The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) has launched a search for a researcher and educator to join its quantum program as a Governor’s Chair scientist with a joint appointment at UTC and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), a recent university announcement said.¶
According to a news release, the Governor’s Chair program, which was founded in 2006 and funded by the state and ORNL, attracts scientific luminaries to enhance the research partnership 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,” UTC Chancellor Steven Angle said in a public statement. “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 announcement said 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, which focuses on foundational quantum theory and experimentation in quantum computing, quantum networking, and quantum sensing.¶
The announcement added that UTC Governor’s Chair will focus on expanding the collaboration in QISE between ORNL, UTC and a “rapidly emerging quantum techno-economic ecosystem in Chattanooga” that includes the Chattanooga Quantum Collaborative (CQC), which was established in 2024 to support “team efforts to leverage quantum assets and mobilize partnerships for the benefit of the region.” The new Governor’s Chair will engage in governance and programming of CQC efforts and in collaborations to advance the Chattanooga quantum ecosystem, according to the announcement.¶
“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,” UTC Vice Chancellor for Research Reinhold Mann said in a public statement. “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.¶
“UTC plays a significant role in these efforts through R&D, entrepreneurship, and workforce development, as well as through a growing the number of public-private partnerships—such as the recent deployment of the first phase of the EPB commercial metropolitan quantum network powered by Qubitekk, with an access node on the UTC campus.”¶
