MTSU Delegation Visits Oak Ridge National Laboratory to Strengthen Quantum Partnership

The MTSU delegation and ORNL hosts at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, September 11, 2026.
The MTSU delegation and ORNL hosts at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, September 11, 2026.

September 11, 2026 • Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN

On September 11, 2026, a delegation led by Hanna Terletska, Director of the QRISE Center at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), spent a full day at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) meeting with quantum research and partnership leaders and touring quantum laboratories. The goal was to build on existing collaborations, including TN-QuMat, and explore a broader partnership in research, education, and workforce development.

A Full Day of Discussion and Lab Tours

The day opened with an overview of ORNL’s quantum program from Teja Kuruganti and Nicholas Peters. Hanna Terletska then presented “Quantum@MTSU: Building Middle Tennessee’s Quantum Research and Workforce Ecosystem,” and Brad Gibson gave an overview of Middle Tennessee Electric. Discussions on quantum partnerships, led by Travis Humble and Moody Altamimi, continued over a working lunch with Shaun Gleason on partnerships and the Tennessee Quantum Initiative (TQI).

Hanna Terletska’s presentation to ORNL leaders and researchers.

Hanna Terletska’s presentation to ORNL leaders and researchers.

In the afternoon, the group toured quantum laboratories in two ORNL buildings, seeing experimental setups and quantum computing hardware firsthand. Mariam Kiran and Alberto Marino then presented ORNL’s work in quantum networking and quantum sensing, and the day ended with an open discussion of next steps.

Why This Partnership Matters

MTSU and ORNL already work together through TN-QuMat, a U.S. Department of Energy RENEW partnership that also includes Tennessee State University, Fisk University, and Meharry Medical College. In 2026, five TN-QuMat interns conducted research at ORNL, and 12 scholars were selected from about 70 applicants for the AMPLIFY program. Researchers at MTSU also collaborate with ORNL scientists, including Thomas Maier and Markus Eisenbach, on quantum materials.

The visit looked beyond individual projects. ORNL offers world-class capabilities in quantum science and materials, high-performance and quantum-classical computing, and national-laboratory testbeds. MTSU brings growing multidisciplinary research that complements these strengths, along with Middle Tennessee reach and a workforce pipeline that extends from K–12 through community and technical colleges to university degrees. Having regional education and industry partners in the room reflected that broader goal.

The timing also matters. For the Tennessee Quantum Initiative to have statewide impact, it needs strong regional partners in research, workforce, infrastructure, and industry. An East-to-Middle Tennessee quantum corridor would connect ORNL’s national-laboratory capabilities with the students, institutions, and employers of Middle Tennessee.

From Hanna Terletska’s presentation at ORNL: a vision for an East-to-Middle Tennessee quantum corridor.

From Hanna Terletska’s presentation at ORNL: a vision for an East-to-Middle Tennessee quantum corridor.

Looking Ahead

The visit showed strong overlap across quantum materials, quantum sensing and photonics, quantum networking, and quantum computing and simulation. As next steps, MTSU faculty will connect with ORNL researchers whose expertise most closely overlaps with theirs, explore ORNL user programs, and hold smaller technical discussions to identify joint research projects.

Who Took Part

The visit brought together university leadership, researchers, and regional education and industry partners from Middle Tennessee, hosted by Teja Kuruganti, Director of the ORNL Computational Sciences and Engineering Division.

Visiting delegation

  • Hanna Terletska, Professor of Physics and Astronomy and Director of the QRISE Center, MTSU
  • Greg Van Patten, Dean, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, MTSU
  • Ron Henderson, Chair, Department of Physics and Astronomy, MTSU
  • Drew Harpool, Vice President, Business and Finance, MTSU
  • John Villanova, Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy, MTSU
  • Fu Li, Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy, MTSU
  • Brad Gibson, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer, Middle Tennessee Electric
  • Michael Torrence, President, Motlow State Community College
  • Patrick Wade, President, Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Murfreesboro
  • Bill Ketron, former Tennessee State Senator

ORNL participants

  • Teja Kuruganti, Director, Computational Sciences and Engineering Division
  • Shaun Gleason, Director, Partnerships Office
  • Travis Humble, Director, Quantum Science Center
  • Moody Altamimi, Director, Office of Research Education
  • Nicholas Peters, Section Head, Quantum Information Sciences Section
  • Thomas Maier, Section Head, Advanced Computing Methods for Physical Sciences Section
  • Mariam Kiran, Group Leader, Quantum Communications and Networking Group
  • Alberto Marino, Group Leader, Quantum Sensing and Computing Group

Photos

Working lunch discussion on partnerships and the Tennessee Quantum Initiative.
Working lunch discussion on partnerships and the Tennessee Quantum Initiative.
Touring a quantum laboratory at ORNL.
Touring a quantum laboratory at ORNL.
An ORNL researcher explains an experimental setup to the visitors.
An ORNL researcher explains an experimental setup to the visitors.
Visitors in an ORNL quantum laboratory.
Visitors in an ORNL quantum laboratory.
The delegation views laboratory equipment during the tour.
The delegation views laboratory equipment during the tour.
An IQM quantum computer at ORNL.
An IQM quantum computer at ORNL.

Acknowledgment

U.S. Department of Energy

TN-QuMat is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy RENEW program under award DE-SC0025748. MTSU thanks Teja Kuruganti, Kasi Arnold, and all ORNL hosts for their time and hospitality. For more about TN-QuMat, visit https://tn-qumat.org.