Building South Dakota’s Quantum Workforce

September 15, 2025

Dr. Peng Guo, assistant professor of theoretical physics, is leading the launch of a quantum computing research initiative at Dakota State University.

Guo's work is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Research Fellows. This program supports early to mid-career researchers to develop collaborations with the nation's private, government, or academic research institutions.

His project aims to develop a new approach for simulating few-particle interactions on quantum computers. Guo will be partnering with Argonne National Laboratory and the South Dakota Center for Quantum Information Science & Technology (C-QIST) to advance the research efforts.

"Hopefully, this will create more opportunities in the future for DSU faculty and students," Guo said. "And make South Dakota C-QIST quantum research more visible to the rest of the world."

The nearly $300K fellowship was extremely competitive, with hundreds of researchers vying for the fellowship. Guo was very appreciative of the support he received from DSU colleagues throughout the application process, with strong support letters from DSU, like Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences Stacey Berry.

"Dr. Guo is a brilliant early-career physicist whose groundbreaking work in quantum physics has now attracted over half a million federal research dollars in just his first three years with us," said Dr. Pete Hoesing, associate vice president of research and economic development. "We are thrilled to see him collaborating with Argonne National Laboratory, and we look forward to supporting his efforts to build capacity for the study of quantum science and technology in South Dakota."

In addition to the potential scientific breakthroughs, this fellowship and project will help build South Dakota's QIST ecosystem by creating new jobs, business opportunities, and attracting global talent to the state.

"This is an extraordinary achievement for Dr. Guo and for the College of Arts & Sciences," said Dr. Stacey Berry, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. "This NSF award is a powerful recognition of his talent and dedication, and we are proud to support him as he continues to bring creativity and innovation to both our students and the broader research community. His groundbreaking work in quantum science is not only advancing the field but also building South Dakota's future workforce."

This fellowship follows a $250,000 grant that Guo previously secured from NSF for prior work in Quantum.

"I am very honored to receive NSF support again," said Guo. "I think it's a good opportunity for DSU to establish long-lasting, collaborative relationships with a major quantum research hub in the nation."

Tags: All News Academics Research College of Arts and Sciences