URI Students Teach Quantum Computing at Brookhaven National Laboratory

URI Students Teach Quantum Computing at Brookhaven National Laboratory

University of Rhode Island (URI) undergraduates and graduate students have taken on teaching‑assistant roles in Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Quantum Information Science 101 (QIS101) course. The partnership gives URI learners hands‑on experience with quantum algorithms and IBM Qiskit, while Brookhaven benefits from fresh perspectives and a stronger university‑lab pipeline.

From Student to Teacher

Morgan Beck, a URI sophomore who completed the six‑week virtual QIS101 program in 2023, returned the following year as a teaching assistant. Her transition from participant to instructor illustrates the program’s capacity to cultivate peer mentors. Beck notes that teaching allowed her to see how classmates approached quantum problems differently, creating a two‑way learning environment.

Other URI participants have followed a similar path. Master’s student Matt Sarsam and Ph.D. candidate Luke Ellert‑Beck now serve as TAs, leveraging knowledge gained from URI’s own quantum curriculum to support Brookhaven students. Graduate students Emory Salaun, Austin Higinbotham, and undergraduate Logan Cote have recently completed QIS101 as learners, further expanding the pool of potential mentors.

Benefits for URI and Brookhaven

Leonard Kahn, chair of URI’s Department of Physics, highlights three reasons the collaboration matters:

1. Emerging quantum impact – As quantum computing moves toward practical applications, early exposure prepares students for a rapidly evolving field.
2. Funding and research synergy – Federal guidelines increasingly reward joint university‑lab projects, making the partnership strategically valuable.
3. Student development – Participants report accelerated learning and gain teaching experience that enhances both technical and communication skills.

Brookhaven’s QIS101 course emphasizes practical programming with IBM Qiskit and features lectures from the lab’s quantum scientists. By involving URI TAs, the lab creates a feedback loop where students help each other master complex concepts, such as translating dense mathematical lectures into digestible explanations.

Real‑World Teaching Moments

Sarsam describes his TA role as “providing targeted feedback on challenging coding assignments,” ensuring that students not only produce correct outputs but also write code that generalizes well. Ellert‑Beck focuses on breaking down lengthy lectures, encouraging peer‑to‑peer teaching to solidify understanding of advanced topics. Both report that these interactions deepen their own mastery of quantum computing while fostering a collaborative classroom atmosphere.

Looking Ahead

Kahn says Brookhaven’s QIS101 professor, David Biersach, has expressed enthusiasm for continuing to receive URI students as both participants and TAs. The ongoing dialogue suggests a growing pipeline of talent that could feed future quantum research projects at the lab and beyond.

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Takeaway: The URI‑Brookhaven collaboration showcases how university students can transition from learners to educators within a national laboratory setting, enriching quantum computing education and strengthening the ties that drive innovation in this emerging technology.