2018 QUANTUM MATTERS(TM) 
​SCIENCE COMMUNICATION COMPETITION
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   Winners Announced!
   Srujan Meesala - 1st Place
   Jessica Pointing* - 2nd Place
                                        Joseph Yoon - Finalist
                                        Rebecca Engelke - Finalist
                                                     *Audience Choice Award Winner!
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From left: Karine Thate (MC), Srujan Meesala, Rebecca Engelke, Joseph Yoon, Jessica Pointing   
Judges Comments: “They all did an excellent job. They were very creative in the ways they explained exotic quantum behavior."  "I don’t know how they fit so much into three minutes. I was very impressed with their visuals and their ability to communicate slowly and clearly. It's something I myself aspire to."

The four finalists wowed the judges and the crowds at the 2018 NanoDays celebration at the Museum of Science, Boston. They used everything from light sabers to pink frosted donuts as models to explain how scientists are learning to harness the special quantum behaviors of atoms, photons, and electrons in pursuit of powerful new quantum materials and technologies. An enthusiastic audience texted in sufficient votes to make Harvard undergraduate Jessica Pointing the Audience Choice winner, and the judges deliberated as long as they could before awarding First Place to Srujan Meesala, a CIQM graduate student in Marko Loncar's lab, and Second Place to Jessica.  

Rebecca Engelke, finalist from Philip Kim's lab, also did a remarkable job explaining the role of topology in designing special materials, and Joseph Yoon, finalist from the Nelson Group at MIT, demonstrated single atom control of photonic switches.  Srujan and Jessica both tackled quantum computing, with Srujan focusing on qubits and Jessica on the algorithms needed to make qubits do useful work.  

All four finalists put considerable effort into making their 3-minute presentations eye-catching and captivating. They each participated in two individual coaching sessions with the Museum of Science QMC team during the two weeks leading up to the event.  All will receive professional photos and video productions of their presentations, and, of course, bragging rights for making it to the Finals of the world's first Quantum Matters(TM) Science Communication Competition. 

Many thanks to our distinguished Judges: MIT Professor Joe Checkelsky, Harvard Professor Evelyn Hu, NOVA Senior Producer Chris Schmidt, and Museum of Science Senior Educator Sue Stoessel.