Illinois
Illinois Wesleyan to Launch First-of-its-Kind Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Quantum Science and Engineering Program
Fisher Center for Interdisciplinary Quantum Science & Engineering positions Illinois
as a leader in next generation quantum education
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Illinois Wesleyan University today announced the creation of the Fisher Center for
Interdisciplinary Quantum Science & Engineering, a first-of-its-kind undergraduate
program that brings together multiple areas of study to better prepare students for
careers in this emerging field.
The Fisher Quantum Center will make Illinois Wesleyan the first undergraduate liberal
arts university in the United States to offer an interdisciplinary quantum program,
positioning both the University and the state as leaders in the quantum space.
The Fisher Quantum Center is supported by a founding gift from Ann ‘82 and Alan Fisher,
providing the resources to establish the center and launch programming. Ann is a graduate
of Illinois Wesleyan University and serves on the university’s Board of Trustees.
The Fisher Quantum Center is designed to grow in phases and will expand its curriculum,
facilities, and partnerships over time.
“The Fisher Quantum Center represents a defining step forward as the first undergraduate
interdisciplinary quantum program. Quantum is reshaping industries and the way we
solve complex problems, and this complexity is an ideal fit with Illinois Wesleyan’s
cross-curricular approach to undergraduate education. We are especially grateful to
Ann and Alan Fisher for their generous gift that is making this distinctive program
possible,” said Illinois Wesleyan University President Sheahon J. Zenger.
What is Quantum?
Quantum science studies how matter and energy behave at the smallest scale, where
the differences can be used to create new, more powerful technologies. Because of
this, quantum has a wide variety of real-world applications and is poised to transform
everyday lives and revolutionize industries ranging from computing and cybersecurity
to healthcare, finance, and agriculture.
Most quantum programs are primarily offered at the graduate level and focus on a single
area of study. The Fisher Quantum Center takes a fundamentally different approach
by focusing exclusively on undergraduate education and bringing together physics,
chemistry, computer science, mathematics, biology, business, philosophy, and engineering
into one holistic curriculum. Instead of separating these fields and narrowing the
focus, it connects them to better reflect the broad applications of quantum. This
first-of-its-kind approach prepares students not only with the technical skills for
these emerging careers, but with an understanding of the economic, ethical, environmental,
and societal implications of quantum technologies.
and instrumental performance (euphonium). He has also conducted research on the ethical
implications of quantum computing.
Students will be able to engage with quantum in multiple ways, including through individual
courses, certificates, concentrations, hands-on experiments, projects, faculty-mentored
research, and internships. The Fisher Quantum Center is designed to be flexible, inclusive,
and accessible to undergraduate students from all areas of study to create a gateway
into quantum for students who might not otherwise encounter the field. It will also
serve as hub for visiting scholars, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty to collaborate
on strengthening undergraduate quantum laboratories and infrastructure.
“We are proud to support the creation of the Fisher Quantum Center and the unique
opportunity it creates for students coming to Illinois Wesleyan. The Fisher Quantum
Center will open the door for students from many different backgrounds to engage with
quantum in a way that is accessible and better prepares them for future careers. We
are excited to see how this program grows and the impact it will have on Illinois
Wesleyan students, the university, and the broader community,” said Ann and Alan Fisher.
The first courses through the Fisher Quantum Center will be available in Spring 2027,
alongside enhanced quantum lab space, with programming expanding throughout the year.
Beyond the classroom, the Fisher Quantum Center will support outreach initiatives
to engage high school teachers and students to strengthen pathways into quantum and
STEM fields. Beginning in Summer 2026, Illinois Wesleyan will host a fully funded
Quantum Day Camp for high school STEM teachers and counselors from surrounding counties,
with a residential Quantum Camp for high school students anticipated for Summer 2027.
“The Fisher Quantum Center represents a first-of-its-kind program that will create
new opportunities for students to engage with quantum across disciplines while preparing
them for the high-quality jobs of the future. Quantum technology is already shaping
the future of the global economy, and Illinois is positioning itself as a global leader.
To compete, we need to continue building a strong workforce pipeline, and Illinois
Wesleyan is playing a critical role by giving students the skills and training needed
to fill these emerging jobs and help keep Illinois at the forefront of innovation,”
said Gov. JB Pritzker.
At a time when Illinois is emerging as a national hub for quantum innovation, the
Fisher Quantum Center will play a critical role in developing the next generation
of talent, expanding awareness of quantum careers and opportunities, and ensuring
the state remains competitive in this rapidly evolving field.
“Developing the next generation of talent is essential to maintaining Illinois’ momentum
in quantum,” said Illinois Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Christy George. “Illinois Wesleyan’s new program creates opportunities for students in high demand
fields while helping build the workforce pipeline Illinois industries need. The Fisher
Center reflects the forward-thinking approach that has helped position Illinois as
a growing hub for quantum innovation and emerging technologies.”
For more information about the Fisher Quantum Center, visit www.iwu.edu/fisher-quantum-center.
Vatican City’s been a popular spot for Illinois dignitaries since Chicago native Robert Prevost ascended to the papacy last year.
Leaders from Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to lawmakers to Gov. JB Pritzker have come bearing gifts for Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV — a Chicago-brewed “Da Pope” beer, city-sourced giardiniera, an Illini No. 14 jersey, Chicago White Sox gear and more.
Illinois State Treasurer Mike Frerichs’ gift, however, was possibly the most on brand. He delivered the pontiff a certificate to reclaim $8.65 of his own money, a sum the successor of St. Peter had held in a now-closed PayPal account.
The money had been sitting in Illinois’ unclaimed property account, and Frerichs — the account’s administrator — has been trying to return it.
