Though third-year Angela Abongwa is new to quantum computing, having completed two eye-opening internships in the last few months, she is hooked.
The physics major and computer science minor spent a month taking part in the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory's (Fermilab) Quantum Computing Internship for Summer Undergraduates (QCIPU), which involved regular commutes to the lab in nearby Batavia, Ill.
Since then, she has been working on bp's Digital Science team as part of the Early Quantum Career Internship (EQCI), a position that is mostly remote.
Abongwa was connected to both internships through the Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE), based at the University of Chicago, and used UChicago's Career Advancement toolkit to prepare for her interviews. She highly recommends that any students interested in quantum sign up for the CQE newsletter.
What stood out to you about both positions, as an applicant?
I really like that both programs were geared toward students with little to no experience in quantum computing.
With EQCI specifically, I liked that after training, we would get paired with a company where I could put into practice the things I had learned in an industrial setting. I think quantum computing is typically academia and research-focused so I liked that this program gave me an opportunity to see what quantum is like as an industry.
With QCIPU, I knew it was going to be more research-oriented so I was really excited for both programs because it felt like having the best of both worlds — research and industry.
What did your internships entail, and in what ways did they prepare you for your professional career?
At Fermilab, my day consisted of daily lectures and labs where we would learn about a topic and run an algorithm/simulation related to that lecture on IBM’s Qiskit. I think one of my favorite parts about the internship was the one-hour daily discussions where we got to ask our instructors any questions we had. It was a great opportunity to clarify questions I had from lectures and also learn about my instructors’ experiences at grad school and overall day-to-day life as a researcher.
With bp (EQCI), my overall daily structure was pretty flexible since I worked remotely. Although my role focused on conducting research, I got to learn a lot about how quantum algorithms could be used to solve real-world problems which was what my project entailed: using a hybrid classical-quantum approach to solve a type of optimization problem. I think my favorite part of this experience was getting to conduct my own research and run some experiments too. I think I feel more confident conducting research because of this experience.
Thanks to both experiences, I feel a lot more confident pursuing a major in physics. I think sometimes what we learn in courses might feel daunting when we don’t understand or find it challenging. Going through these programs, I learned that failure is a requirement in science and it isn’t a bad thing because by failing, you learn what not to do. I think this encouraged me to stick through such a challenging field because what matters at the end of the day is whether I enjoy what I’m learning and can see myself doing that long-term. Through these internships, I could picture myself in a physics career in the future.
What advice would you have for future students pursuing similar internships and/or careers?
There are so many resources out there for you to get started in quantum. It may seem intimidating but it’s a really rewarding experience. Being at Chicago, especially at UChicago, we’re basically at the “Silicon Valley” for quantum, so there are lots of opportunities to get started—again, in research and industry. Chicago Quantum Exchange and the Pritzker School for Molecular Engineering are great places to start.
What are your aspirations?
I would like to pursue a Ph.D. in physics and delve deeper into quantum computation and information. I am so new to it, so I don’t know what I would like to focus on, but quantum chemistry, quantum error correction, and improving quantum hardware are some areas I currently have interest in. Someday I would like to own or work for a tech company, creating technology. With where our future is headed, I am hoping that can be quantum technology.