The third annual Penn Forum on Quantum Systems (Penn FoQuS 2026), hosted by Penn Engineering’s Center for Quantum Information, Engineering, Science and Technology (QUIEST), drew nearly 200 researchers, students and industry leaders to the Singh Center for Nanotechnology on April 20, 2026, marking the event’s largest and most institutionally diverse turnout to date.

Building on the momentum of previous years, the program continues to emphasize both technical innovation and cross-sector collaboration, reinforcing FoQuS’s role as a hub for interdisciplinary exchange.

Three white men sit in chairs at the front of a room next to a blue banner with the Penn FoQuS logo. Mid-conversation during a panel discussion, the man in the middle (Josh Gladden) laughs while those on either side smile at him.
A panel discussion during FoQuS 2026 included Eric Stach, Robert D. Bent Professor of Engineering in Materials Science and Engineering (left), Josh Gladden, Vice President of Research and Professor of Physics at Temple University, and Peter Maurer, Associate Professor of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago.

Expanding Collaboration Across Institutions

A defining feature of FoQuS 2026 was its expanded institutional reach. Participants represented over 20 leading universities including Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, Drexel, Johns Hopkins, MIT, Princeton, Rutgers, Temple, University of Delaware and University of Maryland, Baltimore County, alongside industry and government organizations such as Nasdaq, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Lockheed Martin.

“FoQuS 2026 made clear that the real impact of this symposium extends beyond a single day,” says Lee Bassett, Associate Professor in Electrical and Systems Engineering and Director of QUIEST. “We’re already seeing new collaborations take shape, from joint efforts with Drexel, Temple and University of Delaware to broader engagement with statewide quantum initiatives, and that momentum is exactly what this community is built to sustain.”

The event was co-organized in collaboration with Maria Iavarone, Professor and Chair of Physics at Temple, and Steven May, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Drexel, strengthening ties across the regional quantum ecosystem.

“This was a great event, and I truly enjoyed it,” says Iavarone. “The engagement of the students and postdocs during the poster session, as well as the panel discussion, was excellent.”

These partnerships contributed to the event’s highest level of external participation to date, while enabling new connections across institutions and disciplines.

A white man in a grey suit jacket (Lee Bassett) stands at the front of a conference room next to a projected slide with "Penn FoQuS" in white over a dark blue background. On the other side of the projector screen stands a light blue banner with the Penn FoQuS logo. Lee holds a microphone in one hand, delivering opening remarks in front of rows of seats filled with audience members.
Lee Bassett gave the opening remarks for the FoQuS 2026 Symposium in the Singh Center for Nanotechnology on April 20, 2026.

Connecting Academia, Industry and Emerging Applications

FoQuS 2026 also reinforced connections between academia and industry, with participation from organizations ranging from startups to established companies and national labs.

Keynote and invited speakers, including Peter Maurer, Associate Professor of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago, and Margaret Martonosi, the William M. Addy ’82 University Professor in Computer Science at Princeton, framed discussions around the future of quantum technologies, while panels and informal discussions explored pathways to scaling and application.

A white woman with glasses in a grey jacket and green scarf (Margaret Martonosi) stands at the front of the conference room directly in the middle beneath a projected slide with her keynote title listed: "Mind the Gap: Challenges and Opportunities in Closing the Algorithms-to-Devices Gap in Quantum Computing" in white text over a black background. She stands with both arms extended outward to each side, and on either side of her in front are rows of audience members sitting facing forward, with some raising their hands and looking around with smiles.
Margaret Martonosi gives her keynote talk: “Mind the Gap: Challenges and Opportunities in Closing the Algorithms-to-Devices Gap in Quantum Computing.”

Student-Driven Research Takes Center Stage

FoQuS 2026 placed a special emphasis on student research, with 28 undergraduate and graduate students presenting in a new lightning talk session and expanded poster session.

“One of our main goals was to elevate student and postdoc research, and FoQuS 2026 delivered on that in a big way,” says Marian Bechtel-Prabakaran, Program Coordinator for QUIEST. “The level of participation and the enthusiasm around the poster and lightning sessions made it clear how vital these early-career researchers are to the future of quantum science.”

These sessions highlighted work across quantum information science, the study of how to use the laws of quantum physics on matter and energy at the smallest scales to store, process and transmit information in entirely new ways. Research on quantum physics in this symposium could transform fields ranging from computing and cybersecurity to medicine and materials design, unlocking faster problem solving, more secure communication and new technologies that are not possible today.

A young white woman with dark hair and glasses in a navy sweater (Jordan Gusdorff) stands to the left in front of a podium at the front of a conference room filled with audience members in seats facing forward. A projector slide to the right displays an image and diagram of Ceria (CeO2) spin qubits. The title at the top of the slide says: "Eu: CeO2 nanocrystals as ideal spin qubits" in white text over a dark blue stripe.
Ph.D. student Jordan Gusdorff presents in the lightning talk session that included other graduate students and postdocs from Penn and numerous external institutions.
Three students stand around a table with devices and wires visible looking down at the experimental hardware in discussion. In the background a row of posters extends into the distance along a bright orange wall.
Ph.D. student Joseph Minnella (right) demonstrates experimental hardware for use in quantum computing educational outreach and laboratory courses.
A young East Asian man with glasses and a grey sweater stands in front of a poster with a warm smile, talking with two white men facing him. The poster has a white background with the title at the top in black text as: "Towards Semantics Lifting for Quantum Circuits." Behind the poster is a glass wall through which greenery from the outside is visible.
A row of posters lines a glass wall through which the outside greenery is visible, with numerous attendees clustered around each poster engaged in discussion.
The poster session continues to connect engaged students across undergraduate and graduate programs as well as postdoctoral fellows to peers and leaders in the quantum science field during FoQuS.

Learn more about FoQuS and QUIEST on their website.

Written by Melissa Pappas
Published on May 7, 2026 on Penn Engineering’s Engineering Stories