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Loyola University Maryland, Baltimore, MD
Teaching Introductory Quantum Computing
August 17, 2026 to August 19, 2026
Number of setups available: NA
Maximum number of participants: 8
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Learning Objectives of Workshop
By completing the Immersion workshop, participants will learn the following:
1. Development of a curriculum plan for teaching introductory QC as a module in an existing course or as a standalone course
2. Basic approaches for teaching QC to undergraduates with varying backgrounds in engineering, physics, and computer science
3. Integration of teaching methods to improve student engagement in the classroom, e.g., active learning with small group activities
Description
We recently received an NSF grant to develop active-learning modules for teaching introductory quantum computing (QC), quantum machine learning, and quantum computing applied to quantum chemistry. We plan to offer three different Immersions from 2026 to 2028. For summer 2026, the goal of the Immersion is for each participant to develop a curriculum plan for teaching undergraduate introductory QC appropriate for his/her institution either as part of an existing course or as a standalone course. Participants are welcome from departments of physics, engineering, computer science, math, chemistry, or related areas. No prior knowledge of quantum mechanics, quantum computing, or physics is necessary.
From teaching the introductory QC course multiple times at Loyola, we have detailed lecture notes, homework assignments and solutions, and active-learning classroom materials ranging from what is a qubit to algorithms such as quantum addition, Deutsch-Jozsa and Grover. We are willing to share everything we have and wish to help you, the participant, figure out ways of helping your students learn the subject. Post-Immersion, we hope to keep in touch and be a resource as you implement QC materials at your institution. The framework of our current version of the course is shown here (https://www.loyola.edu/physics/intro-quantum-computing ). If you think that our course contains materials that may be a good fit for your setting, please consider registering for this Immersion but don’t pay the registration fee until your acceptance is confirmed (see below).
Our budget can cover all (or almost all) of the registration and travel costs for eight participants. Please submit a short essay (< 1 page, single-spaced) describing what you wish to learn, how QC can be implemented at your institution, and the types of students who may enroll. Also describe the level of your prior knowledge in QC. Please send your essay to mlowe@loyola.eduwith the subject line “QC ALPhA Immersion essay.” Essays will be evaluated starting February 15, 2026 through July 15, 2026. It will be rolling acceptance, and travel reimbursements will be available for eight participants. If you know of other people who might be interested in this Immersion, please forward this information to them.
Our materials require paper-and-pencil and a computer. Please bring your own laptop to the Immersion. In the event a laptop is not available, tell us in advance so that we set up a Loyola laptop for you.
Host and Mentor:
Mary Lowe is a professor of physics at Loyola University Maryland. Dr. Lowe earned her Ph.D. in experimental condensed matter physics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1986. Following a postdoc at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, she began working at Loyola University Maryland, where her time is spent primarily on teaching, research, and service. She has taught all levels of lectures and labs for undergraduate physics majors. Her grant-funded teaching projects have included robotics in the introductory physics lab, physics of medicine modules, and active learning curriculum materials for quantum computing. Over the years, she has conducted research at Loyola on fluid flows in large, curved ducts and in the microcirculation; multiplexed identification and quantification of DNAs on the surface of microscopic beads using flow cytometry; molecular dynamics simulations of proteins and lipid membranes; and atomic force microscopy measurements on DNA/protein complexes and carbon nanotubes.
David Hoe is an associate professor of engineering at Loyola University Maryland. Dr. Hoe earned his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Toronto in 1991. He began his career designing integrated circuits for General Electric at their Research Center in Schenectady, NY. Since 2014, Dr. Hoe has been developing courses for Loyola undergraduates at all levels of electrical and computer engineering. His prior teaching experience includes six years as an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Tyler, where he developed undergraduate and graduate courses in computer engineering, as well as five years as an adjunct professor at the University of Texas at Arlington, where he taught doctoral-level classes in microelectronics. He has also earned a Th.M. degree in Academic Ministries from Dallas Theological Seminary, which has broadened his perspectives on different modes of delivering educational content to students. His research interests include high-performance computing, quantum computing, and engineering education.
Please note that the Jonathan F. Reichert Foundation has established a grant program
to help purchase apparatus used in Laboratory Immersions. Limitations
and exclusions apply, but generally speaking the Foundation may support
up to 50% of the cost of the required equipment.