# Quantum Leadership with Nadya Mason

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-new-quantum-era-innovation-in-quantum-computing-science-and-technology-5609388/quantum-leadership-with-nadya-mason
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-new-quantum-era-innovation-in-quantum-computing-science-and-technology-5609388/quantum-leadership-with-nadya-mason.md
Podcast: [The New Quantum Era - innovation in quantum computing, science and technology](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-new-quantum-era-innovation-in-quantum-computing-science-and-technology-5609388)
Published: 2026-02-02T12:54:34+00:00
Episode link: https://newquantumera.transistor.fm/77
Audio file: https://op3.dev/e/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/media.transistor.fm/226ce19a/43666a62.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-new-quantum-era-innovation-in-quantum-computing-science-and-technology-5609388/episodes/quantum-leadership-with-nadya-mason
Duration seconds: 2748

## Resource

What happens when a former elite gymnast with “weak math and science” becomes dean of one of the world’s most influential quantum engineering schools? In this episode of *The New Quantum Era*, Sebastian Hassinger talks with Prof. Nadya Mason about quantum 2.0, building a regional quantum ecosystem, and why she sees leadership as a way to serve and build community rather than accumulate power. Summary This conversation is for anyone curious about how quantum materials research, academic leadership, and large‑scale public investment are shaping the next phase of quantum technology. You’ll hear how Nadya’s path from AT&T Bell Labs to dean of the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at UChicago informs her service‑oriented approach to leadership and ecosystem building. The discussion spans superconducting devices, Chicago’s quantum hub strategy, and what it will actually take to build a diverse, job‑ready quantum workforce in time for the coming wave of applications. What You’ll Learn How a non‑linear path (elite sports, catching up in math, early lab work) can lead to a career at the center of quantum science and engineering. Why condensed matter and quantum materials are the quiet “bottleneck” for scalable quantum computing, networking, and transduction technologies. How superconducting junctions, Andreev bound states, and hybrid devices underpin today’s superconducting qubits and topological quantum efforts. The difference between “quantum 1.0” (lasers, GPS, nuclear power, semiconductors) and “quantum 2.0” focused on sensing, communication, and computation. How the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and the Chicago Quantum Exchange are deliberately knitting together universities, national labs, industry, and state funding into a cohesive quantum cluster. W…

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