Governor Greg Abbott’s office has announced the appointments of five members of the state’s Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee. The Initiative is aimed at developing a strategic plan for the promotion of Texas’ “quantum economy”—an emerging economic ecosystem driven by the development of quantum technologies including computing, cryptography, sensors, materials, and more.

Texas’ Quantum Initiative is a law enacted by the legislature in January 2025, with the aim of positioning the Lone Star State as a U.S. leader in quantum computing, networking, and sensing technologies. Along with the governor-appointed advisory committee, the law calls for a strategic planning regimen and a grant fund that will support research, workforce training, and quantum manufacturing efforts across Texas.

Meet the new members

The governor appointed Victor Fishman, Ph.D. and Lin Zhou, Ph.D. to the Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee for terms set to expire on January 31, 2027. Governor Abbott also appointed Richard “Ross” Coffman for a term set to expire on January 31, 2029, and appointed John Josephakis and Jeff Prevost, Ph.D. for terms set to expire on January 31, 2031. The Initiative will develop a strategic plan for the promotion of the quantum economy in this state.

Per the governor’s office, here are the new members:

John Josephakis of Dallas is a global vice president at NVIDIA. Josephakis received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from UT Austin with a minor in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Business Administration in Finance from St. Edwards University.

Victor Fishman, Ph.D. of Allen is the executive director of the Texas Research Alliance. He’s a board member on the Dallas Innovation Alliance and the North Texas Innovation Alliance and a member of the National Defense Industrial Association. He’s also a veteran of the Vietnam war, having served in the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps. Fishman received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Miami, a Master of Science in Chemistry from Clemson University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry from The University of Texas (UT) at Austin.

Lin Zhou, Ph.D. of Lubbock is the vice president, chief information officer, and executive director for AI and Quantum Computing at Texas Tech University. He’s a founding member of the Texas Quantum Summit and serves on the board of directors for the Lonestar Education and Research Network. Additionally, he’s a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) by the Project Management Institute and served on the Texas Department of Information Resources State Strategic Plan Advisory Committee. Zhou received a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Nanjing University and a Doctor of Philosophy in Physics from the University of Glasgow.

Richard “Ross” Coffman of Austin is the president of Forward Edge AI. He received an Honorable Discharge from the United States Army. Coffman received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Government from Centre College, a Master of Business Administration from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and he completed a National Security Fellowship at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Jeff Prevost, Ph.D. of San Antonio is an associate professor at UT San Antonio, where he currently serves as a vice president for the Cyber Manufacturing Innovation Institute as well as the executive director for the Open Cloud Institute. He’s a founding member of the Texas Quantum Summit and represents UT San Antonio on the UT System Quantum Planning Committee. He’s also a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Prevost received a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Texas A&M University and a Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical Engineering from UT San Antonio.

According to Quantum Insider—a market intelligence, data, and media platform dedicated to the global quantum technology industry—quantum technologies are often viewed as “future infrastructure” that’s perpetually “five to ten years away.” But the broader impact of. quantum technologies must be prepared for now, not later. Quantum systems can also be defined “by the way they force new models of risk, value creation, and coordination,” the platform says.

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