Post by Adib Kabir

With my utmost pleasure, I am thrilled to share that I've officially accepted my PhD offer in Materials Science program at UC Santa Barbara! This was not an easy decision. Out of all the decisions, choosing between the Quantum Engineering program at the University of Chicago and the Materials Science program at UCSB was a "worst-tie" scenario if there ever was one. However, after visiting Santa Barbara, I have witnessed some incredible research cohorts, collaborative culture, and their status as the #1 program for quantum materials and devices. Getting to work alongside world-renowned materials growers and device researchers who are actively bridging the gap between fundamental physics and industry giants like Google Quantum AI and Microsoft Quantum is exactly where I want to be. (By the way, the stunning coastal landscape certainly didn't hurt the decision, either!) This journey would not be possible without my mentors who pushed me to become an interdisciplinary and independent problem-solver: ⚫ At Purdue University: A huge thank you to Dr. Arnab Banerjee for the Quantum Spin Liquid material research that started it all. ⚫ At Oak Ridge National Laboratory: Massive thanks to Dr. Kalyana Chakravarthi Gottiparthi for the invaluable guidance and feedback on my research in Quantum Computing. ⚫ At Gettysburg College: An heartfelt thanks to my advisor, Dr. Bret Crawford, for years of mentorship and support during my time in Gettysburg. A huge thank you to my parents and sister Oishi Kabir -- I wouldn't be here without your constant encouragement and support. I also want to thank Mohammad Farhan Rawnak and Serat Mahmud Saad for the late-night SOP feedback and insights. Special thanks to Lauren Bell for your feedback on my SOP. Finally, to rest of my well-wishers who I could not mention in this paragraph, thank you so much for being a part of this journey! If my journey so far has taught me anything, it’s that research is about being an enthusiast and troubleshooting non-stop until the "impossible" works. I can’t wait to start this next chapter in Santa Barbara! 😊 To all who are still striving for something greater: "Hang on, You've got this!" #UCSB #MaterialsScience #QuantumComputing #PhD #QuantumMaterials #QuantumDevices