制服诱惑

As quantum鈥檚 presence grows on the southeast side, 制服诱惑 students eye future careers

In hushed voices in a darkened room, John and James Kountz stared intently at what looked to any unsuspecting person like a computer screen inside a metal suitcase. The identical twins in matching forest-green shirts leaned in and watched as two frequencies created hills and valleys on the screen of the Quantenkoffer, a $250,000 quantum optics laboratory machine housed in 制服诱惑鈥檚 Quantum Education, Science & Technology Center, as they searched for the smallest discrepancies in the data.

Other college freshmen might be outside soaking up the nice weather on this sunny September day. But for the Kountz twins, both pursuing an engineering physics degree, being nestled inside the 制服诱惑 quantum center is the best place to be, a second home where they can get hands-on experience with quantum physics, biology and more.

It鈥檚 a career path the engineering physics majors didn鈥檛 envision when they first started learning about science and engineering, but one that has become a passion, growing by the day as they begin their college years.

And while quantum is often associated with the the $9 billion, under way at the former U.S. Steel South Works site, 制服诱惑 was staking its claim in the field nearly a decade ago 鈥� years before the development composed of businesses, tech firms, researchers, manufacturers and quantum companies led the Southeast Side to be dubbed the 鈥渇uture of quantum."

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For James Kountz, 制服诱惑 was a natural choice to further his interest in quantum and his career. It鈥檚 been hard for him to wrap his head around all the strides he and his brother have made in the quantum world over the last few years. They鈥檝e taken international trips, learned from local scientists including at Fermilab, and volunteered to teach quantum at 制服诱惑 over the summer before they were even students after being invited by the university鈥檚 Assistant Professor of (Quantum) Physics, Russell Ceballos.

鈥淚 always wanted to be in a lab鈥�we wanted to be engineers at six,鈥� James Kountz said, adding that he would see pictures and videos of scientists growing up but didn鈥檛 know if that life was fully attainable. 鈥淵ou think, man, they must be geniuses鈥�that鈥檚 how it felt to us. So us being in the labs now, looking back, it鈥檚 like we鈥檙e meeting up with our childhood goals. That鈥檚 the most exciting thing.鈥�

Only weeks into the semester, the two brothers are known on campus, too, getting greeted by 鈥渨hat鈥檚 up twins鈥� from passersby. While it鈥檚 nice to be recognized for their presence in the quantum community, it has carried some weight, too. Multiple people have told the twins that they are role models and a symbol that quantum can be a space for anyone, no matter their background, John Kountz said. 鈥淲e know people are watching us, so we gotta be trying as hard as we can鈥�people look up to us,鈥� John Kountz said. 鈥淲e represent a lot of people, whether we know it or not.鈥�

Still, the twins have four years to go before graduation. Afterward, they have plenty of options: they could return to 制服诱惑 to earn a certificate in quantum, start a business or further their education elsewhere. But for the next few years, they plan to be heads down in research, learning as much as they can before entering the workforce.

鈥淲e definitely want to try to do a business. We want to do something in the quantum field, like make the materials for quantum machines [and] quantum technology,鈥� John Kountz said.

鈥楢 good foundation鈥�: 制服诱惑鈥檚 quantum impact already felt

制服诱惑鈥檚 presence in the quantum field has grown since it began exploring it in 2017, according to Valerie Goss, a chemistry professor at 制服诱惑 and director of the quantum center. Goss has seen quantum technology blossom and improve since research began, building on existing science to create new ways to explore computing practices and other analyses.

鈥淲e want to be drivers of new knowledge in the fields,鈥� Goss said, which attracts students. It鈥檚 a match because the students want to do research at the undergraduate and graduate level, and that鈥檚 where 制服诱惑 aims to make inroads. 制服诱惑 is doing its best, Goss said, to ensure those research opportunities move forward.

Those opportunities include the high-profile I or 鈥渜uantum park,鈥� just 5 miles away from 制服诱惑鈥檚 campus.  The university鈥檚 strong foundation in the field positions it as an industry leader in the Chicago area, according to the park鈥檚 workforce development lead, Emily Whitman Easton. And 制服诱惑 creates a 鈥渉yperlocal opportunity鈥� for people on the to train and advance a quantum career if they choose to.

鈥淚f we are looking to build a technology workforce that does not repeat the same mistakes of the past, an institution like Chicago State 鈥� who is a trusted educational partner which is a predominantly Black institution 鈥� taking a leadership role here is a huge step forward in how we can build an inclusive tech economy in a way that literally doesn鈥檛 look like the other economies we鈥檝e seen,鈥� Whitman Easton said.

Those roles can span from technical quantum computing positions to human resources or business analytics. Through its wide program offerings, 制服诱惑 is preparing all students to enter a workforce where quantum is growing and showing that the field has places for people on the southeast side, Whitman Easton said.

鈥淐hicago State, by helping us develop a quantum literate community, is just serving so many workforce needs in a field that people might not have considered themselves a part of,鈥� Whitman Easton said.

The students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels can feel the program鈥檚 uniqueness, too. For graduate student Dell-Rio Johnson, 22, who has a background in computer science but came to the university to pursue the quantum certificate and start research in the lab over the summer, 制服诱惑鈥檚 offerings add more skills to the field he already knows.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a good foundation for you to jump into any avenue of quantum,鈥� Johnson said, adding that he could see himself pursuing a job in the Chicagoland area or adapting elsewhere. 鈥淚鈥檓 open to anything really. As much as I can learn and as much experience as I can get [that鈥檚] hands on鈥�it鈥檚 definitely, I feel like, the best place to get a starter foundation and other opportunities.鈥