News

2025

Finding beauty and truth in mundane occurrences

May 17, 2025

Sid Nagel holding cardboard toy that demos physics concept

The physicist Sidney Nagel delights in solving mysteries of the universe that are hiding in plain sight.


Meet the ‘Planet Hunter’ searching for alien life, with Jacob Bean

May 17, 2025

Orange sun hidden behind clouds with rocky terrain.

In this episode of Big Brains, astrophysicist Jacob Bean studies atmospheres of distant worlds to identify habitable exoplanets.
 


At UChicago, mentorship drives the ‘front line of discovery’

May 17, 2025

Fourth-year Daniel Babnigg, left, and his mentor, astronomy and astrophysics Prof. Mike Gladders.

Professor Mike Gladders helps transform students from learner to researcher through in-person astrophysical observation and research. 


SRM360 launches to bring clarity and context to sunlight reflection methods

May 17, 2025

Sunlight with white clouds.

SRM360, a new nonprofit initiative co-founded by CSEi research assistant professor Peter Irvine, officially launches to bring clarity and context to the complex world of sunlight reflection methods (SRM).
 


Chemical biologist bridges basic discoveries to treatments for disease

May 17, 2025

Hening Lin, PhD, James and Karen Frank Family Professor of Medicine and Professor of Chemistry (standing), with graduate student Jiaqi Zhao (seated).

Hening Lin brings expertise in enzymes to UChicago, where he works with biologists, chemists, engineers, and doctors to translate basic science to clinical applications.
 


Chicago Trading Company hosts 2nd annual poker tournament

May 15, 2025

A picture of a table where poker is being played.

DSI Industry Affiliate’s recruitment event draws 130 students for an evening of networking and fun.


Meet Anna Gaffney, Biophysical Sciences

May 13, 2025

Anna Gaffney

Anna Gaffney, a fifth-year PhD student in the Biophysical Sciences, studies biological thin sheet mechanics and instabilities. Born and raised in Marysville, Michigan, Anna earned her BS in Biophysics at the University of Michigan. We interviewed Anna about her experiences at UChicago.


Meet Hunter Guo, Master’s in Applied Data Science

May 13, 2025

Hunter Guo

Hunter Guo, a first-year master’s student in Applied Data Science, studies communication. “The data scientist’s most important skill is not about building a fancy model,” he says, “but about establishing an executable tool that people can use and explaining the concept in a simple language that everyone can understand.” Born in Lanzhou, China, Hunter studied economics at The Ohio State University and then interned at Wells Fargo’s Risk Control team. We interviewed Hunter about his experiences at UChicago.


PSD Spotlight: Carly Bloss

May 12, 2025

Carly Bloss

Born and raised in the very small, rural town of Bunkie, Louisiana, Associate Director of Academic Affairs Carly Bloss began her higher ed career at Louisiana State University. She now works remotely from her home in Lafayette, Louisiana, and looks forward to her trips to campus. We interviewed Carly about her interests and experiences.


PSD Spotlight: Hannah Fry

May 12, 2025

Hannah Fry

Hannah Fry, Associate Director of Major Gifts, grew up in rural northwestern Indiana on a farm not far from Purdue University. “Controversially, I went to Indiana University, where I studied Nonprofit Management.” Before joining the UChicago team, she worked in major gifts fundraising at Johns Hopkins University and Arizona State University. We interviewed Hannah about her interests and experiences.


UChicago Data Mirror website launched to protect access to public datasets

May 10, 2025

UChicago Data Mirror logo with the logos of UChicago Data Science Institute and UChicago Library below.

UChicago Library and DSI collaborate to preserve data and access to information in a response to the withdrawal of multiple public datasets and websites. 
 


Novel machine learning approaches to facilitate skin cancer detection

May 10, 2025

Photo of squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common form of skin cancer.

Team led by UChicago CS PhD student Steven Song evaluated the effectiveness of novel small-scale AI models in identifying non-melanoma skin cancers.


Reflections from UPCEA 2025: exploring data science and ethics in higher education

May 10, 2025

A visualization of two of the three stages of ethical inquiry: ethical collection, ethical consumption, and ethical interpretation. Each stage is sequential and a prerequisite for the next round of filtering.

Three MS in Applied Data Science team members led a roundtable at the 2025 UPCEA Conference regarding the ethical dimensions of data science in higher education.


Weixin Tang wins 2025 Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award

May 10, 2025

Photo of Weixan Tang on a white background.

Neubauer Family Assistant Professor Weixin Tang recognized for excellence in chemical biology research and undergraduate education at the University of Chicago.


Nobel laureate Moungi Bawendi to present Harkins Lecture at UChicago

May 10, 2025

Photo of Moungi Bawendi with a white and gray background.

Nobel laureate and Chemistry alum Moungi Bawendi returns to celebrate quantum dots.