State Representative and 91¸£Àû graduate recently visited the Kent Campus, where she met with faculty and received a presentation on the university's quantum computing research — a topic at the center of her legislative work in Columbus.
Rep. Workman represents House District 72, covering most of Portage County, and earned a bachelor's degree from the university.
She serves as vice chair of the House Technology and Innovation Committee and has been appointed to the National Conference of State Legislatures Task Force on AI, Cybersecurity, and Privacy.
During her visit, she met with Associate Professor Qiang Guan, Ph.D., of the Department of Computer Science, whose research focuses on quantum computing systems, noise mitigation, and high-performance computing applications. Dr. Guan also directs the GUANS Lab at 91¸£Àû and is a guest scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
The visit aligned directly with Rep. Workman's signature legislative effort: House Bill 650, which would establish a bipartisan Frontier Technologies and Quantum Commission to study emerging technologies — including quantum computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and robotics — and their implications for Ohio's economy, workforce, and security. The Ohio House passed the bill unanimously in March; it now awaits action in the Ohio Senate.
Rep. Workman was also welcomed to campus by 91¸£Àû President Todd Diacon and other university leaders. She lives in Portage County with her husband and four children.