UTC recruiting for its first Governor’s Chair
The individual will have a joint appointment at ORNL and focus on quantum information science and engineering.
On the same day that Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), and EPB announced a collaboration to test equipment developed in Oak Ridge (see teknovation.biz article here), UTC also announced that it is launching a search for a highly accomplished researcher and educator to join its quantum program as a Governor’s Chair Scientist with a joint appointment at UTC and ORNL. The successful candidate will be the first Governor’s Chair for the campus.
Established in 2006 and funded by the State of Tennessee and ORNL, the Governor’s Chair program attracts scientific luminaries to broaden and enhance the research partnership that exists between the UT system and ORNL, the nation’s largest multiprogram laboratory.
“The Governor’s Chair program is designed to attract the best of the best to the state of Tennessee, and this is an incredible opportunity to bring an international leader in the field to UTC and to Chattanooga,” said UTC Chancellor Steven R. Angle. “It leverages the Quantum Center that we’re starting, as well as our connection to the EPB Quantum Network, and it will enable us to partner with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and UT Knoxville and the great quantum program there. We will be able to engage at an entirely unprecedented level.”
The UTC Governor’s Chair in Quantum Information Science and Engineering (QISE) will have a joint appointment with the ORNL Computational Sciences and Engineering division. Within that division is the Quantum Information Science Section, focused on foundational quantum theory and experimentation in quantum computing, quantum networking, and quantum sensing. The section applies its expertise to address national priorities in energy, security, and scientific discovery.
The UTC Governor’s Chair will focus on expanding the collaboration in QISE between ORNL, UTC, and the rapidly emerging quantum techno-economic ecosystem in Chattanooga. That includes the Chattanooga Quantum Collaborative (CQC), established in 2024 to support team efforts to leverage quantum assets and mobilize partnerships for the benefit of the region, its communities, and businesses. The new Governor’s Chair will have the opportunity to actively engage in governance and programming of CQC efforts and in collaborations to advance the Chattanooga quantum ecosystem.
“We look forward to welcoming a world-class scientist as our first Governor’s Chair at UTC and in Chattanooga — widely recognized as one of the most innovative U.S. cities and among the first American cities to be officially recognized by US Ignite as a Smart Gigabit Community,” said UTC Vice Chancellor for Research Reinhold Mann. “This designation indicates a commitment by the community to leverage advanced science, mathematics, engineering, computing, and networking technologies to improve city processes and the quality of life for all citizens.
The prestigious Governor’s Chair program is managed by the UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute in coordination with ORNL and the UT system. There are currently 13 Governor’s Chairs, 11 at UT Knoxville and two at the UT Health Science Center.
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