Jeannette (Jamie) Garcia

Dr. Jeannette M. Garcia is the Senior Research Manager for Quantum Applications and Software team at IBM Research. Her team's research focuses on quantum computational science, theory, and software for quantum computing applications. One of her principal efforts is on the applicaiton of quantum computers to chemistry and materials simulations. Previously, Garcia's research interests have focused on the rational design of new polymers and materials, targeting recyclable materials with unique mechanical and thermal properties. She has initiated programs in high-performance materials, energy storage, and polymer recycling. The team discovered a new class of recyclable industrial polymers; developed methods to use discarded drink bottles or electronic waste to create high-performance polymers; and designed a low cost, portable detection system for the detection and removal of toxic heavy metals in drinking water.

Garcia received her BS from Seattle University, and PhD in Chemistry at Boston College under the guidance of Prof. Amir H. Hoveyda, where she focused on catalyst design and development. When she first joined IBM Research in 2012 as a postdoctoral researcher, she worked with Dr. Jim Hedrick on high performance and recyclable materials. She became a Research Staff Member in 2013 and from 2017-2018, served as the Technical Advisor to Dr. Sophie Vandebroek, COO of IBM Research, at IBM Research headquarters located in Yorktown Heights, NY. From 2018-2019 she was a manager and Global Lead for Quantum Applications in Quantum Chemistry and Science.

Garcia is one of MIT Tech Review’s 2015 35 Innovators Under 35, one of Business Insider’s 17 IBM Research Rock Stars, and the recipient of the Individual World Technology Award in Materials. In 2016, Garcia was named as one of Foreign Policy's Top 100 Global Thinkers. In 2017, she was the first recipient of the ACS POLY Division's Young Industrial Polymer Chemist Award and also selected as a YWCA Emerging Leader. In 2019, she was selected for the Silicon Valley Business Journal’s 40 under 40 list. She was selected for the 2022 Racheff Lecture at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She has authored over 40 papers, has over 115 patents granted or pending and is an IBM Master Inventor. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, CNN, Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio (NPR), and Scientific American.