The UChicago Quantum Society entangles a community

Like many first-years, University of Chicago Molecular Engineering major Julius Vatel is far from home and facing a rigorous, demanding courseload.

But the New Jersey native has found support, a network and a community built around the very interest that brought him to UChicago – quantum science and engineering.

“There aren’t a lot of spaces where you can just talk about this weird mess of math and physics,” Vatel said, laughing. “A dedicated group where, twice a week, you can talk about something so interesting is a wonderful thing to have.”

Vatel is one of the undergraduates who attends events held by the UChicago Quantum Society, the university’s official student organization dedicated to quantum science and engineering. The group meets twice a week – a Wednesday night educational series where third- and fourth-years help their younger peers grapple with tough, exhilarating quantum concepts and a Friday afternoon Journal Club to discuss recent publications advancing this flourishing field of study.

Those twice-weekly meetings are just the starting point for this quantum community. The society hosts a slate of events, including talks from UChicago Pritzker Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME), Physics and Computer Science faculty and researchers and entrepreneurs working in quantum technology. They also host research panels, lab tours, and networking events, all centered on connection and collaboration.

“We would like if, by the end of their first year, our members have enough know-how to at least start a research experience,” said co-President Shivam Mundhra, a Physics and Mathematics major and fourth-year conducting research in the lab of UChicago PME Asst. Prof. Peter Maurer. “That starting research experience gives you a springboard if you want to go into industry or go into research at a university or a national lab.”

About 20-30 undergraduates, mostly Molecular Engineering, Physics, Mathematics and Computer Science majors, regularly attend the weekly educational series.

Outreach Team member Hannah Mayerfield, a second-year majoring in Physics and Creative Writing, took the experience into her first time conducting quantum research in the UChicago PME Yang Lab in 2024. She now works under UChicago Physics Prof. Yau W. Wah.

“The educational series dramatically softened the learning curve when I started doing research for quantum computing,” Mayerfield said. “It made everything so much easier to understand because I already had that foundational background.”

Building Bridges

Co-President Rohan Mehta, a Molecular Engineering major and fourth-year, said quantum engineering is such a rapidly advancing field that students need to keep abreast of industry developments while they’re learning the basics in the classroom.

“For instance, many of our members haven’t yet taken quantum mechanics. By the time they complete undergraduate quantum mechanics, half of their time at UChicago may have elapsed, and they still need to learn advanced topics in quantum information science to digest contemporary quantum research,” Mehta said. “We don’t want that to happen – we want students to feel in touch with the quantum industry and the academic sector earlier.”

In addition to the student-focused events, the UChicago Quantum Society, alongside other local university quantum clubs, has also started a luncheon series at the Union League Club of Chicago. Here, the goal is to help Chicago’s business leaders understand the power and potential of quantum technology.

“The main audience is businessmen and policy people who have nothing to do with academia, but are in the position to help support the advancement of Chicago as the nation’s quantum hub,” said Head of Outreach Matteo Moessner, a third-year student majoring in Physics and Mathematics.

Collaboration

Building bridges between academia and industry has been a priority since the group’s formation, or rather its re-formation. There was a previous Quantum Society that disbanded after several key members graduated. The current group was created in autumn 2020 with second-year Rohan Kumar, BS’23, as president.

“At the time, I had just learned the basics of quantum computing from the IBM Qiskit Global Summer School,” said Kumar, who is now pursuing his PhD studying quantum computing at Yale. “I always loved teaching and had also taught and written about physics/science in high school in similar settings. As a result, the natural thing for me to do was to turn around and share what I had learned with other undergrads who might be interested.”

The group grew, with new members bringing in their own expertise. But through it all, faculty involvement has been vital, said former Vice President Roberto Cohen, BA’23, BS’23.

“A group like UC Quantum, with dedicated leadership, allows each successive class to build on the knowledge of the last and lets each cohort start from a better place than the last,” said Cohen, now on staff at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory. “The faculty at UChicago have always been willing to engage with the club and help expose undergrads to things they might not otherwise have encountered.”

UChicago PME Director of Undergraduate Studies Mark Stoykovich said this collaboration is key to the University’s mission.

“The University of Chicago is a global leader in quantum science and engineering, which is why we attract the highest-caliber students from around the world,” Stoykovich said. “But providing top-tier faculty and facilities is where our commitment to those students starts, not where it ends. Working with student groups like the UChicago Quantum Society helps create a research community ready and able to change the world.”

The society accepts new undergraduate and graduate student members throughout the academic year. Register here for more information.

2025 International Year of Quantum Science and Technology

The United Nations declared 2025 the International Year of Quantum to mark a century of progress in quantum science and engineering. The University of Chicago and its partners join the celebration of the groundbreaking fields that continue to positively impact lives around the world.

Follow all of our quantum coverage here