History

SparCQS was created in Spring 2022 by Inès Montaño, initially through her leadership of the Engineering Workforce Development for the NSF Center for Quantum Networks, and is based within the Center for Materials Interfaces in Research and Access (¡MIRA!) at Northern Arizona University.

What began as a mobile quantum education and outreach initiative in Northern Arizona has since expanded substantially in scope, programming, and partnerships.

Today, SparCQS has established regional footprints in Arizona, California, and Colorado.

As SparCQS evolved into a broader initiative, the original Flagstaff-based program became SparCQS@FourCorners, giving the regional effort a distinct identity within the larger SparCQS initiative while reflecting its deep engagement across the Four Corners region. SparCQS@SoCal was established in March 2026 as part of NSF ¡MIRA!-PREM in partnership with the Micro Nano Technology Education Center based at Pasadena City College. This was followed in June 2026, by the launch of SparCQS@TheRockies, supported through Elevate Quantum, a Designated TechHub by the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration.

SparCQS’s success reflects the contributions of many people: Program Manager Cele Rodriguez, Matt Montoya Rush, who leads SparCQS’s visual design, numerous faculty and staff collaborators, and a growing number of undergraduate and graduate students. Learn more about the team behind SparCQS here.