Dr. Prineha
Background
Dr. Prineha Narang is a distinguished American scientist, engineer, and entrepreneur.
Dr. Narang is a Professor in Physical Sciences, and in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Previously, Dr. Narang was an Assistant Professor of Computational Materials Science in the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) at Harvard University and worked in the Department of Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She received an M.S. and Ph.D. in Applied Physics from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). A trailblazer at the intersection of physics, engineering, and computation, she is known for her research and leadership in translating breakthrough discoveries into real-world technologies.
Dr. Narang is an elected Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS). Her work has been recognized by many awards and special designations, including the Guggenheim Fellowship in Physics, a Maria Goeppert Mayer Award from the APS, Mildred Dresselhaus Prize, Bessel Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, a Max Planck Award from the Max Planck Society, the IUPAP Young Scientist Prize in Computational Physics, an National Science Foundation CAREER Award, being named a Moore Inventor Fellow by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar by the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, and a Top Innovator by MIT Tech Review (MIT TR35).
work and contributions
Dr. Narang and her group have made critical contributions to discovering materials and hybrid quantum systems for quantum information science.
The NarangLab has published more than 150 peer-reviewed papers over the past decade in journals including Nature, Science, Nature Physics, Nature Materials, and Physical Review Letters, cited more than 14,000 times.
The NarangLab works at the intersection of quantum information science, condensed matter physics, phenomena away from equilibrium, and optics.
Building & Governing
Leader
She serves on the Boards of Directors and Advisory Boards of companies across the quantum stack.
investor
An experienced investor, Dr. Narang is an Operating Partner at DCVC, a leading deep tech venture capital firm, enabling founders to push the boundaries of computing, sensing, and networking to turn breakthrough science into transformative businesses. She also works with institutional investors and family offices in quantum, AI, dual-use, and defense technology.
Patent holder
She holds multiple U.S. patents in quantum technologies, including entangled photon pair sources, phononic bus architectures for coherent quantum interfaces, and qubit allocation for quantum computers.
writer
An active voice in science and technology policy, Dr. Narang has authored a series on quantum technologies and industrial policy addressing quantum manufacturing, supply chain chokepoints, and workforce development. Her policy writing has been featured in the Financial Times, SpaceNews, and Semafor.
Trustee & Advisor
In 2023 she was elected to the Board of Trustees of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), her alma mater, where she serves on two of the Board’s standing committees: Advancement and Institute Relations Committee, and Technology Transfer and Innovation Committee. She serves on the Science and Technology Advisory Council of The MITRE Corporation and on the Science Advisory Council of arXiv.
Service
Dr. Narang is a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Foundation for American Innovation (FAI).
Appointed a U.S. Science Envoy by the Secretary of State (2023, reappointed in 2024), she has worked to advance American quantum science, technology, and innovation internationally. Since 2025, she has served in senior policy, technology, and national security–facing roles, contributed to the Department of War and DARPA strategic reports, and holds leadership positions in national quantum initiatives including the National Quantum Initiative.
Workforce &
the Research
Enterprise
On behalf of NSF and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, she co-organized the Quantum Engineering Education workshop that produced national recommendations for undergraduate quantum programs. She serves on the Leadership Council of the U.S. National Academies GUIPRR, charged with improving the American research enterprise and on the Science and Technology Advisory Committee of MITRE.
Athletics &
Adventure
The same discipline, applied outdoors around the world. Beyond her profession in science and deep tech, Dr. Narang is a dedicated endurance athlete — a competitive marathoner, high-altitude mountaineer, and climber.
Commentary
Dr. Narang is regularly quoted on quantum technology developments in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and other major outlets.
US quantum computing needs a national buyer
The piece identifies four pillars for U.S. leadership in quantum tech: patient capital, robust domestic manufacturing, a coalition of allies, and specialized workforce training.
Strategic Urgency: The piece emphasizes that policy frameworks and accelerated technical breakthroughs require immediate implementation to ensure Western technological dominance.
Reimagining STEM doctoral training
A proposal to rethink doctoral education in STEM. This op-ed
presents a STEM innovation PhD track, a selective program that requires deep private-sector engagement in an accelerated 4-year program. Since publication, this proposal has been adopted by the U.S. National Science Foundation as a pilot program led by the TIP Directorate.
Core Memory with Ashlee Vance
Episode 81: Quantum Everything Explained
Wide-ranging conversation on quantum computing and quantum technology: quantum vs. AI, the US vs. China, encryption-breaking timelines, quantum sensing, and the future of the field — plus work at UCLA and DCVC, and some running and mountaineering gear talk.