Emily E. Edwards
Emily E. Edwards is an American physicist specializing in physics education and outreach concerning quantum mechanics. She was the executive director of the Illinois Quantum Information Science and Technology Center at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, and co-leader of the National Q-12 Education Partnership, a joint project of the Office of [Science and Technology Policy|White House Office of Science and Technology Policy] and the National Science Foundation.
Education and career
Edwards is a 2002 graduate of Appalachian State University with a bachelor's degree in physics and chemistry. She then became a graduate student at the University of Maryland, College Park, where she earned a master's degree in chemical physics in 2008 and completed her Ph.D. in physics in 2009.After completing her Ph.D., she conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Maryland's Joint Quantum Institute on quantum storage using ion traps. She later became the director of communications and outreach for the institute before moving to the Illinois Quantum Information Science and Technology Center, where she currently serves as its managing director. In 2023, she testified before U.S. Congress on quantum technology education, particularly for K-12 students.