The Department of Chemistry hosted a series of quantum-themed outreach events this fall, sharing the excitement of quantum science with both high school teachers and students across Connecticut.

On October 9, 2025, we hosted an ECE Chemistry Teacher Workshop focused on quantum materials. 25 Early College Experience (ECE) high school teachers spent the day on campus in a workshop organized by Profs. Zhao, Mani, and Selampinar. The teachers learned about different kinds of quantum dots, carried out a quantum dot synthesis, and discussed how to adapt these activities for their own classrooms. The goal was for teachers to experience something new, then bring fresh quantum-themed experiments and examples back to their students.

 

We then held our second MolQ Day for high school students on November 15, 2025, introducing the next generation of scientists to the quantum world through chemistry. The event was organized by Profs. Mani, Zhao, and Selampinar and supported primarily by a NASA CTSGC grant, with additional support from ECE, Chemistry, CHEMentors, CLAS, and QuantumCT.

Developed as part of the QuanXR initiative led by Profs. Mani, Zhao, and Zhou (UConn Digital Media & Design), MolQ Day attracted more than 50 high school students, selected from nearly 100 applications. Throughout the day, participants engaged in hands-on experiments, interactive activities, and guided lab tours, giving them a first-hand look at how quantum principles emerge in real chemical systems and our life.

 

To round out the semester, the QuanXR team brought quantum outreach beyond campus at the STEM Career Showcase held at the Connecticut Science Center on December 5, 2025. The Career Showcase is a conference-style field trip day designed to introduce middle and high school students to the wide range of STEM career paths available in Connecticut. As part of the event’s “Quantum Alley,” the QuanXR team presented engaging demos of quantum dots and photon upconversion, sparking conversations about light, energy, and emerging quantum technologies. Despite tough competition from crowd favorites like dinosaurs and live snakes, the Chemistry and QuanXR booth drew a steady stream of curious students and teachers and was a clear success.

Together, the ECE Teacher Workshop, MolQ Day and the STEM Career Showcase highlight the Department of Chemistry’s growing role in Quantum outreach, helping students connect abstract quantum concepts to tangible experiments, materials, and future career opportunities.