Fred Chong

Fred Chong is an American computer scientist widely recognised for his work in computer architecture, quantum computing, and computer security. He is the Seymour Goodman Professor of Computer Science in the Department of Computer Science at University of Chicago, where he has been a faculty member since 2015. Alongside his academic role, he serves as Chief Scientist for Quantum Software at Infleqtion, formerly known as ColdQuanta.

Fred Chong is the Lead Principal Investigator of the EPiQC project (Enabling Practical-scale Quantum Computing), an NSF Expeditions in Computing programme. This large, multi-institution initiative focuses on reducing the gap between theoretical quantum algorithms and practical quantum hardware, especially for systems ranging from 100 to 1,000 qubits. His work through EPiQC covers algorithms, software, and system design, with the aim of making quantum computing useful at scale.

He is also a long-standing member of the National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee, which provides advice to the President of the United States and the Secretary of Energy on national quantum strategy and policy.

Chong co-founded the quantum software company Super.tech in 2020, where he served as Chief Scientist. The company was acquired by Infleqtion in 2022, after which he continued in his current industry leadership role. His career combines academic research, public policy contribution, and commercial technology development.

Fred Chong completed all his higher education at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, earning a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science in 1990, a Master’s degree in 1992, and a PhD in 1996 under the supervision of Professor Anant Agarwal. Before joining the University of Chicago, he held faculty positions at the University of California, Davis, and the University of California, Santa Barbara. At UC Santa Barbara, he served as Professor of Computer Science, Director of Computer Engineering, and Director of the Greenscale Center for Energy-Efficient Computing.

His research interests include quantum computing, emerging computing technologies, multicore and embedded systems, computer architecture, computer security, and sustainable computing. He has been funded by organisations such as NSF, DOE, DARPA, Intel, Google, and IARPA, and has led or co-led over $40 million in awarded research, with additional large-scale collaborative funding.

Fred Chong is a Fellow of the ACM and the IEEE. His honours include the NSF CAREER Award, the Intel Outstanding Researcher Award, multiple best paper awards, the Quantrell Award for Undergraduate Teaching, and the University of Chicago’s Graduate Teaching and Mentoring Award.

Fred Chong, formally Frederic T. Chong, is an American computer scientist whose career has focused on computer architecture, quantum computing, and computer security, with sustained contributions across research, education, public policy, and industry. He was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in the United States. 

His academic training was completed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science in 1990, a Master of Science in Computer Science in 1992, and a PhD in Computer Science in 1996. His doctoral research was supervised by Professor Anant Agarwal and focused on computer architecture and memory systems, laying the foundation for his later work in emerging computing systems.

Following completion of his PhD, Chong joined the University of California, Davis in 1997 as an Assistant Professor. He was promoted to Associate Professor during his tenure and was named a Chancellor’s Fellow. At UC Davis, his research covered intelligent memory systems, processor microarchitecture, embedded processors, computer security, nanoscale sensors, and early work in quantum computing. During this period, he received the National Science Foundation CAREER Award and the DARPA Tech Most Significant Technical Achievement Award, recognising the impact of his research contributions.

In 2005, Chong moved to the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he served as Professor of Computer Science until 2015. At UCSB, he held several leadership roles, including Director of Computer Engineering, a joint programme between Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Director of the Greenscale Center for Energy-Efficient Computing. Greenscale was a multi-disciplinary initiative focused on improving the energy efficiency of data centres, computing systems, networking, and electronics, involving more than 20 faculty members and forming part of the UCSB Institute for Energy Efficiency. His research during this period expanded to include chip multiprocessors, sustainable computing, embedded systems, and quantum computing architectures.

In 2015, Chong joined the University of Chicago as the Seymour Goodman Professor of Computer Science. His work at the University of Chicago has focused on bridging the gap between theoretical computing models and practical system implementation, particularly in quantum computing. He became the Lead Principal Investigator of the EPiQC project, an NSF Expeditions in Computing programme titled Enabling Practical-scale Quantum Computing. This multi-institution effort aims to develop algorithms, software, and machine designs suited to quantum systems with hundreds to thousands of qubits, addressing key limitations in current quantum architectures.

Alongside his academic work, Chong has played an active role in national science policy. He is a member of the National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee, which advises the President of the United States and the Secretary of Energy on the National Quantum Initiative. His participation reflects his involvement in shaping long-term strategy for quantum research and infrastructure in the United States.

Chong has also contributed to industry through advisory and leadership roles. He served on the advisory board of Quantum Circuits, Inc. and acted as a technical consultant in patent litigation for law firms including Latham and Watkins. In 2020, he co-founded the quantum software company Super.tech, serving as its Chief Scientist. In 2022, Super.tech was acquired by Infleqtion (formerly ColdQuanta), where Chong continues as Chief Scientist for Quantum Software, guiding the development of software systems for quantum technologies.

Throughout his career, Fred Chong has received wide recognition for research and teaching. He is a Fellow of the ACM and the IEEE and has received the Intel Outstanding Researcher Award, multiple best paper awards, the Quantrell Award for Undergraduate Teaching and Advising, and the University of Chicago’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching and Mentoring. His research has been funded by organisations including NSF, DOE, DARPA, Intel, Google, IARPA, and AFOSR, and he has led or co-led more than $40 million in awarded research funding.

Fred Chong’s vision is to make advanced computing systems practical, reliable, and useful for real-world problems. He aims to close the gap between theoretical models and deployable technologies, especially in quantum computing. His work focuses on building complete systems that connect algorithms, software, hardware, and architecture in a clear and scalable way. He believes future computing must be efficient, secure, and sustainable, while remaining accessible to researchers and industry. Through education, research leadership, and policy engagement, his vision is to develop computing technologies that support scientific progress, economic growth, and long-term societal needs.

Fred Chong has received several major awards recognising his contributions to research and education in computer science and quantum computing. In 2024, he was named a Fellow of the ACM for his work on quantum computer architecture, compilation, and optimisation. In the same year, he received the Quantrell Award for Undergraduate Teaching and Advising from the University of Chicago, the oldest undergraduate teaching award in the United States. In 2023, he was elevated to Fellow of the IEEE for contributions to quantum computer architecture and optimisation. He received the University of Chicago’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching and Advising in 2020, the Intel Outstanding Researcher Award in 2019, was named an ACM Distinguished Member in 2013, and was appointed a Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of California, Davis in 2002.