Manfra appointed Purdue’s chief quantum officer

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University announced Tuesday (March 3) that quantum computing expert Michael Manfra has been appointed chief quantum officer, effective Jan. 1, 2026. He is currently director of the Purdue Quantum Science and Engineering Institute (PQSEI).

In this newly established joint role, Manfra — the Bill and Dee O’Brien Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy, professor in the Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and professor of materials engineering — will strategically guide Purdue’s quantum portfolio including its engagement with industry and government partners, educational activities, and serve as special advisor to university President Mung Chiang and Provost Patrick Wolfe to integrate quantum research into the broader Purdue Computes initiative.

“Mike is the right person, and now is the right time, for this appointment, given the potential of quantum technologies to transform our future,” Wolfe said. “A team player for Purdue and someone whose research career has consistently generated important firsts, Mike’s strategic understanding of the broad and promising landscape in quantum science and engineering will position us well to advance and integrate our growing quantum research portfolio.”

The need for highly skilled talent in quantum science and technology is expected to grow dramatically in the next decade. As chief quantum officer, Manfra’s wide-ranging responsibilities include overseeing Purdue’s newly launched quantum degrees program. Purdue is preparing the nation’s next-generation quantum workforce by offering an array of educational opportunities in quantum computing, communications and sensing that combine theory with practical application.

“I look forward to continuing to work with the Purdue teams that are advancing understanding and practical applications of quantum science,” Manfra said. “We will also forge new partnerships with industry and government agencies to accelerate the translation of quantum science to useful technologies.”

Manfra is recognized globally as a groundbreaking researcher in quantum science and its applications to technology. He led a team of Purdue scientists who demonstrated concrete evidence of the existence of anyons, a particle that is particularly important in efforts to build a fault-tolerant utility-scale quantum computer.

He also has a keen understanding of the relationship between research conducted in industry and academia, having spent a decade as a research scientist at Bell Laboratories before joining the Purdue faculty in 2009. In 2016 Manfra became the scientific director of Microsoft Quantum, West Lafayette, part of Microsoft’s global effort to build a utility-scale quantum computer before taking the PQSEI helm in 2025.

Manfra was also awarded the American Physical Society’s 2026 Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Physics Prize, which recognizes outstanding theoretical or experimental contributions to condensed matter physics for the experimental observation of anyons in two-dimensional electron systems.

Quantum science and engineering at Purdue is a pillar of the Purdue Computes initiative, which is focused on advancing research in computing, physical AI, semiconductors and quantum technologies.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research university leading with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities in the United States, Purdue discovers, disseminates and deploys knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 106,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities, including more than 57,000 at our main campus locations in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 14 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its integrated, comprehensive Indianapolis urban expansion; the Mitch Daniels School of Business; Purdue Computes; and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.