Programs & operations
Ellis Park
Education & Outreach Lead
they/them · at Ruqi since 2023
“People do not need to be told that quantum is magic. They need a way in that respects their intelligence and does not waste their time.”
Ellis leads Quantum Classroom, the lab's school and community program, and Public Lab Night, a monthly open house where neighbors can see the machine and argue with the researchers. They also coordinate the lab's teacher fellowship, now in its third year.
They grew up in Chicago, taught middle-school science, and spent several years designing exhibits for a public science center. They are allergic to the word 'quantum' used as a synonym for 'unexplainable' and have the workshop slides to prove it.
At Ruqi they work with researchers to turn papers into honest, hands-on teaching materials. Every resource is free, printable, and tested with actual students before release.
Working on
Science education · Public engagement · Teacher training
Off the clock
Throws pots at a community ceramics studio, tends a plot in the neighborhood garden, and coaches a robotics team.
Ask me about
classroom physics, museum design, teacher fellowships, ceramics.
Questions in the drawer
- How do you teach superposition without implying that observation is magic?
- What makes a lab visit useful for a student who has never met a scientist?
- Which analogies survive contact with a classroom, and which quietly create misconceptions?
Selected work
2026
2025
Open to collaborations
Work with Ellis
Good questions make better neighbours.
We answer email from students, journalists, public servants, and anyone who is trying to understand what quantum technology can actually do.