“We found this money last year after he became pope,” Frerichs told Capitol News Illinois in a phone call Thursday morning while still in Italy. “We reached out to the local archdiocese trying to get him to claim it, and it fell through the cracks.”
Plan B? “Well, let’s deliver it in person,” he said.
That opportunity came to fruition on Wednesday.
He was invited to accompany a delegation organized by the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, and he and his wife Erica decided to make it a personal trip. He was raised Lutheran, she’s Catholic.
They paid for the trip personally, he said, using no campaign or state funds.
“My wife and I came together and made it a bit of a longer trip,” he said. “But I figured when I had the opportunity to meet the pope, you would take it.”
He also gifted the pontiff a commemorative Abraham Lincoln coin from a leftover supply the treasurer’s office had minted years ago, and a book about Chicago history. Erica Frerichs brought some of her family’s rosaries for the pope to bless.
As for the $8.65, Frerichs acknowledged that it’s garnered good press. It’s an election year, and Frerichs is slated to face Max Solomon in the general election, who won the GOP nod as a write-in candidate.
But his marketing of unclaimed property is nothing new.
“We know when people hear about our unclaimed property department, when they see an example of a real person getting money, more people visit our website, and when more people visit our website, we return more money,” he said. “Part of the reason we have smashed records on unclaimed property is because of how we market it differently.”
Frerichs first became treasurer in 2015, and his office has since returned more than $2.5 billion to more than 2.5 million people. That means Pope Leo’s PayPal windfall accounts for roughly 0.00000034% of the money returned.
“Some of them are amazing,” he said of the returns of unclaimed property. “We have an $11 million return, which is the largest in U.S. history. We’ve had million-dollar returns, half million. And some for only $8.65 actually probably will be the most memorable ones of my time in office.”
Upon receipt of the certificate from Frerichs, the pope chuckled and shared a now oft-repeated anecdote about calling his bank to close an account, only to be hung up on when revealing himself to be Pope Leo.
“It’s a true, slightly modified, but true story,” the pope can be heard saying in a video of the interaction. “A bank in Illinois.”
Frerichs told CNI he “completely understood that.”
He shared an anecdote from a few years back, when he had an issue with a bank that threatened to turn a sum of money over to the state’s unclaimed property administrator.
“I said, ‘Sure, go ahead and do that,’ and they said, ‘Sir, we don’t think you understand, it’ll be more work to claim it from your state’s unclaimed property administrator than to do what we’re asking you to do,’” he said.
“And I said, ‘No, I think I understand our state’s unclaimed property pretty well, go ahead and send it. … You’ll be sending it to me, because I am the state’s unclaimed property administrator,’” he said. “And then there was a pause, and they said, ‘Let me get a manager.’”
So, what’s next for Pope Leo?
“He just has to give us an address to mail the check to,” Frerichs said.
Any Illinoisan can check to see if they have unclaimed property on the treasurer’s website, icash.illinoistreasurer.gov/.
Illinois
Truck engulfed in flames on I-294 near Oak Brook, shutting down multiple lanes, police say: VIDEO
OAK BROOK, Ill. (WLS) — A truck was engulfed in flames Thursday evening on I-294 in the west suburbs, shutting down multiple lanes, Illinois State Police said.
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
The fire broke out on southbound I-294 near Oak Brook.
Only the left lane of southbound I-294 was open as of 9 p.m., ISP said.
No injuries have been reported.
This is a developing story.
Copyright © 2026 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.
New legislation in Illinois means new rules for electric bikes, scooters, and similar devices. Supporters of the legislation said the goal is to prevent injuries and fatalities, but some e-bike riders question the additional cost that would be involved.
Benjamin Rodriguez, who recently bought an electric bike, said he knows the responsibility that comes with enjoying a ride.
“For a lot of the bikers that are going very fast on these e-bikes, e-scooters, especially along the lakefront, make it dangerous for other regular cyclists, because most of the time they’re just zipping along. They’re not paying attention,” he said.
The Illinois Secretary of State’s Office said injuries and fatalities involving these types of devices increased 300% nationwide between 2019 and 2022. With that in mind, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said the passage of Senate Bill 3484 is a priority for public safety.
“Some of these devices have become faster, more powerful, and more dangerous than we could have ever have imagined, especially even just a couple of years ago,” he said.
Right now, there’s no statewide regulation in Illinois on high-speed electric bikes.
Senate Bill 3484, which was passed by state lawmakers at the end of their spring session, would require the owners of those devices statewide to only ride on the street, not on sidewalks, not in bike lanes, and not on bike paths.
Riders also would be required to have a valid driver’s license, title, registration, and insurance for their bikes.
“That may be a little too over the top, because you’re already paying several thousand dollars for these vehicles, but at the same time there needs to be some type of regulation to say where they could ride, how fast they could go, because they should be obeying the speed limits as well,” Rodriguez said.
When it comes to electric skateboards, electric unicycles, and high-speed electric scooters, the legislation would require operators to be at least 16 years old, and go no faster than 28 mph on a sidewalk. Those devices would be allowed on bike lanes, bike paths, and roads with speed limits of up to 35 mph. They could only be used on roads with a speed limit of more than 35 mph if there is a bike lane.
Dr. Michelle Macy, a pediatric emergency physician at Lurie Children’s Hospital, said she’s seen minor injuries, but also severe ones.
“Head injuries that are severe enough that someone’s lost consciousness and needs to have a breathing tube and spend days and weeks in the intensive care unit,” she said.
The legislation now goes to Gov. JB Pritzker. If he signs the bill into law, or allows it to go into effect without his signature, it would take effect on Jan. 1, 2027.
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