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SPEAKERS | DIGNITARIES | MUSICIAN
Dr. Kevin T. Geiss, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Director, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Air Force Research Laboratory, Arlington, Va. Leading a staff of more than 200 scientists, engineers, and business professionals, Geiss has been instrumental in ensuring the success of countless research projects equating to more than $400 million annually and spanning over 200 leading academic institutions, 100 industries, and 250 AFRL intern efforts.
Beginning his career in the Marine Corps Reserve, Geiss’ journey has been a constant accumulation of impressive accomplishments. He has shaped defense strategies at the Pentagon, led initiatives in energy security, directed the US national security policy at the White House, and now finds himself at the AFRL to drive innovation in Airman and Guardian capabilities.
Dr. Gretchen Campbell is the Assistant Director for Quantum Information Science (QIS) and the Director of the National Quantum Coordination Office (NQCO) within the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The NQCO ensures coordination of the National Quantum Initiative (NQI) and QIS activities across the federal government, industry, and academia. Dr. Campbell is on detail from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), where she is the co-director of the Joint Quantum Institute, a joint institute between the University of Maryland and NIST, and the Group Leader for the Laser Cooling and Trapping group in the Quantum Measurement Division at NIST. She is also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Maryland. Dr. Campbell received a B.A. in Physics from Wellesley College and received her Ph.D. from MIT. She was a National Research Council postdoctoral fellow at JILA and NIST in Boulder, Colorado. Dr. Campbell’s research has included a wide range of experimental work in the field of ultracold atomic gases. She is a fellow of the American Physical Society. Her awards include the Arthur Flemming Award; the Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Engineering; the Sigma Xi Katherine Blodgett Gebbie Young Scientist Award; the APS Maria Goeppert Mayer Award, and the IUPAP C15 Young Scientist Prize. She was also a Finalist for the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals, Call to Service category.
Dr. Allan Bracker is on the Research Staff at the Naval Research Laboratory and leads a section of the Electronics Science and Technology Division in the development of semiconductor materials and photonic devices for quantum technologies. His research background is in crystal growth, device fabrication, and quantum properties of semiconductor nanostructures. He holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley.
Dr. Fredrik Fatemi is the Army’s Senior Research Scientist (ST) for Quantum Sciences. He received his PhD in molecular physics in 1998 from the University of Virginia, and then did his postdoctoral research at NIST-Gaithersburg on ultracold atom physics. He joined ARL after working at the Naval Research Laboratory for 15 years, where he led several programs in atomic, molecular, and optical physics. In 2015, he joined ARL as the Chief of the Quantum Science and Technology Branch, overseeing a portfolio of extramural and in-house research in quantum sensing and networking while maintaining an active research program in nanophotonics. He became the ST for Quantum Science in 2022. He is also the Associate Director of the Quantum Technology Center at the University of Maryland.
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Dr. Joe Altepeter joined DARPA as a program manager in September 2019. His interests include quantum and quantum-inspired technologies, novel sensors and imaging systems, hyperspectral awareness, and the visualization of useful data from complex physical systems. Dr. Altepeter is currently focused on evaluating the long-term utility of quantum computers. Prior to joining DARPA as a program manager, Altepeter was an associate at Berberian & Company, LLC, where he acted as a scientific and technical consultant for DARPA and for the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity. Before his consulting work at DARPA, he was an assistant research professor in Northwestern University’s Electrical Engineering & Computer Science Department, an intelligence community postdoctoral fellow, a National Science Foundation graduate research fellow, and a Fulbright Scholar. Altepeter received a Bachelor of Science in physics from Washington University in St. Louis and a Doctorate of Philosophy in physics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
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Anderson Beraldo DeAraujo is a mathematician specializing in intelligent quantum computing. The aim of his research is to understand the relationship between quantum reasoning and learning through algebraic equations. He holds a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Campinas in Brazil and another PhD in Mathematics from the University of Minho in Portugal. He has been working as a quantum AI scientist at the University of Campinas, supported by a joint initiative from AFOSR/SOARD, AFRL/IR, and ONRG. He is in Rome/NY thanks to the support of AFOSR’s program, Wisdom of Science.
