE), which is supported by the Air Force Research Laboratory. For more information, email QuantumEducation@montana.edu
Quantum Sunprint Workshop unites students, artists, physicists and botanists from MSU and Stone Child College
July 24-26, 2024: A three-day summer workshop brought together students and faculty
from Montana State University's School of Art and Stone Child College to work with
botanists and quantum physicists while creating unique works of art called cyanotypes
or "sun prints."
The workshop was designed and led by Bruce Barnhart and supported by MSU's Applied Quantum CORE through a mini-grant program led by the Science Math Resource Center. Additional support was provided by IMOD, the Center for Integration of Modern Optoelectronic Materials on Demand at the University of Washington. Read more about the sunprint workshop at MSU.
Summer 2024 mini-grants for the Colleges of Arts & Architecture and Education, Health and Human Development
What do you know about quantum? Whether your answer is “a lot”, “a little” or “next to nothing,” we need your creative ideas to share the
promise of this emerging industry with Montana audiences.
As the scope and scale of research involving quantum science and technologies grows at MSU, so does the need to:
- expand public literacy about the field and its capacity to enhance our lives and livelihoods;
- design and promote workforce development pathways for youth and adults; and
- support educators and community leaders who serve as boundary spanners between the research and the public.
This rapid response mini-grant program seeks innovative ideas to advance understanding of quantum science and technologies while positioning MSU and its partners for future opportunities.
Faculty, staff and grad students of EHHD and the College of Arts & Architecture may apply for up to $5,000 for a Summer 2024 project. Collaborations between the two colleges or between more than one department, school or program within the Colleges may apply for up to $10,000. Proposals were due April 25, 2024. Details here..
An informational Webinar was held on April 16, 2024 -- click through to the informational page to watch the recording.
Montana educators celebrate World Quantum Day April 14, 2024
Applications have now closed to receive a free kit. However, you can watch the recording of our March 26, 2024 educator training here: WORLD QUANTUM DAY MONTANA EDUCATOR TRAINING
World Quantum Day is an international event held on April 14 to generate interest
in quantum science. Quantum is the science of atoms and particles which are the building
blocks of the universe! Scientists have used quantum mechanics to create technology
we use every day such as the chips in smartphones. What exciting technology will be
discovered next?
Our goal is to help educators and youth engage in the work of Quantum Science through
providing lesson kits for teachers to use on World Quantum Day. No teacher expertise
in quantum science required!
Activities are designed for grades 6-12 but can easily be scaled up or down. Plan
to use your kit on or near to World Quantum Day on April 14, 2024.
A short feedback form is requested at conclusion of the project We will request you
submit an artifact such as photos, video clips, student reports, artwork or other
artifacts from your World Quantum Celebration! All Montana educators and youth leaders
are eligible to apply.
Application deadline was March 16, 2024. For questions, contact Elizabeth Green at elizabethgreen5@montana.edu.
Thank you to the National Q-12 Education Partnership and QuanTime for support of this project!
Listen to this project on Yellowstone Public Radio!
MSU Quantum in the News
Montana State University's World Quantum Day educational effort was featured in the April newsletter of NISENet – the National Informal Science Education Network.
A similar article was also posted on the website of The West Big Data Innovation Hub, a regional NSF-funded hub designed to “build and strengthen partnerships across academia, industry, nonprofits, and government—connecting research, education, and practice to harness the data revolution.”
MSU receives $26.7 million grant for quantum technology;
SMRC will support education and workforce development
With a new $26.7 million grant from the U.S. Air Force, Montana State University will
establish a facility with the mission of moving advanced quantum technology applications
in cybersecurity, communications technology and national defense from concept and
testing to market. The 20-month grant from the Air Force Research Laboratory in Rome,
New York, will support MSU’s Applied Quantum CORE facility.
The Science Math Resource Center will oversee education and workforce development, including creating programs that help youth, educators and community members learn more about quantum concepts and the quantum industry; and working with higher education institutions and industry to establish and promote career pathways and internships while exploring new training and educational programs at all levels. Read the MSU news story here.