JILA News

One goal that JILA alumni have in common is to end up in successful jobs, whether in industry or academia. Such is the case for Sara Campbell, an employee at Honeywell Quantum Solutions who works on quantum computing. “We've released two commercial systems, system model, H0, and H1, and I'm building and getting ready for the next model, H2,” Campbell said excitedly. As the quantum computing sector swells with activity and capital, Campbell’s job becomes more important than ever.

Shuo Sun, assistant professor of physics at the University of Colorado Boulder, and Kyle Luh, assistant professor of mathematics, and their fellow recipients will receive $5,000 in seed money for the 2021-22 academic year to enhance their research as they launch their academic careers. Each recipient’s institution matches the award, and winners may use the $10,000 grants to purchase equipment, continue research or travel to professional meetings.

Two physicists at the University of Colorado Boulder and Colorado School of Mines have received a $1 million grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation to develop a first-of-its-kind quantum simulator that could be used to develop novel materials and, in the future, lead to the development of a high-performance quantum computer.

Fellow Adjoint of JILA and Retired/Emeritus Fellow of JILA, Peter Conti, has passed away. Conti died at the age of 87 due to complications from a car accident that occurred on June 12, 2021. 

William Milner win's this year's GPMFC Student Poster Prize at DAMOP

The Department of Commerce is proud to join the Nation in recognizing the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, also known as Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. Observed annually in May, AANHPI Heritage Month is a time to reflect upon and celebrate the remarkable role of the AANHPI community in our Nation’s history. It also is a time to recognize all the many contributions and achievements within the AAHNPI community that have had a positive impact on our Nation. 

CU Boulder astrophysicist Ann-Marie Madigan has taken home a prestigious prize in recognition of her research exploring the dynamics of objects in space—from stars circling black holes to icy dwarf planets in the outer solar system.

Philip Makotyn joins CUbit Quantum Initiative as executive director

Previous JILA postdoc Adam J Fleisher has written a blog about his work to develop artifact-free, SI-traceable measurements of carbon dioxide in air. 

The 2021 Julius Springer Award for Applied Physics is awarded to Professor Jun Ye for pioneering research in fundamental quantum interactions of elemental matter and light, exploiting precision optical spectroscopy and laser-lattice atomic traps.

Former JILA Fellow Ellen Zweibel has been elected to National Academy of Sciences

A recent article in the Denver Post highlights a possible technology boom happening right here in the Denver and Boulder area. 

This is our first article in the “Life After JILA” series, where we highlight the journeys of JILA alumni, and illustrate the impact that JILA has had on their careers. 

JILA Fellow Jun Ye is interviewed for the Buff Innovator Insights Podcast hosted by the CU Boulder Research & Innovation Office. 

In a team of over 300 scientists, JILA Fellow and assistant professor in the Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, Jason Dexter digs further into the first picture ever taken of a black hole. His research has been recently published in a new paper for the Astrophysical Journal Letters. 

In the first episode of the brand new podcast, Buff Innovator Insights, JILA Fellow Margaret Murnane speaks on her background, her research, and her goal to produce the microscopes of the future. 

Post-Doctoral student David Jacobson wins the prestigious K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award from the National Institute of Health (NIH). 

On February 25, 2021, Prof. Zdeněk Herman passed away. Prof. Herman has been a visiting Fellow at JILA, once in 1980 and again in 2001. His contribution in the field of molecular dynamics and ion-molecule reactions was well recognized by the international community and rewarded by many prizes and awards on the national and international levels.

 John Irvin Castor of Livermore, California passed away suddenly of a suspected aneurysm on Jan. 19, 2021 at the age of 78. 

JILA Fellow Heather Lewandowski has been awarded the 2021 Boulder Faculty Excellence Award. This award was given specifically for Lewandowski's excellence in teaching and pedagogy.