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Dr. Senko is an experimental atomic physicist who specializes in trapped ion quantum computing and quantum simulation. She holds a Canada Research Chair in Trapped Ion Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo, where her research group focuses on the development of tools, techniques, and technologies for barium-ion-based quantum processors. She is one of two co-PIs at Waterloo leading an effort to prototype open-access quantum computers that will be made available to the wider research community, and co-founded the nonprofit organization Open Quantum Design to further the aim of making quantum computing hardware more accessible. Attendee panel closedCopy
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Dr. Frederico Brito is an Associate Professor at the Sao Carlos Institute of Physics-USP and a Senior Researcher at the Technology Innovation Institute (TII-Abu Dhabi). He received his PhD in open quantum systems in 2006 and then did his postdoctoral research at IBM T. J. Watson on superconducting qubits. He worked as a Research Staff member at D-Wave sys. from 2008 and 2009. Since then, he has been a faculty member at the University of Sao Paulo. In 2022, he joined TII as a Senior Researcher at the Quantum Computing lab. His primary expertise is modeling open quantum systems to be used as devices for quantum technology.
Dr. Aimee Gunther is the Quantum technologies from Canada’s national laboratory: Quantum Sensors Challenge Program (QSP) at the National Research Council of Canada (NRC). At the NRC, she also engages across research centres and collaborative challenge programs to shape and lead the Quantum Communications theme within the High-Throughput and Secure Networks Challenge program.
Previously, Aimee was the Scientific Advisor for Quantum at Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) where she co-authored the DND/CAF Quantum S&T Strategy and specialized in advising and equipping senior leadership on national quantum initiatives.
Aimee has over a decade of experience communicating quantum and optical science whether it be to kids, families, or policymakers. Aimee has PhD (Quantum Information) in experimental quantum optics from the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo. Her research encompassed: quantum photonics, nonlinear optics, biological imaging, and ultrafast laser science.
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Maria Galli graduated with bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Università Statale in Milan. During her master’s studies, she was a research assistant in Prof. Rempe’s Group at Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics in Garching bei München, while being a visiting student at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). Her master’s thesis was conducted under the supervision of Prof. Weinfurter at Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) in Munich. Maria is currently in the final stages of her PhD studies in Prof. Tracy Northup’s Quantum Interfaces Group, focusing on research in the field of Quantum Networks. Her work involved experimental realization of remote entanglement between trapped ions, a research conducted within the Quantum Internet Alliance project.
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Adrien Devolder graduated with a master’s degree in chemistry from the Université libre de Bruxelles in 2015, specializing in quantum chemistry. He received the Prigogine Prize for being the best student in his master’s program. For his Ph.D., he moved to the Université Paris-Saclay, where he studied the formation of ultracold molecules using laser pulses. After defending his Ph.D. in 2019, he joined the University of Toronto as a postdoctoral fellow and has been working as a research associate since 2022. His research focuses on controlling molecular collisions and chemical reactions using quantum effects such as interference and entanglement.
Dr. Ting Rei Tan is a Senior Lecturer and an Australian Research Council Future Fellow at the School of Physics of the University of Sydney. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado – Boulder and the National Institute of Standards and Technology under the guidance of David Wineland.Ting Rei’s research centered on quantum manipulations of cold, trapped atomic ions for applications to quantum information processing, quantum simulations of chemistry, and precision metrology. In 2016, his results on trapped-ion quantum computing were selected as one of the “Top 10 Breakthroughs in Physics.” Presently, he is developing new encoding schemes to implement hardware-efficient quantum computations and to accelerate practical usefulness of quantum simulators for applications in chemistry.
Josh co-founded ORCA Computing in 2019. As CSO, he heads up the company’s scientific and technical vision. Previously he was a Reader in Photonics at the Department of Physics at the University of Bath, where his research focused on quantum light-matter interactions. Prior to this, he was a Royal Society University Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, running the Photonics programme for the UK National Quantum Technology Hub in Quantum Computing where his team invented the ORCA memory. He has published papers on quantum state and process tomography, quantum thermodynamics and quantum key distribution, and has patents licensed on microwave-to-optical conversion and random number generation.
Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, in her fifth term representing New York’s 21st District, serves as the House Republican Conference Chair and the most senior Republican in New York. Elected in 2014 as the youngest woman ever in U.S. Congress history, she is now the youngest woman in top House leadership. Known for her work ethic, policy leadership, media savvy, grassroots connection, and focus on results, Elise consistently achieves historic re-election victories. She is a senior member of multiple committees, including Armed Services and Intelligence, and is recognized as an effective, bipartisan leader on issues from economic policy to national security and rural healthcare. Raised in Upstate New York and a Harvard honors graduate, Elise previously worked at her family’s small business and served in President George W. Bush’s administration. Proud to represent Upstate New York and the North Country, she tirelessly advocates for her constituents at the highest government levels.
Anthony J. Picente, Jr., the 13th and longest-serving Oneida County Executive, has held office since 2006, securing full terms in subsequent elections. Before this, he was Regional Director and Vice President at Empire State Development. As County Executive, Picente has improved the county’s financial outlook and credit rating, championed consolidation efforts, and advanced economic development in high-tech areas such as nanotechnology and cybersecurity. He established Griffiss International Airport as an FAA UAS Test Site and revitalized the Adirondack Bank Center. His Vision 2020 Initiative promotes job opportunities, education, and housing, and addresses transportation issues. Picente holds degrees from Mohawk Valley Community College and Utica College.
Dr. Marianne Buttenschon, before joining the New York State Assembly in 2018, was the Dean of Public Service and Emergency Preparedness at Mohawk Valley Community College. Alongside her husband, Don, she has run the Buttenschon Christmas Tree Farm in Marcy, Oneida County, for over 30 years. Marianne holds degrees from Mohawk Valley Community College, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Binghamton University, and Northeastern University. Her Assembly priorities include protecting and educating the Mohawk Valley, fostering economic growth, and ensuring public safety. She serves on several NYS Assembly committees, including Agriculture, Education, and Veterans Affairs, and chairs the Committee on Export Trade. Marianne is also active in community service and values transparency and fairness in government.
Jeffrey Lanigan, a lifelong resident of Rome, NY and current Mayor, has a deep commitment to the community’s growth and prosperity. With a career in public service starting in various city roles and culminating as a Detective in the Rome Police Department, he has extensive experience in public safety and community engagement. Lanigan, alongside his wife Melissa and their son Connor, also operates a Christmas tree farm in Marcy. He holds commendations for his service and has led the Police Benevolent Association. His priorities include enhancing public safety, addressing neighborhood decay, and fostering economic development, particularly supporting small businesses. Lanigan emphasizes the importance of transparency, community involvement, and local solutions for Rome’s challenges, aiming to lead the city into a brighter future with a focus on quality services and active civic engagement.
Juliane Price, a native of Germany, graduated with a Master’s Degree in Opera/Performing from Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen, Germany in 2000.
Juliane starred as Susan B. Anthony in the world premiere of the opera “Pushed Aside: Reclaiming Gage” and has performed as a soloist in Bruckner’s Mass in D Minor and Delalande’s “Cantate Domino” with Symphoria. Since moving to Central New York in 2009, she has performed with the Utica Symphony Orchestra and the Oneida Area Civic Chorale.
A winner of the German National Voice Competition and the Lotte Lenya (Kurt Weill) Voice Competition, Juliane has also performed at theaters in Oberhausen, Duesseldorf, and Hannover, and on luxury cruises. Her on-screen work includes projects with Disney, 20th Century Fox, and Warner Bros.
Juliane, fluent in multiple languages and experienced in voice-over work, began playing violin at age 5 in her hometown of Dessau. She performs with “Avec Sentiments” and regularly at churches and events in Central New York.
In addition to performing, she teaches acting, voice, and violin at her studio, “A-VI-VO,” and has run early childhood music education programs. Juliane is an elected member of NATS and a proud mother of two daughters.
