News: Faculty

Prof. Noboru Nakamura, Dept. of the Geophysical Sciences, comments on a new report that uses hyperlocal data and climate projections to show that cities as far north as Chicago could have many more days of extreme heat each year.

Research led by Prof. Philipp Heck, the Robert A. Pritzker Curator of Meteoritics at Chicago’s Field Museum, and geophysical sciences graduate student, Xin Yang, explains strange particle ejection behavior seen in 2019 on the Bennu asteroid.

New funding from NSF will grow the IDEAL consortium of more than 60 regional researchers in computer science, statistics, mathematics and electrical engineering. Main research topics of interest include the foundations of machine learning, high-dimensional data analysis and inference, and data science and society, including emerging issues of reliability, fairness, privacy and interpretability.

Prof. David Mazziotti, Dept. of Chemistry, led the creation of a method to efficiently calculate quantum phase transitions. This new shortcut for quantum simulations could unlock new doors for technology similar to ones that led to MRI machines and the transistors in modern computers and phones.

Prof. Amie Wilkinson, Dept. of Mathematics, advises her uncle, The New Yorker writer Alec Wilkinson, on best practices for learning math.

This month PSD researchers have been featured for their efforts to use supercomputing simulations to reveal weaknesses in HIV-1 defense, share the scientific community's enthusiasm for the first full-color images of James Webb Space Telescope, and to invent a ‘quantum flute’ that can make particles of light move together.

With their latest results, the XENON collaboration broke their own record for the most sensitive direct detection dark matter experiment ever conducted. 

A study led by Prof. Gregory Voth, Dept. of Chemistry, ran the first realistic simulations of how the HIV capsid stabilizes and forms. "The vulnerabilities in the armor of the HIV-1 virus capsid were revealed by the simulations and analyses we did," said Voth. The realistic model could result in better understanding of the infection process and improved treatments.

A team of scientists led by physics professor Giulia Galli have utilized a new framework for understanding the electronic properties of amorphous carbon. Their findings let scientists better predict how the material conducts electricity and absorbs light.

Assoc. Prof. Jacob Bean of astronomy and astrophysics expresses to NPR his excitement at the James Webb Space Telescope's view of the planet GJ 1214b—“my favorite planet” of study for ten years.

The University of Chicago Data Science Institute launched its Industry Affiliates Program with four founding core members from the sectors of finance, insurance, and telecommunications: American Family Insurance, DRW Holdings LLC, Prudential Financial, and Verizon Communications.

What can the James Webb Space Telescope show us about exoplanets? Prof. Jacob Bean, Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, is co-leading a team of about 150 scientists thrilled to access new data to shed light on their composition, atmospheres, and habitability.

Nebulas and galaxy clusters are among the first batch of images from James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to Hubble. “These are some of the sharpest images of the universe ever taken by humanity,” said University of Chicago astrophysicist Michael Gladders.

Assistant Professor Bill Fefferman, Department of Computer Science, comments on the four new US standards to fight cyberattacks from quantum computers and the imperative that they be implemented quickly.

Teaching award winners select books that explore climate change, colonialism and more—including physics professor David Schmitz recommending The Last Man Who Knew Everything: The Life and Times of Enrico Fermi, Father of the Nuclear Age by David Schwartz.