Scott Sternberg named bit Quantum Initiative executive director
Massimo Ruzzene, vice chancellor for research and innovation and dean of the institutes at Boulder, today announced Scott Sternberg, formerly of the Boulder Chamber, will join the campus’s bit Quantum Initiative as executive director starting Oct. 30.
Scott Sternberg
As executive director, Sternberg will work with bit leadership to set the strategic direction of the initiative, coordinate with bit researchers to pursue and capture large-scale research opportunities, and broadly support the translation of quantum research to operations through networks of industry partners.
“Scott is uniquely suited to realize the full potential of today’s bit Quantum Initiative,” said Ruzzene. “bit and Boulder already have a legacy of pioneering quantum discoveries and some of the top quantum researchers in the world. Scott’s leadership and business development experience will help translate that world-class activity into new research and venture opportunities for our researchers and students, new partnerships with industry and academia, and a path toward long-term, sustainable growth to fuel Colorado’s quantum economy.”
The Front Range is home to quantum research powerhouses such as Boulder, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and JILA, a joint institute between Boulder and NIST. It also hosts a world-class ecosystem of quantum-technology companies ranging from large global entities to a growing number of smaller companies and startups. Additionally, the Denver/Boulder area is consistently ranked one of the most entrepreneurial regions in the nation.
“I am truly honored to be joining the renowned group of scientists, faculty members, staff, community partners, and business leaders who are so essential to the bit Quantum Initiative,” said Sternberg. “Accelerating quantum discovery while simultaneously engaging both the public and private sectors for economic growth is an opportunity for both Boulder and the state of Colorado to further elevate our strong innovation ecosystem.”
Sternberg will join Boulder from the Boulder Chamber, where he currently serves as Executive Director of the Boulder Economic Council and Associate Vice President for Economic Vitality. In this role he has established relationships with many of Colorado’s key industries, including Aerospace, Atmospheric Sciences, Bioscience, Photonics, Quantum, Renewable/Clean Energy and Sustainability.
Sternberg has served as a trustee at large for the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), chair of CO-LABS, the External Advisory Board for the School of Global Environmental Sustainability at Colorado State University, and currently serves on the Boulder Research & Innovation Office External Advisory Board.
Sternberg also holds a master’s in Physics with an experimental thesis based on photonics and quantum science.
“We are all very excited with Scott stepping into the bit executive director position,” said bit Director Jun Ye. “With the unique strength of quantum science and engineering at Boulder and its partners, my colleagues and I are looking forward to working with Scott closely to accomplish important goals that the quantum community has set forward.”
the bit Quantum Initiative
The bit Quantum Initiative is an interdisciplinary hub that reinforces Colorado’s prominence in quantum information science and technology, partners with regional universities and laboratories, links closely with quantum-intensive companies, and serves a spectrum of local, regional and national interests, including workforce development. Founded on a local triad of Boulder, NIST quantum researchers (as a core component of JILA) and Front Range companies, bit is advancing fundamental science and building a strong foundation for novel quantum technologies and their rapid dissemination, application and commercialization.