The University of Nebraska Omaha Physics Department will be hosting the the Nebraska Physics and Astronomy Summit March 7, 2026 at the UNO STEM Trail Center.
March 7, 2026
STEM TRAIL Center
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha, Nebraska
This conference is dedicated to providing a variety of professional development opportunities in astronomy and physics education for college, high school, and middle school teachers across the state of Nebraska. A theme of this event is the use of instructional technology to improve our teaching of astronomy and physics.
The conference begins with a keynote, an exhibition hall, and your choice of four breakout sessions. After lunch, the second keynote and longer workshop sessions close out the day.
| Speaker | Information |
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Morning Keynote Speaker: Alexey V. Krasnoslobodtsev, Ph.D., Isaacson Professor of Physics, University of Nebraska, OmahaView Dr. Krasnoslobodtsev's Profile Page Title of Presentation: UNO's Biomedical Physics at the Crossroads of Discovery and Economic Growth in Nebraska and Beyond. Abstract for Presentation: The talk will spotlight UNO’s Biomedical Physics program, which prepares the next generation of innovators through an interdisciplinary curriculum bridging physics and life sciences. Aligned with Nebraska’s growing bioeconomy, the program equips students with skills to drive biomedical and technological innovation while meeting workforce demands locally and nationwide. |
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Afternoon Keynote Speaker: Thomas Wong, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Physics, Creighton UniversityTitle of Presentation: Qubit Touchdown: A Quantum Computing Board Game Abstract of Presentation: Qubit Touchdown is a two-player, competitive board game that was developed to introduce students to quantum computing. The gameplay mirrors the rules of (American) football, with players taking turns moving the football to score the most touchdowns, and no knowledge of quantum computing is needed to play the game. We evaluated the game with 107 public high school students in Precalculus, Advanced Placement (AP) Statistics, and/or AP Physics 1 courses, and we found that (1) students' interest in quantum computing increased slightly, (2) students' self-confidence in their ability to learn quantum computing increased substantially; and (3) students widely considered the game accessible and fun. Thus, Qubit Touchdown could be an effective resource to introduce students to quantum computing. Free printables of the game are available, and professionally produced copies can be purchased on demand. This is based on joint work with Kristina Armbruster (Physics Teacher at Bellevue West High School) and Gintaras Duda (my department chair at Creighton), preprint at https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.10449, |
Draft Schedule - Check back often for updates
|
Time |
Information |
| 8:30 A.M. |
Registration and ParkingMap of UNO Campus
|
| 9 A.M. |
Opening WelcomeDr. Chris Moore, Director of UNO STEM Trail Center and Department Chair of UNO Physics Tribute to Dr. Kevin LeeDr. Evan Rich, UNL Physics & Astronomy Department Keynote PresentationDr. Alexey V. Krasnoslobodtsev, University of Nebraska Physics |
| 10 A.M. |
Continental Breakfast, Booths, Poster Session, Socializing |
| 11 A.M. |
Breakout Sessions |
| 11:30 A.M. |
Breakout Sessions |
| 12 P.M. |
Breakout Sessions |
| 12:30 P.M. |
Breakout Sessions |
| 1 P.M. |
LunchSTEM Trail Center Event Space catered by UNO catering services N-AAPT Business Meeting |
| 2 P.M. |
Keynote PresentationDr. Thomas Wong, Creighton University Physucs |
| 3 P.M. |
Breakout Sessions (1.5 hr) |
| 4:30 P.M. |
EvaluationsDismissal |