Quantum Alley 2026
Quantum Alley offers a complementary – and complimentary – element to the Quantum for International (Q4I) workshop on June 23 & 24. This dedicated expo space just outside of the main event area showcases innovations in quantum technology, offering mini-tech talks and opportunities for networking between the main Q4I features. Join us for curated booths, insightful mini-panel discussions, engaging talks from guest speakers, and networking opportunities with quantum experts from around the world. Don’t miss out on this chance to delve into various quantum topics and connect with like-minded professionals.
Featured Quantum Alley Participants:
Talk Schedule
Talks happen during the Networking Break times of the Quantum for International (Q4I) Workshop.
Tuesday, 23 June:
11:05 AM – 11:15 AM: Lightning Talk
William Taylor, FuzeHub
2:25 PM – 2:35 PM: Mini Fireside Chat
John Kolb & Chris Carothers, RPI
4:45 PM – 4:55 PM: Lightning Talk
Abhishek Chopra, BQP
4:55 PM – 5:05 PM: Lightning Talk
Dr. Xueyue (Sherry) Zhang, Assistant Professor of Applied Physics, Columbia University
Wednesday, 24 June:
10:40 AM – 10:50 AM: Lightning Talk
Ram Krishnan, Qualcomm
2:30 PM – 2:40 PM: Lightning Talk
Tamanna Joshi, Bluefors
Speaker Bios
William Taylor
Taylor Bill manages the strategy behind FuzeHub’s semiconductor initiatives, and works directly with industry to understand their current and future growth needs. Bill has spent 30+ years in the semiconductor industry, engaged in process integration, device design, tooling, simulation, programming, and project management, working with chipmakers Motorola, Freescale, Sematech, and Globalfoundries.
John E. Kolb
The Vice President and Head of the RPI Future of Computing Institute (FOCI) provides leadership for strategic planning 1) in high performance computing (Supercomputer, AI, Quantum Computing and Cybersecurity) to ensure continued transformative impact for RPI with regional and global engagement.
John E. Kolb ’79, P.E., received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from Rensselaer. A licensed professional engineer in New York State, Kolb’s Rensselaer career spans over 40 years. He previously served as dean of Computing and Information Services; assistant dean of Engineering, head of Core Engineering; director of Engineering Computing Services; and manager in the Center for Interactive Computer Graphics. Kolb has taught courses in Engineering Science, Management, and IT. He is a member of the NYSERNET.org Board and the chair of the NYSERNET.net Board. He is the co-chair of the University of the State of NY Technology Policy and Practices Council (TPPC), and member of the board of the Rensselaer Newman Foundation. He is also a member of the American Society for Engineering Education and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. He is the former chair of the CIO Council of the Capital Region Business-Higher Education Roundtable and a former board member of the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology (CMOST), Internet2, and WMHT. He is a past recipient of the Boeing Outstanding Engineering Educator Award. Kolb conceived and implemented an innovative mobile computer program for all undergraduate students at RPI that has been in place for over 25 years. He was instrumental in attracting and implementing three generations of supercomputers (with the current system having a computational capacity of 8 PetaFLOPS) at the Rensselaer Computational Center for Innovations (CCI). He successfully completed the latest initiative to install at RPI the first IBM Quantum System One on a college campus. He has been recently appointed as the Vice President and Head of RPI Future of Computing Institute (FOCI).
Chris Carothers
Chris Carothers is a Professor in the Computer Science Department at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. His research interest are in massively parallel systems focusing on modeling and simulation systems of all sorts. Prof. Carothers is an NSF CAREER award winner and is currently active in the DOE Exascale Co-Design Program associated with designs for next generation exascale storage systems as well as the NSF PetaApps Program, and the Army Research Center’s Mobile Network Modeling Institute
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Abhishek Chopra
Abhishek Chopra is the Founder and CEO of BQP, a cutting-edge deep tech company advancing the application of quantum computing to modeling and simulations, with a strong emphasis on digital engineering. At the intersection of computational sciences, quantum technology, and entrepreneurship, Abhishek is driving the development of next-generation simulation tools tailored for mission-critical industries.
Under his leadership, BosonQ Psi has raised over $7 million in venture capital and government funding and formed strategic collaborations with industry and research leaders such as the Air Force Research Laboratory, IAI North America, IBM, NVIDIA, and Intel.
Abhishek holds a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), where he conducted advanced research on high-fidelity and parallel CFD solvers for complex aerospace systems including eVTOLs, rotorcrafts, and wind turbines. He earned his Bachelor’s in Aerospace Engineering from Rutgers University, graduating magna cum laude, and has published five peer-reviewed papers in prominent aerospace engineering journals and conference proceedings.
He has presented company’s research at major scientific and engineering forums, including AIAA SciTech, APS March Meeting, IEEE Quantum Week, and has been invited to speak by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, US Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division, NASA Langley, and DRDO’s Naval Science & Technological Laboratory (NSTL). Additionally, he has delivered keynote talks and panel discussion at events such as the UK-India Parliamentary Roundtable on Quantum, Asian CFD Conference, ASSOCHAM’s Quantum Technology Conclave, and The Quantum Computing Summit, cementing his reputation as a respected voice at the intersection of quantum computing and engineering innovation.
Abhishek’s work exemplifies the next generation of engineering leadership, championing the integration of quantum computing with classical simulation to transform how fluids engineers and researchers approach complex physical problems.
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Dr. Xueyue (Sherry) Zhang
Xueyue (Sherry) Zhang is an Assistant Professor of Applied Physics at Columbia University. She earned her B.Eng. from Tsinghua University and her Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Caltech, followed by a Postdoc training at UC Berkeley. Dr. Zhang’s research interests include superconducting circuits, quantum many-body simulations, and color centers in silicon. Her work has earned her several awards, including Scialog Fellow, Miller Postdoc Fellowship, the Boeing Quantum Creator Prize, and the Rising Star in Physics.
Ram Krishnan
Ram Krishnan is a technology and intellectual property leader at Qualcomm with more than three decades of experience turning breakthrough R&D into global product and IP impact. In Qualcomm’s modem chipset organization, he led work that enabled the world’s first 4G launch. He later worked in Qualcomm’s IP and licensing organizations, where he led development of the company’s 5G patent portfolio and drove major acquisition, litigation, and global handset IP license negotiations. Today, Ram is Senior Director of Engineering and Global IP Ecosystem Lead in Qualcomm’s Government Affairs group. In this role, he sets the strategy and builds partnerships across universities, startup hubs, trade organizations, and government stakeholders to scale IP and entrepreneurship enablement across the U.S., India, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East/Africa. Ram also serves on boards of non-profit organizations in food security and startup sectors. He is currently in the Board of Directors of CONNECT, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering San Diego’s innovation economy by mentoring, educating, and connecting technology and life sciences entrepreneurs.
Dr. Tamanna Joshi
Dr. Tamanna Joshi is a Senior Technical Sales Manager at Bluefors. With a Ph.D. in Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, she brings a unique perspective at the interface of quantum physics, engineering, and commercialization.
In her role, she works at the intersection of research and industry, supporting customers in developing and scaling quantum devices through advanced cryogenic infrastructure. She has experience working with leading research groups and industry partners across quantum computing and low-temperature physics applications.
