Scott Sternberg named CUbit Quantum Initiative executive director

Massimo Ruzzene, vice chancellor for research and innovation and dean of the institutes at CU Boulder, today announced Scott Sternberg, formerly of the Boulder Chamber, will join the campus’s CUbit Quantum Initiative as executive director starting Oct. 30.  

As executive director, Sternberg will work with CUbit leadership to set the strategic direction of the initiative, coordinate with CUbit researchers to pursue and capture large-scale research opportunities, and broadly support the translation of quantum research to operations through networks of industry partners.

“Scott is uniquely suited to realize the full potential of today’s CUbit Quantum Initiative,” said Ruzzene. “CUbit and CU Boulder already have a legacy of pioneering quantum discoveries and some of the top quantum researchers in the world. Scott’s leadership and business development experience will help translate that world-class activity into new research and venture opportunities for our researchers and students, new partnerships with industry and academia, and a path toward long-term, sustainable growth to fuel Colorado’s quantum economy.”

The Front Range is home to quantum research powerhouses such as CU Boulder, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and JILA, a joint institute between CU Boulder and NIST. It also hosts a world-class ecosystem of quantum-technology companies ranging from large global entities to a growing number of smaller companies and startups. Additionally, the Denver/Boulder area is consistently ranked one of the most entrepreneurial regions in the nation.

“I am truly honored to be joining the renowned group of scientists, faculty members, staff, community partners, and business leaders who are so essential to the CUbit Quantum Initiative,” said Sternberg. “Accelerating quantum discovery while simultaneously engaging both the public and private sectors for economic growth is an opportunity for both CU Boulder and the state of Colorado to further elevate our strong innovation ecosystem.”

Sternberg will join CU Boulder from the Boulder Chamber, where he currently serves as Executive Director of the Boulder Economic Council and Associate Vice President for Economic Vitality. In this role he has established relationships with many of Colorado’s key industries, including Aerospace, Atmospheric Sciences, Bioscience, Photonics, Quantum, Renewable/Clean Energy and Sustainability.

Sternberg has served as a trustee at large for the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), chair of CO-LABS, the External Advisory Board for the School of Global Environmental Sustainability at Colorado State University, and currently serves on the CU Boulder Research & Innovation Office External Advisory Board.

Sternberg also holds a master’s in Physics with an experimental thesis based on photonics and quantum science.

“We are all very excited with Scott stepping into the CUbit executive director position,” said CUbit Director Jun Ye. “With the unique strength of quantum science and engineering at CU Boulder and its partners, my colleagues and I are looking forward to working with Scott closely to accomplish important goals that the CU quantum community has set forward.”