Quantum computing research earns professor prestigious Cottrell Scholar Award Yizhi You, an assistant physics professor, was named a Cottrell Scholar, which is bestowed on promising early-career academics studying chemistry, physics or astronomy. Since coming to Northeastern in 2022, Yizhi You has focused her research on a broad range of subjects within the realm of quantum many-body physics. This includes quantum computing, an emerging field that harnesses principles of quantum physics to create machines that can work faster than a traditional computer. You’s work has won her accolades like the CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) which supports early-career faculty members who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education. Now, You has a new achievement. The Research Corporation for Science Advancement (RCSA), named You, an assistant physics professor at Northeastern, as one of the 24 recipients of this year’s prestigious Cottrell Scholar Award. This honor bestows promising early-career academics studying chemistry, physics or astronomy in the United States or Canada with research funding and networking opportunities. “This is an exceptional cohort of teacher‑scholars whose innovative work fuels discovery across the physical sciences,” Eric Isaacs, President & CEO of RCSA said in a statement of this year’s cohort. “Their insights and energy will strengthen a 600‑member network of researchers, leaders, and mentors dedicated to pushing the boundaries of knowledge while shaping the future of science and science teaching in the United States and Canada.” You received the award for a research proposal titled “A Route Map to Open Quantum Systems and Mixed States: Insights from Duality,” as part of which she and a team of postdocs will look at a concept in quantum computing called dissipation which is when a quantum system loses information due to its surrounding environment. You said that quantum computing