With a ribbon cutting on March 23 that brought together state leaders, industry partners, faculty, and students, Southern Connecticut State University officially opened the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities Center for Quantum and Nanotechnology (QNT)— a bold investment positioning the university and the state at the forefront of the next technological revolution.
Located on the ground floor of the Academic Science and Laboratory Building, the QNT Center is designed to serve as both a research hub and a workforce engine, preparing students to engage with rapidly advancing fields such as quantum computing, nanomaterials, and advanced manufacturing. The facility reflects a growing recognition that quantum technologies — once largely theoretical — are now moving into real-world application, with implications across cybersecurity, healthcare, energy, and beyond.
“This Center represents a strategic commitment to the future — ensuring our students and our state are prepared to lead in the rapidly evolving world of quantum technology,” said Dr. Christine Broadbridge, founding director for the center, SCSU executive director of research and innovation, and a member of the QuantumCT leadership team.
The QNT Center builds on more than a decade of innovation at Southern, dating back to 2013 when the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) Center for Nanotechnology was formally established as a statewide hub for research and collaboration. From its early focus on interdisciplinary work across chemistry, biology, physics, and engineering, the center has steadily expanded its impact, creating hands-on opportunities for students while supporting industry-relevant research across fields ranging from medicine to advanced manufacturing.
“This center began as a statewide hub for nanotechnology, but as the science evolved, so did our vision,” said Broadbridge. “Expanding to include quantum reflects a deliberate, forward-looking commitment to preparing our students — and our state — for the next frontier of innovation.”
The renaming of the center comes at a pivotal time, as industries across the country race to build talent pipelines capable of supporting emerging quantum ecosystems. Through partnerships with organizations such as QuantumCT and collaborations across the CSCU system, Southern is helping to establish Connecticut as a competitive player in this rapidly evolving space.
“You’re not working in an ivory tower — you’re making education real and relevant. That’s how you make a difference every day,” said Governor Ned Lamont. “What you’re doing right here is going to make an enormous difference — from speeding up drug discovery to strengthening industries like insurance and biotech.”
“Places like this are essential,” said Dr. Al Green, CEO of QuantumCT. “They create the connection between education, industry, and innovation. They make it possible for people to get involved, to learn, and to contribute — and that’s how ecosystems grow.”
“The role of CSCU — and Southern — is to democratize quantum technology for the people of Connecticut,” said Dr. John Maduko, interim chancellor of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system. “We cannot have a community that thrives if there are people left on the outside of it.”
The impact of that approach is already evident in the experiences of students working within the center.
“The center taught me to see myself as someone who truly belongs in research,” said Maggie Blanchard, a junior double majoring in physics-engineering and applied mathematics. “I am incredibly proud to have grown through this program and am excited to see how the new QNT continues to give students like me life-changing opportunities.”
Blanchard, who began research in her first year, has conducted hands-on work in microscopy, spectroscopy, and diffraction through the Werth Industry Academic Fellowship, applying quantum theory at the atomic and nanoscale.
For Crossby Dessalines, a senior and research fellow who transferred to Southern from CT State Naugatuck Valley, the center has been equally transformative.
“That moment changed my trajectory,” Dessalines said, recalling his introduction to quantum research through a statewide competition he went on to win. “From there I dove into quantum approximate optimization algorithm research.”
Now, Dessalines is working to expand access for others, developing educational modules in quantum computing and encryption to help future students engage with the field — “students who may be right where I was when I first arrived.”
The QNT Center also underscores Southern’s role as Connecticut’s only public Carnegie-classified Research 2 (R2) university, highlighting its growing research profile and its commitment to aligning academic innovation with workforce needs.
“This experiential learning model moves students beyond theory, embedding industry-inspired skills directly into their curriculum,” said Dr. Sandra Bulmer, interim president of Southern Connecticut State University. ”We are preparing our students to lead in emerging technology sectors and helping to build a more resilient and equitable innovation ecosystem.”
