"Quantum Computing and Optimization", TN Governor's School for Sciences and Engineering (2025)

"Combinatorics methods in deterministic quantum state preparation", SESAPS (2025)

"Efficient Sparse State Preparation with Dynamic Quantum Walks", APS March Meeting 2025

Panelist, APS CU*iP (University of Memphis, 2025)

Quantum physics seminar, UTK (2024)

"Variational quantum algorithm for combinatorial optimization problems" SESAPS, invited talk (2024)

"Efficient deterministic quantum walk state preparation" SIAM, invited talk (2024)

Department seminar, Lehigh University ISE (2024)

"Variational quantum algorithms for combinatorial optimization" Lightning talk at the NSF workshop on post quantum machine learning (IUIUP, 2024)

"Graph decomposition techniques for solving combinatorial optimization problems with variational quantum algorithms."  INFORMS (2023)

"Graph decomposition techniques for solving combinatorial optimization problems with variational quantum algorithms." MOPTA, invited talk (2023)

"Multi-angle QAOA is universal for computation" APS March Meeting (2023)

"Overparameterization in the quantum approximate optimization algorithm," North Carolina State University Quantum Machine Learning Workshop (invited speaker) (2023).

"Overparameterization in the quantum approximate optimization algorithm," UTK Math seminar (2022).

“Angle assignment in the multi-angle quantum approximate optimization algorithm,” APS March Meeting (2022).

“Angle assignment in the multi-angle quantum approximate optimization algorithm,” NASA Quantum Artificial Intelligence Lab (2022). 

“Angle assignment in the multi-angle quantum approximate optimization algorithm,” University of Delaware Quantum Information and Computing Seminar at the Department of Mathematical Sciences (2022). 

“Globally Optimizing QAOA Circuit Depth for Constrained Optimization Problems” INFORMS (2021).

“Impact of graph structure for QAOA performance on MaxCut” American Physical Society March Meeting (2021).

“Lower bounds on circuit depth of the quantum approximate optimization algorithm” INFORMS (2020).

 “Graph coloring, circuit depth, & optimality in QAOA” IEEE Quantum Week, poster with Phillip C. Lotshaw, James Ostrowski, and Travis S. Humble (2020).

“Continuous-time quantum walks on dynamic graphs” Canadian Mathematical Society Winter Meeting (2019).

“Uniform bounds for non-negativity of the diffusion game” University of Memphis Mathematics Research Day (2019).

Associate Editor, INFORMS Journal on Computing (Quantum computing area)

UT promise mentor (2024-present)

NSF proposal review

IEEE ISVLSI program committee (2024, 2025)

IEEE QCE program committee (2024, 2025)

Big Orange STEM Saturday presenter (2024)

CBU Honors Program mentor (fall 2023-Spring 2024)

Access and Engagement Committee (ISE representative), Tickle College of Engineering, UTK

Associate Editor, Quantum Information Processing

IEEE Quantum Week, workshop organizer with Phillip C. Lotshaw, “Quantum algorithms for combinatorial optimization” (2023).

Co-advisor, UTK chapter of Graduate Society of Women Engineers

APS Career Mentoring Fellow

Session chair, “Quantum Algorithms for Optimization”, APS March Meeting 2022

College of Arts and Sciences, Tickle College of Engineering Quantum Collaboration Committee. University of Tennessee Knoxville (2021-present)

IEEE Quantum Week, workshop organizer with Phillip C. Lotshaw, “Developing the quantum approximate optimization algorithm” (2021).

Reviewer for Discrete Applied Mathematics, Quantum Information Processing, Australasian Journal of Combinatorics, Integers, Discussiones Mathematicae Graph Theory, Computer Science, IEEE Transactions on Quantum Engineering, Quantum, Advanced Quantum Technologies, Quantum Machine Intelligence, Discrete Optimization, Scientific Reports, ACM Transactions, Electric Power Systems Research, Advanced Soft Computing

Sloan Fellow Nominee, UTK (2025)

Editor of Distinction, Springer Quantum Information Processing (2025) 

2024 Dr. Kenneth E. Kirby Endowed Faculty Award

Class of 2022 DARPA Riser

150 alumni for 150 years, Christian Brothers University (2022)

Faudree Award, University of Memphis (2019)

AFOSR STTR/ SBIR. Start date: December 2024; Amount: $180,000 (my share $10,000).

DOE Express. Start date: October 2023; Amount: $400,000

DARPA IMPAQT ARC "Analysis of feasibility of using variational quantum algorithms to solve dominating set type problems " Principal Investigator: Rebekah Herrman; Organization: University of Tennessee Knoxville; Start Date: 08/03/2023;  Award Amount: $281,281

NSF "REU Site: Quantum algorithms and optimization" Award Number:2244512  ; Principal Investigator: Rebekah Herrman; Organization: University of Tennessee Knoxville; NSF Organization: CNS; Start Date: 02/15/2023;  Award Amount: $360,196

NSF "FET: Small: Optimizing quantum circuit design." Award Number:2210063; Principal Investigator: Rebekah Herrman; Co-Principal Investigator: James Ostrowski; Organization: University of Tennessee Knoxville; NSF Organization :CCF Start Date: 10/01/2022;  Award Amount: $399,995.00 (my share, $300,000)

Visiting fellow, Phasecraft (Summer 2023)