KINGSTON, R.I. – April 9, 2025 – World Quantum Day is an annual celebration promoting worldwide public awareness and understanding of quantum science and technology. The University of Rhode Island’s physics department will host its fourth Quantum Day on the Kingston Campus Friday, April 11, from noon to 6 p.m. The event will feature several notable speakers, along with discussion groups for students and alumni. Events include pre-recorded remarks from U.S. Sen. Jack Reed; a talk by Tina Brower-Thomas, co-principal investigator of the National Science Foundation-funded Center for Integrated Quantum Materials at Howard; and keynote speaker Suhail Zubairy of Texas A&M University. 

This year is the International Year of Quantum, as declared by the United Nations, celebrating the centennial of quantum mechanics. In 1925, the first theories indicated that quantum was practical and could solve problems that classical mechanics could not. As we enter the “second revolution” of quantum, scientists use it for much more than material science such as to make transistors, computers, or lasers. It is used for computation, measurement, and communication. For example, quantum communication allows encrypted messages to be sent quickly via various techniques, without fear of eavesdroppers. 

Quantum information science is growing at the URI College of Arts and Sciences. URI offers a master’s degree and a separate online graduate certificate program in quantum computing. The programs have shown steady growth and combined have been awarded nearly $3 million in federal support, including two grants awarded this past fall as part of a National Science Foundation program to expand quantum research. Looking toward the future, the department is also designing a quantum computing track for undergraduates. 

“All of this is so positive,” said Leonard Kahn, professor and department chair. “We want to bring attention to what the physics department is doing and how the College of Arts and Sciences has supported us.” 

Kahn’s efforts to nurture the department are not bound to physics exclusively. He’s working with the college’s associate dean, Thomas Stubblefield, to build a campus quantum humanities network, providing opportunities for people in STEM disciplines to learn from those in the humanities, and vice versa. The idea is inspired by Universität Innsbruck, Austria, which built a network and is now a hub spreading throughout Europe. 

That network aims to use interdisciplinary collaboration and expertise in the humanities and social sciences to inform the use of quantum physics in these fields and contribute to a better understanding of its consequences. 

“This is what makes the work worthwhile; we’re making a difference in the college,” said Kahn.

For more information on URI’s World Quantum Day line, go to https://physics.uri.edu/2025wqd/ 

This press release was written by Paige Monopoli, communications coordinator for the College of Arts and Sciences.