Nesbit Lecture: A mathematical journey

Speaker: Professor Eleanor Rieffel
Affiliation: Director of the Queensland Quantum Decarbonisation Alliance, The University of Queensland

Abstract

A mathematician by training, Director of the Queensland Quantum Decarbonisation Alliance, Professor Eleanor Rieffel's career has taken her from pure mathematics to the frontiers of quantum computing. Along the way, she’s helped shape a field poised to tackle some of the world's most complex challenges.

The 2026 Nesbit Endowed Lecture is a fascinating glimpse into a journey that has taken Eleanor from pure mathematics to quantum research, deftly applying the power of mathematical thinking to the quantum ecosystem.

About the presenter

A mathematician by training, Dr Eleanor G. Rieffel is a Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at The University of Queensland (UQ) and is the Director of the Queensland Quantum Decarbonisation Alliance. 

She previously led the Quantum Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Center and was the NASA Senior Researcher for Advanced Computing and Data Analytics. Her research focuses on quantum algorithms, distributed quantum computing, quantum error correction, logical and fault-tolerant quantum architectures, applications of quantum computing, and fundamental underpinnings of quantum computation. 

Prior to NASA, she worked as the resident mathematician at a computer-science oriented corporate research laboratory, FXPAL, where she contributed to research in diverse fields including applied cryptography, bioinformatics, image-based geometric reconstruction of 3D scenes, automated control code generation for modular robotics, and quantum computation. 

She received her PhD in pure mathematics from the University of California, Los Angeles. She is best known for her 2011 book Quantum Computing: A Gentle Introduction (MIT Press), co-authored with Wolfgang Polak.