Raymond Blackwell
Department of Physics and Astronomy
IDEA Fellow in Quantum Futures

Raymond Blackwell was born and raised in the rural town of McLeansville, North Carolina just outside of Greensboro. He first developed a passion for mathematics and science after attending summer programs at North Carolina A&T State University, a Historically Black College, and University in Greensboro.

After two years of high school, Raymond matriculated to the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics for his junior and senior years where his love for science grew exponentially. He then attended the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill where he majored in chemistry and ran a magazine dedicated to the intersections of art and science. While at UNC, Raymond conducted undergraduate research and completed summer REU programs at Northwestern University and Caltech. He completed his PhD in physical chemistry at the University of California - Berkeley and held a  postdoc at Brookhaven National Lab.

Outside of the lab, Raymond can be found playing softball in the town of Brookhaven or baseball somewhere in Queens.