Brzustowski returns in quantum role
Tom Brzustowski, UW's first provost, will return to the campus for a three-year stint as "senior advisor" to the Institute for Quantum Computing, the current provost announced in a memo late last week. Recently retired as president of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Brzustowski brings a broad knowledge of the government and science scene across Canada.
Said the memo from provost Amit Chakma: "With Dr. Brzustowski's guidance, UW will explore, identify, and analyse strategic initiatives in the natural sciences and engineering with a particular emphasis on quantum computing. He will fulfill a special role in advancing the Institute by establishing linkages with industry and governments as well as national and international research organizations and individuals..."
We are thrilled that he has agreed to assist UW in this important role." The mission of the IQC, says its website, is "to advance fundamental experimental and theoretical knowledge in relevant areas of Engineering, Mathematics and Science to enhance the developments in the field of Quantum Computation and Information Processing. This is to be achieved by providing a unique facility and environment to bring together some of the best researchers and students in computing, engineering, mathematical and physical sciences.
"Last year the IQC received a $33 million gift from Research In Motion founder (and UW chancellor) Mike Lazaridis and his wife, Ophelia. This year they boosted the gift to $50 million, in anticipation of a "Quantum-Nano Centre" to be built near the centre of UW's campus.
The IQC is already listing seven faculty members and two dozen graduate students among its researchers. Brzustowski was a professor of mechanical engineering at UW from 1962 to 1987, and served as vice-president (academic) starting in 1975. In mid-1987 he added the title of provost when that position was created. He left UW in September 1987 to become a deputy minister in the Ontario government, and he moved to be president of NSERC in 1995.