Mary Catherine (MC) Lorio is a quantum physicist and actress from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she first discovered her love for quantum physics, animation, acting, and the arts. She earned her A.B. in Physics and M.Eng. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Princeton University.

Her fascination with quantum physics began at fifteen, when a friend introduced her to Schrödinger’s Cat. The paradox sparked a curiosity that would shape her life. Searching for a science fair topic, she reached out to world-renowned quantum physicist Professor Jonathan Dowling at Louisiana State University—just as he had received funding to host a high school researcher and didn’t yet know where he’d find one. Serendipitously, her email arrived. That summer, MC became the first high school student to join the Quantum Science and Technologies (QST) group at LSU.

There, she experimentally performed the Quantum Eraser experiment and later simulated it using Mathematica. Her ability to communicate complex ideas with clarity and enthusiasm earned her numerous honors: first place at the Louisiana Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, three special awards at the 2017 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), a bronze medal at the 2017 International Sustainable World Energy, Engineering, and Environment Project Olympiad (ISWEEEP), the Yale Science and Engineering Award, the Naval Research Award, and more. She presented her work at the International Conference on Quantum Computing and Measurement at LSU.

She went on to complete three additional physics research projects at LSU, winning the fourth place Grand Award in Physics at the 2018 ISEF for her work on simulating diffraction theory using Hermite–Gaussian modes of light, research she later presented in Toulouse, France.

At Princeton, she continued her quantum journey through research and internships at institutions such as NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and MIT Lincoln Laboratory.

MC believes that science and the arts are deeply intertwined—both rooted in storytelling, curiosity, and human connection. Whether she’s exploring the mysteries of the universe or performing for an audience, she is driven by a desire to understand and inspire.

So, let’s have a Quantum Moment together—and uncover the beauty of our world!