STEM

IBM Expands HBCU Quantum Center

• By Rhea Kelly
• 03/03/21

Membership in IBM's IBM-HBCU Quantum Center has nearly doubled since it launched last September. Created to advance quantum information science and provide STEM-based opportunities for traditionally underrepresented communities, the Center's stated mission is "to educate, foster collaboration on joint research, and ultimately create a more diverse quantum-ready workforce for students studying everything from physics and chemistry to computer science and business."

The Center recently added 10 new historically Black colleges and universities to its roster:

• Alabama State University;
• Bowie State University;
• Delaware State University;
• Dillard University;
• Florida A&M University;
• Norfolk State University;
• North Carolina Central University;
• South Carolina State University;
• Tennessee State University; and
• University of the District of Columbia.

"We are proud to report that this initiative in the quantum computing field is off to a fast start, as HBCUs, students, and faculty begin to explore the Center's vast potential," IBM said in a news announcement. "We have created a community of students and faculty, including the start of an undergraduate research program where students are exploring quantum computation with Qiskit, and have contributed to a pre-print on arXiv that investigates the use of machine learning and quantum computing to better understand unknown quantum systems."

Going forward, the Center will track such metrics as student engagement, talent and workforce development, and research capacity, in order to establish best practices for building the quantum workforce.