PERC 2024 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: | Student perceptions of the quantum industry in an upper-division capstone course |
|---|---|
| Abstract Type: | Contributed Poster Presentation |
| Abstract: | As quantum technologies move from the research lab into the private sector, a growing workforce is needed, including many with a physics background. As part of a broader initiative to prepare students to enter the quantum industry directly after their undergraduate studies, a capstone course called "Quantum Forge" was created at the University of Colorado Boulder. We followed the first cohort of Quantum Forge students through their year in the course in order to understand their perceptions of the quantum industry. Here, we present the students' views about the quantum industry, focusing on two important ideas. First, students noticed a distinct lack of diversity within the industry, which affected their desire to become participants in it. Second, the students believed that holding a graduate degree, specifically a PhD, was crucial to entry into the quantum industry. This caused many students to indicate that they did not see a role for individuals with Bachelor's degrees, such as themselves, in the industry. Through these two themes, we aim to understand student beliefs about the industry and share some implications of these views for the industry itself, as well as those seeking to educate students about it. |
| Session Time: | Poster Session 2 |
| Poster Number: | B01 |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Kristin Oliver University of Colorado Boulder, JILA Boulder, CO 80309 |
| Co-Author(s) and Co-Presenter(s) |
Victoria Borish (she/her), University of Colorado Boulder/JILA Bethany R. Wilcox (she/her), University of Colorado Boulder Heather J. Lewandowski (she/her), University of Colorado Boulder/JILA |
