Management Team

Dr. Celia Merzbacher is Executive Director of the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C), a consortium that aims to enable and grow the U.S. quantum industry. QED-C is supported by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and nearly 250 industry, academic and other members and is managed by SRI International. Dr. Merzbacher is U.S. Co-Chair of the Quad Investors Network’s Quantum Center of Excellence and serves on as an advisor to several quantum research organizations. Previously, Dr. Merzbacher was Vice President for Innovative Partnerships at the Semiconductor Research Corporation. In 2003-2008, she was Assistant Director for Technology R&D in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and Executive Director of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Dr. Merzbacher is a Fellow of the AAAS and served as Chair of the National Materials and Manufacturing Board of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine and on the Board of Directors of ANSI. Dr. Celia Merzbacher is Executive Director of the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C), a consortium that aims to enable and grow the U.S. quantum industry. QED-C is supported by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and nearly 250 industry, academic and other members and is managed by SRI International. Dr. Merzbacher is U.S. Co-Chair of the Quad Investors Network’s Quantum Center of Excellence and serves on as an advisor to several quantum research organizations. Dr. Merzbacher is a Fellow of the AAAS and served as Chair of the National Materials and Manufacturing Board of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine.

Dr. Jonathan Felbinger is the deputy director of the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C). In his career spanning academia, industry, and government, he has developed research and development (R&D) strategies, exercised oversight of portfolios, and implemented advanced R&D programs. Prior to joining QED-C, Jonathan was with the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), where he led studies and managed technological aspects of reports to Congress. Previously, he was awarded a AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowship to explore frontiers in fundamental research while serving the Department of Defense's grants office. IEEE elevated Jonathan to Senior Member in recognition of sustained, significant scientific and engineering performance. He is dedicated to furthering the development and adoption of quantum and related emerging technologies for national and societal benefits. Outside of the quantum realm, Jonathan is an active volunteer and nonprofit board member and enjoys the outdoors.

Erin Weeks comes to QED-C from the professional and trade association space with 7 years of experience strengthening components, managing volunteers, and creating process efficiencies for a professional association. She achieved the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential in 2020. Erin stumbled into the space after graduating with her MA in International Relations and International Economics from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. She worked abroad as an Assistant Language Teacher with the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program from 2008 - 2011, interned at the Institute of Energy Economics Japan, and conducted open-source research on Japanese Nuclear Policy. Erin lives in the DMV with her watch-dinosaur Vivi and her plants where she takes classes on any subject that catches her interest.

Jamine Cho is a dynamic program manager at QED-C, with a diverse background spanning business, marketing, and technology. She began her career as a buyer in the tech industry, gaining expertise in procurement and strategic sourcing. Her entrepreneurial acumen led her to establish a marketing consulting firm, where she advised clients on brand development and market positioning. Transitioning into business analysis, she refined her ability to translate complex data into actionable insights.

Beyond her professional work, she is deeply committed to mentorship and community engagement. She volunteers as a mentor for high school business chapters, helping to cultivate future leaders. A dedicated supporter of the performing arts, she actively contributes to initiatives that promote dancers and creative expression. An avid traveler and golfer, she values new experiences, cultural exploration, and staying active.

Now at QED-C, she leverages her extensive expertise to lead programs that drive innovation, collaboration, and growth in the quantum ecosystem.

Ms. Bouverot has more than 10 years of experience in strategic and operational support for the U.S. federal government, non-profit organizations, and private sector companies. As Head of Operations for Labor Solutions, Ms. Bouverot led projects utilizing proprietary mobile applications to connect global companies with their factory workforce and to empower workers through e-learning and information sharing. Ms. Bouverot also served as the Head of Innovation for Labor Solutions, guiding the pursuit of new products and services based on user feedback, competitor analysis, and internal interests. Previously, she worked at Elevate where she implemented mobile surveys and information blasts, collected and analyzed data, and piloted new technology, such as mobile telepresence. Ms. Bouverot has also advised and managed projects for a sanitation-focused social enterprise in Kumasi, Ghana, and provided process analysis and recommendations for U.S. federal agencies. Ms. Bouverot received a master?s degree in Business Administration from INSEAD Business School and a bachelor?s degree in Commerce from the University of Virginia.

Anish recently graduated from Vanderbilt University with a triple major in Computer Science, Physics, and Mathematics. During his undergraduate years, he gained a breadth of research experience across quantum simulation, quantum computing, experimental physics, and cosmology through a combination of academic labs, internships, and independent projects. He is particularly drawn to quantum computing for the way it reshapes conventional logic and intuition, offering a new paradigm for solving problems through uniquely powerful algorithms. This intellectual shift not only fascinates him but also motivates his deep commitment to building expertise in the field, with the long-term goal of becoming a pioneer in quantum technologies. He will be joining the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) for his Ph.D. in the fall, where he plans to focus on quantum algorithms and quantum information science. This summer, he is excited to contribute to the QED-C initiative.

Prachi Mishra is a graduate student in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. Her academic interests and professional experiences lie at the intersection of emerging technologies, public policy, and international security. Prior to moving to DC, she worked as Tech Policy Fellow at the University of Chicago, where she was engaged on the Quantum Meta-Ethics Project and researched on the uptake of Quantum technologies in the Indo-Pacific and how India, more specifically, can ease into its Quantum transition. She presented her research findings at over fifteen panel discussions and colloquia, most notably the Quad Tech Network Dialogue Track 1.5 hosted in Canberra in September 2023. She has also worked with several Members of the Indian Parliament on saliant issues across finance, infrastructure, technology, and agriculture.

At SRI, she will be assisting the Law & Policy Technical Advisory Committee on matters of Quantum tech policy, governance, and ethics. Prachi holds an undergraduate degree in Computer Science and Engineering and a master’s in public policy. In her spare time, she enjoys reading books on behavioral and social psychology, going on long walks, watercolor painting, and journaling.

Gabriel Brock is a Technology Policy Intern at the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C). He is a senior at Harvard College studying Government, Computer Science, and African-American Studies. He is a multi-disciplinary research-advocate focusing on algorithmic bias, data security, and predictive technologies. Gabriel's original research has appeared in several journals and conferences, and he continues to develop insights about emerging technologies like Quantum. He is dedicated to studying the societal impact of technology across sectors and redeveloping the legal landscape governing emerging tech. Outside of his work with QED-C, Gabriel works with public-interest arts and media and enjoys cycling and backpacking.

Hrushikesh is a Ph.D. candidate in Computer Engineering at North Carolina State University, specializing in quantum computing. His research focuses on unlocking the full potential of quantum processors through advanced error mitigation, correction, and noise characterization techniques. He is currently a quantum benchmarking intern at SRI International and previously served as a guest student at Los Alamos National Laboratory through a competitive summer fellowship. Fascinated by the intersection of theory and hardware, Hrushikesh is driven by the challenge of bridging the gap between today’s noisy intermediate-scale quantum devices and the promise of fault-tolerant quantum computation. Beyond research, he’s an avid fan of science fiction and fantasy, drawn to bold ideas and alternate realities—both fictional and quantum.

John Lock is an undergraduate student studying International Economics in the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. His education so far has dealt with Economics’ impact on the political situations at home and abroad, and he is interested in Quantum Technology’s role within International Economics now and in the future. Through numerous roles in Boy Scouts and the Environmental Club at Georgetown, John has experience in areas such as event administration, and organizational management that he uses to help support the QED-C team in his role as a Membership and Operations intern. In his free time John enjoys hiking and reading, while during the school year he enjoys beekeeping and finding new movies to watch from the University library.