/asmagazine/ en /asmagazine/2025/04/25/scholars-aim-build-community-women-quantum <span>Scholars aim to build community for women in quantum</span> <span><span>Rachel Sauer</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-04-25T13:46:50-06:00" title="Friday, April 25, 2025 - 13:46">Fri, 04/25/2025 - 13:46</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2025-04/WiQ%20presentation%202.JPG?h=f79df368&amp;itok=95scVNCB" width="1200" height="800" alt="Annalise Cabra holds microphone and Emily Jerris looks on as they present about CU Women of Quantum"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/30"> News </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/1242" hreflang="en">Division of Natural Sciences</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/428" hreflang="en">Physics</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/1102" hreflang="en">Undergraduate Students</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/1053" hreflang="en">community</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/1269" hreflang="en">quantum</a> </div> <a href="/asmagazine/rachel-sauer">Rachel Sauer</a> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p class="lead"><em>Quantum Scholars Emily Jerris and Annalise Cabra started CU Women of Quantum to help women interested in careers in quantum to network and share experiences</em></p><hr><p>First, the good news: Between 1970 and 2022, the <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/wb/data/occupations-stem" rel="nofollow">percentage of U.S. women workers in STEM jobs</a> grew from 7% to 26%.</p><p>The obvious and not-so-good news is that while women represent <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t01.htm" rel="nofollow">almost half the U.S. workforce</a>, they hold only a quarter of STEM jobs. And the numbers get even more stark in quantum fields. A <a href="https://www.lse.ac.uk/tii/assets/documents/The-City-Quantum-Summit-TII-Report.pdf" rel="nofollow">2022 report</a> from the London School of Economics and Political Science found that fewer than 2% of applicants for jobs in quantum fields are female.</p><div class="feature-layout-callout feature-layout-callout-xlarge"><div class="ucb-callout-content"><p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2025-04/WiQ%20presentation.JPG?itok=CWWXVCkZ" width="1500" height="1020" alt="Annalise Cabra holds microphone and Emily Jerris looks on as they present about CU Women of Quantum"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p class="small-text">Quantum Scholars Annalise Cabra (left) and Emily Jerris (right) gave a presentation about CU Women of Quantum at the December Quantum Scholars meeting attended by CU President Todd Saliman. (Photo: Casey Cass/����������)</p> </span> </div></div><p>However, in the 100 years since German physicist Werner Heisenberg submitted his paper <a href="http://users.mat.unimi.it/users/galgani/arch/heis25ajp.pdf" rel="nofollow">“On quantum-theoretical reinterpretation of kinematic and mechanical relationships”</a> to the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF01328377" rel="nofollow"><em>Zeitschrift für Physik</em></a><em>,&nbsp;</em>a July 1925 event that is broadly credited with kick-starting the quantum revolution, the possibilities and potential of quantum science and engineering have grown enormously.</p><p>Recognizing that potential, a group of ���������� scholars wants to help ensure that women participate equally and fully in quantum science and engineering.</p><p>CU Women of Quantum, founded last semester by <a href="/physics/quantum-scholars" rel="nofollow">Quantum Scholars</a> <a href="https://jila.colorado.edu/lewandowski/people/jerris" rel="nofollow">Emily Jerris</a> and <a href="/physics/2025/02/14/physics-undergrad-awarded-2025-brooke-owens-fellowship" rel="nofollow">Annalise Cabra</a>, aims to be a community of support, connection, mentorship and networking for women interested in pursuing careers or research in quantum fields.</p><p>“Our primary focus,” Cabra explains, “is just to create a space where we can come together, share our experiences and create relationships that are lasting.”</p><p><strong>100 years of quantum</strong></p><p>Both Jerris and Cabra say that this is an exciting time to be in quantum science and engineering. Not only did the United Nations declare 2025 as the <a href="https://quantum2025.org/" rel="nofollow">International Year of Quantum Science and Technology,</a> and not only did Colorado Gov. Jared Polis <a href="https://www.colorado.gov/governor/news/world-quantum-day-colorado-announces-nation-leading-steps-elevate-k-12-quantum-learning" rel="nofollow">last week announce</a> the <a href="https://www.cde.state.co.us/computerscience/cok12quantumblueprint2025" rel="nofollow">Blueprint for Advancing K–12 Quantum Information Technology</a>, but research happening on the ���������� campus and in Colorado is swiftly expanding the boundaries of quantum technology.</p><p>However, they also add that as exciting as this time is, women in quantum fields still face some of the same roadblocks that women in STEM always have.</p><p>“I think if you asked most of the women in the club or just in a STEM major if they’ve had a moment where a peer or coworker has talked down to them or they felt not necessarily fully included in a project because they were the only woman in the group, I think most probably have,” Jerris says. “So, it’s nice to have a space to talk about that—how to navigate situations like that. A lot of us do research, too, and those types of situations are also really prevalent in the research space.”</p><p>Jerris and Cabra worked with <a href="/physics/michael-ritzwoller" rel="nofollow">Michael Ritzwoller,</a> a <a href="/physics/" rel="nofollow">physics</a> professor of distinction and Quantum Scholars co-founder, and physics Professor <a href="/physics/noah-finkelstein" rel="nofollow">Noah Finkelstein</a> to create CU Women of Quantum, which is open to all students, as a place for not onl