News: Awards

2026

Frank Calegari and Young-Kee Kim elected to Royal Society

May 27, 2026

The Royal Society

Frank Calegari, professor and associate chair of the Department of Mathematics, and Young-Kee Kim, the Albert A. Michelson Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Physics and the Enrico Fermi Institute, have been elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of sciences.


From dark patterns research to landmark litigation: UChicago CS PhD graduate Brennan Schaffner receives ACM SIGCHI Special Recognition Award

May 26, 2026

Photo of Brennan Schaffner.

PhD Graduate Brennan Schaffner receives ACM SIGCHI special recognition award for his research on dark patterns, subsequent interventions, and influence users. 


2026 Frontiers of Science Award winners

May 19, 2026

International Congress of Basic Science | 2026 Frontiers of Science Award | Physics | Truth & Beauty

Congratulations to the PSD community members who have been recognized with 2026 Frontiers of Science Awards. Michael Levin, Professor in Physics and the JFI, and Physics alum Carolyn Zhang, PhD'23, are recognized for the field of condensed matter physics. Yoav Afik, a postdoctoral scholar in the EFI who works on the ATLAS experiment, is recognized for research in particle physics phenomenology.


Prize Winners for Educational Excellence 2026

May 15, 2026

students in classroom

This year, eight PSD instructors and students have been honored for excellence in teaching the next generation of physical and mathematical scientists.


UChicago announces 2026 winners of Quantrell and Ph.D. teaching awards

May 14, 2026

Nick Feamster

Congrats to Nick Feamster, Neubauer Professor of Computer Science, who has won a Quantrell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.


Four UChicago undergraduates awarded 2026 Goldwater Scholarship

May 11, 2026

clockwise from top left: Arthur Costa, Shelley Fernando, Mason McCormack, and Vincent Wang

Third-years Arthur Costa, Shelley Fernando, Mason McCormack, and Vincent Wang, all of whom study PSD or joint-PSD subjects, earn the prestigious award for their research.


University of Chicago chemist Chuan He elected to the National Academy of Sciences

May 11, 2026

A photo of Chuan He.

How an RNA pioneer’s discovery of reversible methylation launched a new era in the chemical and biological sciences.


2026 Arthur L. Kelly Faculty Prize for Exceptional Service in the Physical Sciences Division

May 8, 2026

Becca Willett

Congratulations to Rebecca Willett, the 2026 recipient of the Arthur L. Kelly Faculty Prize!


Professor Laura Gagliardi receives prestigious Schrödinger Medal

May 5, 2026

Laura Gagliardi with molecular models

Marking the centenary of the Schrödinger equation, the 2026 award honors Gagliardi’s transformative work in climate solutions and multireference quantum theory.


Eight university teams to vie for Laude Institute’s $10 million AI moonshots

May 2, 2026

Eight multidisciplinary teams have been selected as finalists for a $10 million artificial Intelligence grant from the Laude Institute.

UChicago Data Science Institute faculty as one of eight teams receiving a Laude Institute Moonshots seed grant.


Fermilab experiment receives prestigious Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics

May 2, 2026

The Muon g-2 magnetic ring arrived at Fermilab from Long Island in one piece. The move took 35 days and traversed 3,200 miles over land and sea.

The Muon g-2 experiment at Fermilab received the prestigious Breakthrough Prize in fundamental physics for its precision measurement of the muon. Young-Kee Kim attended the ceremony as Emeritus Director of Fermilab.


Two UChicago scientists elected to National Academy of Sciences in 2026

April 30, 2026

Chuan He

Congratulations to Chuan He, the John T. Wilson Distinguished Service Professor in Chemistry and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, who has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences.


Frank Calegari named 2026 Simons Fellow in Mathematics

April 29, 2026

Frank Calegari

Congratulations to Frank Calegari, Professor and Associate Chair of Mathematics, who has been named a 2026 Simons Fellow in Mathematics.


Peter McCullagh awarded Guy Medal in Gold from Royal Statistical Society

April 29, 2026

Royal Statistical Society, Data | Evidence | Decisions, 2026 RSS Honours Peter McCullagh, Guy Medal Gold

Congratulations to Peter McCullagh, the John D. MacArthur Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus in Statistics, who has been awarded the Guy Medal in Gold from the Royal Statistical Society.


Anna Wuttig named 2026 Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar

April 29, 2026

Anna Wuttig, The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation

Neubauer Family Assistant Professor Anna Wuttig's work in sustainable electrocatalysis earns national recognition.