The contract will support research across the university, according to facility CEO Jayne Morrow, who said more than 50 MSU faculty and staff are affiliated with QCORE. Morrow said those individuals mentor students from across disciplines, including mechanical and electrical engineering, computer science, physics, chemistry, business, philosophy and art. Krishna Rupavatharam, QCORE’s chief technology officer and director of MSU’s Spectrum Lab, said the work performed under the contract will provide those students with direct, hands-on research and laboratory experience that ultimately will help them pursue careers in industry and government.

“It opens doors for them to establish career paths with diverse emerging and established industry sectors, including the photonics, vacuum technology, cryogenics and materials industries located in Montana,” Rupavatharam said.