Friday, Oct. 9, 2026 | The State Historical Society of Missouri
Join researchers, industry leaders, students, government partners and the broader community for Mizzou Quantum Day 2026. The program will explore the rapidly evolving quantum technology landscape, the road toward large-scale fault-tolerant quantum computing, emerging applications and security challenges, workforce development and opportunities to prepare Missouri for the quantum era.
Attendees are welcome to attend in person or virtually.
Keynote speakers
- Dr. Oliver Dial, IBM Fellow, VP for Quantum Systems
- Dr. Aaron Kemp, Senior Director of Quantum Research, KPMG
Agenda
| Time | Schedule of Events |
|---|---|
| 8:30-9 a.m. | Check-in, light breakfast and networking |
| 9-9:15 a.m. | Welcome to Mizzou Quantum Day Campus leaders and QIC Executive Committee |
| 9:15-10:15 a.m. | Opening Keynote – “Building the Quantum Computing Present and Future” Dr. Oliver Dial, IBM Fellow and Vice President, Quantum Systems |
| 10:15-10:30 a.m. | Networking break |
| 10:30-11:30 a.m. | Quantum Industry Panel The Quantum Roadmap: From Today’s Systems to Large-Scale, Fault-Tolerant Computing Industry leaders discuss advances across quantum hardware and software, technology roadmaps, scaling challenges, and what will be required to build the emerging fault-tolerant quantum ecosystem. |
| 11:30 a.m.-12 p.m. | Mizzou Quantum Research: Student Innovation Showcase Highlights from the Mizzou QIC Summer Research Internship Program |
| 12-1 p.m. | Networking Lunch and and Quantum Research Poster Session Meet Mizzou students and researchers and explore projects from the QIC Summer Research Internship Program. |
| 1-2 p.m. | Afternoon Keynote Dr. Aaron Kemp, Senior Director of Quantum Research, KPMG |
| 2-2:15 p.m. | Networking Break |
| 2:15-3:15 p.m. | Missouri Industry and Government Panel Quantum-Ready Missouri: Security, Workforce, and Competitiveness Missouri leaders discuss how government, industry, and higher education can prepare for the quantum era, from cybersecurity and emerging use cases to workforce development, economic opportunity, and Missouri’s long-term competitiveness. |
| 3:15-4 p.m. | Quantum Community Networking and Research Showcase |
| 4-4:15 p.m. | Mizzou Quantum Awards Quantum Hackathon winners and outstanding summer internship project awards |
| 4:15-4:30 p.m. | What’s Next for Quantum at Mizzou? Next steps and closing remarks |
Keynote Speakers
Dr. Oliver Dial
IBM Fellow and Vice President, Quantum Systems
Path to Useful Quantum Computing
IBM Quantum is the industry leader of quantum computing hardware and software. Through partnerships like the one with the University of Missouri, IBM Quantum is pushing the state of the art forward and delivering results now. Hear about the industry, the successes, and the path forward towards Quantum Advantage and further.
Dr. Oliver Dial was named an IBM Fellow in 2021 for his contributions to quantum computing hardware. He is VP of Quantum Systems at IBM, ensuring IBM’s quantum hardware and software together deliver outstanding performance. Oliver received his PhD from MIT in 2007 for research in two-dimensional electron and hole systems. He then entered the field of quantum computing at Harvard, demonstrating the first two-qubit gate between semiconductor singlet-triplet qubits and performing pioneering charge noise spectroscopy in these systems. He joined IBM as a research scientist in 2012.
Dr. Aaron Kemp
Senior Director of Quantum Research, KPMG
As Senior Director of Quantum Research and US Quantum Lead at KPMG LLP, Dr. Kemp leads KPMG’s quantum computing research group, helping Fortune 500 organizations prepare for the impact of quantum technologies on cybersecurity, optimization, and enterprise strategy. His work spans three key areas: quantum optimization, quantum machine learning, and post-quantum cryptography (PQC). He helps clients translate emerging quantum capabilities into actionable strategies, technical roadmaps, and production-ready implementations. With hands-on experience in applied quantum research, including quantum optimization (QUBO/QAOA), hybrid classical-quantum machine learning, and Shor-class algorithm implementation on current-generation quantum processors, Dr. Kemp works at the intersection of emerging technology and enterprise security. His published research, including KPMG’s Quantum Dawn Point of View, helps executive audiences understand both the risks and opportunities presented by the quantum era. Drawing on more than 30 years of experience across cybersecurity, IT, and risk management, including leadership roles at Lockheed Martin, ABB, DCMA, and the US Navy, Dr. Kemp brings a practical perspective on preparing organizations for the future of computing and the transition to post-quantum cryptography.
Industry Panelists
Jeffrey Dale
CTO, QodeX Quantum
Jeffrey Dale holds BS degrees in Computer Science and Mathematics from Missouri State University (2018) and a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Missouri – Columbia (2022). His undergraduate and graduate research were both focused on classical machine learning, with the latter primarily funded by Army and Navy grants. He went on to serve as a civilian research scientist at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division, during which time he was integrated into quantum error correction and quantum machine learning teams. In 2025, Dr. Dale and two colleagues left the Navy to start QodeX Quantum and pursue our shared passion for quantum machine learning. QodeX is building AlphaPsi, an agentic research platform for enterprise quantum teams to accelerate novel quantum algorithm discovery.
Alex Shih
Vice President of Product, Q-CTRL
Alex Shih is the Vice President of Product at Q-CTRL (q-ctrl.com), a quantum infrastructure software company building AI-powered, error reducing, performance maximizing software products for quantum hardware (quantum computers and quantum sensors). He has previously held product leadership roles at various technology companies, such as Slack, Airbnb, Planet Labs, and Google, and founded a couple startups (some of which have exited). He earned a dual Masters in engineering systems design and management from MIT and a B.S. in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Cornell University.
Mike Piech
Vice President – Business Development, Rigetti Computing
Mike Piech is vice president of business development at Rigetti Computing, with responsibility for sales, partnerships, and marketing. Prior to Rigetti, Mike was vice president and general manager of several business units at Red Hat, managing teams responsible for the product management, strategy, and marketing of Red Hat’s AI and middleware offerings. Prior to Red Hat, Mike held executive product roles at Magnet Systems (mobile app server) and Engine Yard (PaaS) after five years at Oracle and BEA with product responsibility for WebLogic, Java, and other enterprise platform technologies. Mike began his career at Sun Microsystems in R&D engineering roles in video and image processing. Mike holds an MBA from INSEAD, a BS in computer science and engineering from MIT, and several patents.
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Learn more about the 2025 Mizzou Quantum Day.