Strategy & Operational Development

Chicago Quantum Exchange

Mentors

Kate Timmerman, PhD, Executive Director, Chicago Quantum Exchange
Megan Rouse, Manager of Digital Communications

Background

The Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE) is a growing intellectual hub and community of researchers with the common goal of advancing quantum information science (QIS), related technologies and applications. The Chicago Quantum Exchange is anchored by the University of Chicago, Argonne National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and includes the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Northwestern University, more than 20 industry partners, and several non-profit and international academic partners.

Externship Description

Our extern/s will to help inform our organizational strategy and processes. Extern/s will work with CQE staff to gain experience in data collection and analysis, program design and implementation, evaluation, and outreach. Extern/s will participate in regular progress meetings with CQE staff, (virtually) interface with students and researchers across the CQE, and share their findings with the team.

Specific Objectives

Depending on alignment with skills and interest, the extern(s) will work on one or more of the following projects:

• Using proprietary data from the CQE, develop a set of operational processes and analyses that support the CQE strategies and aligned metrics
• Collect and interpret past CQE program and event information to enable the CQE to leverage this data to provide value to academic and corporate partners.
• Analyze and evaluate existing organizational metrics and develop improvements to better track CQE goals, and ensure clear communication to the broader CQE community.
• Potential to analyze quantum education, workforce, or research productivity data to inform future program development.

Qualifications

• PhD student or postdoctoral scholar in data-intensive fields or with moderate to large datasets
• Candidates will have a strong interest in applying scientific knowledge to strategy and operations
• Able to commit at least 10 hours per week on independent research, phone calls, and virtual meetings
• Able to attend weekly Zoom meeting(s)
• Externs should be comfortable working independently and have excellent time management and interpersonal skills