Casper College Awarded $444,000 NSF Grant to Build Statewide Quantum Workforce Pipeline

Casper College Awarded $444,000 NSF Grant to Build Statewide Quantum Workforce Pipeline Wyoming-based community college Casper College has been awarded a $444,059 grant (Award #2609718) from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to launch a statewide quantum education and workforce initiative. Funded under the NSF’s Innovation in Two-Year College STEM Education (ITYC) program, the Quantum Pipeline project creates an integrated learning framework spanning K-12 classrooms, high school summer intensive programs, and two-year higher education coursework designed to expand regional access to quantum information science and engineering (QISE). The program is structured around three core operational pillars developed in partnership with the Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering (IQSE) at Texas A&M University. First, the project will assemble and deploy 130 portable Quantum Trunks—hands-on experimental kits designed to introduce foundational quantum concepts—across all 23 Wyoming counties. Second, Casper College will host an annual summer Quantum Science Camp where high school students and K-12 educators work directly alongside quantum optics researchers. Third, the college is establishing a formal undergraduate course, Quantum Topics and Experiments, to facilitate student transfer pathways into four-year university quantum degree programs and industrial quantum sensing and computing roles. [ Casper College NSF “Quantum Pipeline” Grant Overview ]Grant & Funding AllocationInstitutional PartnersWorkforce & Curriculum Deliverables• Funding Agency: NSF (ITYC Program)• Award Number: 2609718 ($444,059)• Principal Investigator: Dr. Andrew Young• Casper College (Lead)• Texas A&M University (IQSE)• University of Wyoming & K-12 Districts• 130 K-12 Statewide “Quantum Trunks”• Summer High School/Teacher Science Camp• New Quantum Topics & Experiments Course Led by Principal Investigator Dr. Andrew Young alongside co-PIs from Texas A&M and the University of Wyoming, the project represents the first NSF PI award for Casper College faculty since 1995. By connecting two-year community college coursework with elite tier-one research faculty, the initiative aligns with broader federal efforts under the National Quantum Initiative to build a geographically diverse, non-traditional talent pipeline for the expanding quantum economy. Review the official news announcement on Casper College News here, access the official award record via the NSF Award #2609718 Database Listing here, explore regional workforce initiatives in our coverage of the NSF Regional Quantum Engines here, and examine nationwide educational investments via the NSF Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes Workforce Initiatives here. September 16, 2026 Mohamed Abdel-Kareem2026-09-16T20:57:55-07:00 Leave A Comment Cancel replyComment Type in the text displayed above Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.