Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Middle Tennessee State University and Middle Tennessee Electric solidified their partnership to advance quantum science and research in the region and state on May 19, 2026, when leaders from both entities gathered on campus to sign a memorandum of understanding further outlining a collaboration that began more than a year ago. MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee was joined by MTE President and CEO Chris Jones for a signing ceremony inside the Miller Education Center, also attended by members of MTE’s executive team as well as MTSU’s Board of Trustees and other university representatives, including College of Basic and Applied Sciences Dean Greg Van Patten and some CBAS faculty. Quantum is viewed as a transformative technology for multiple industries important in Middle Tennessee, including healthcare, cybersecurity, finance, logistics, transportation, energy, materials, and high-performance computing. The MTSU-MTE collaboration comes as the state, at the behest of Gov. Bill Lee, has allocated $43 million toward the Tennessee Quantum Initiative to position the state as a national leader in advancing quantum research and technologies.
Middle Tennessee State University and Middle Tennessee Electric solidified their partnership to advance quantum science and research in the region and state on May 19, 2026, when leaders from both entities gathered on campus to sign a memorandum of understanding further outlining a collaboration that began more than a year ago. MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee was joined by MTE President and CEO Chris Jones for a signing ceremony inside the Miller Education Center, also attended by members of MTE’s executive team as well as MTSU’s Board of Trustees and other university representatives, including College of Basic and Applied Sciences Dean Greg Van Patten and some CBAS faculty. Quantum is viewed as a transformative technology for multiple industries important in Middle Tennessee, including healthcare, cybersecurity, finance, logistics, transportation, energy, materials, and high-performance computing. The MTSU-MTE collaboration comes as the state, at the behest of Gov. Bill Lee, has allocated $43 million toward the Tennessee Quantum Initiative to position the state as a national leader in advancing quantum research and technologies.
