Education & Workforce Development

HQAN develops the next generation of quantum scientists, engineers, and educators through immersive research training, K–12 programs, professional education, and public engagement. Our programs reach learners at every stage—from early students to advanced professionals—building a diverse and sustainable quantum workforce for the nation.

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Impact 

• 12,000+ K–12 students reached through Wonders of Quantum Physics kits and classroom activities.
• 22 K–12 teachers trained through the TeachQuantum program, with a reach of 1000+ students.
• 150+ professionals trained in our Quantum Science, Networking & Communications course.
• 16,400+ members of the public engaged through the Public Quantum Network and LabEscape, including 400+ hands-on interactions at PQN’s Urbana Free Library node and more than 16,000 LabEscape participants to date. 

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Workforce Pathways & Alumni Success

HQAN alumni are now contributing across the quantum ecosystem:

• 27+ Alumni placed into top quantum companies including Intel, Amazon, IonQ, Aliro, QuEra, Infleqtion, and IBM.
• 10+ Undergraduate alumni accepted to leading PhD programs at Princeton, Stanford, Caltech, JILA, and the University of Maryland and others.
• 7+ Faculty positions at Stony Brook University, UC Berkeley, UT Austin, Tianjin University, University of North Texas, and University of Oklahoma.
• 11+ National-lab and international postdocs at Oxford, Los Alamos, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, JILA, Waterloo, and École Normale Supérieure.

These outcomes demonstrate HQAN’s effectiveness in preparing a workforce that advances quantum science in academia, industry, national labs, and the broader technology sector.

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Community & Ecosystem Building

HQAN fosters a vibrant and collaborative research community through:

• 72 research coordination talks featuring partners from academia, industry, and government laboratories.
• 8 student and postdoc exchanges across HQAN institutions to accelerate technical training and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
• 3 Multi-institution lab tours and industry visits that exposed 220+ trainees to state-of-the-art quantum technologies and career opportunities.
• Partnerships across the Midwest quantum ecosystem, including CQE, Duality, and the Public Quantum Network.

These efforts create enduring connections and ensure that HQAN trainees are deeply embedded in the rapidly expanding quantum innovation landscape.