The University of Maryland announced on Monday that physicist Gretchen Campbell will serve in a brand new position overseeing this university’s quantum research and education efforts.

As associate vice president for quantum research and education, Campbell will work to advance Gov. Wes Moore’s vision of Maryland as a global quantum capital, expand curricula for K-12 through graduate programs and put this university at the forefront of quantum research, according to a Monday news release.

Campbell assumed her new role on Sunday. She joins this university from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where she served as assistant director for quantum information science and was director of the National Quantum Coordination Office.

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Quantum research at this university spans multiple disciplines, from computer science and cryptography to engineering and materials science, according to its website.

Campbell’s appointment comes after two developments that continued this university’s quantum commitment.

In January, Moore said the “Capital of Quantum” initiative will secure more than $1 billion in economic investments over the next five years to establish the state as a quantum innovation hub. The state will also make the Capital Quantum Benchmarking Hub, which will be located at this university’s Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security, Moore announced.

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Campbell has also held multiple leadership roles at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the news release read. She was co-director of the Joint Quantum Institute — a partnership between the National Institute of Standards and Technology, this university and the Laboratory for Physical Sciences — from 2016 to 2025. She has also been an adjunct professor in this university’s physics department since 2009.

“I’ve been fortunate to be part of Maryland’s quantum community for many years,” Campbell said in the news release. “Stepping into this new role, I’m excited to help build on that foundation and continue advancing our leadership alongside our outstanding faculty, students and partners.”

Campbell earned her doctorate in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and her bachelor’s degree in physics from Wellesley College.