2022
Donald G. York to receive 2022 George Van Biesbroeck Prize from the American Astronomical Society
May 31, 2022

The American Astronomical Society has announced that it will present its 2022 George Van Biesbroeck Prize to Donald G. York, the Horace B. Horton Professor Emeritus, Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Enrico Fermi Institute, and the College. The award is presented biannually and honors a living individual for long-term extraordinary or unselfish service to astronomy.
Prof. Galli and Argonne scientists use quantum computers to simulate quantum materials
May 26, 2022

Chemistry Prof. Giulia Galli and scientists at Argonne National Laboratory and the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago performed quantum simulations of spin defects — impurities in materials that could offer a promising basis for new quantum technologies — and improved the accuracy of calculations on quantum computers.
Instructors Ian Bongalonta, chemistry, and Trevor Hyde, mathematics, honored with teaching awards
May 26, 2022

Ian Bongalonta, an instructor for Honors General Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry, has been awarded the Wayne C. Booth Prize. Trevor Hyde, a Dickson Instructor in the Department of Mathematics who recently taught Algebraic Number Theory, has been awarded a Glenn and Claire Swogger Award.
2022 E.C. Taylor Senior Award in Heterocyclic Chemistry
May 26, 2022

Professor and Chair of Chemistry Viresh Rawal has earned the E.C. Taylor Senior Award in Heterocyclic Chemistry. The honor is bestowed once every two years to a true leader in the field. Rawal will deliver an award lecture at the Biennial International Society of Chemistry (ISHC) Congress.
Profs. He, Schmitz, and Wu among 2022 winners of Quantrell and Graduate Teaching Awards
May 26, 2022

Assoc. Prof. David Schmitz was awarded a 2022 Llewellyn John and Harriet Manchester Quantrell Award. Prof. Chuan He and Prof. Wei Biao Wu were awarded the Faculty Awards for Excellence in Graduate Teaching and Mentoring.
Why did Mars dry out? New study points to unusual answers
May 26, 2022

A new study led by geophysical scientist Edwin Kite examines the tracks of Martian rivers to see what they can reveal about the history of the planet’s water and atmosphere.
2022 Arthur L. Kelly Faculty Prize for Exceptional Service in the Physical Sciences Division
May 24, 2022

The 2022 recipients of the Arthur L. Kelly Faculty Prize for Exceptional Service in the Physical Sciences Division are Young-Kee Kim, Louis Block Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Physics, the Enrico Fermi Institute, and the College, and Edward "Rocky" Kolb, Arthur Holly Compton Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, the David N. Schramm Director of the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, the Enrico Fermi Institute, and the College.
2020 Crafoord Prize Ceremony honoring Prof. Emeritus Eugene Parker
May 23, 2022

Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria presented the Crafoord Prize in Astronomy to the late Prof. Eugene Parker's son, Eric Parker, during a ceremony at Lund University in April. Prof. Parker was celebrated for discovering the solar wind.
Lasers, 3D printing reveal how the ground shakes following earthquakes
May 23, 2022

An innovative technique led by Asst. Prof. Sunyoung Park, Dept. of the Geophysical Sciences, uses 3D printing and lasers to help improve our knowledge of what happens during ground shaking, and how different formations and layers beneath the ground lessen or increase damage in earthquakes.
New study lays out hidden backstory behind deadly Pacific Northwest heat wave
May 17, 2022

By reviewing large-scale weather conditions and formations before the June 2021 Pacific Northwest heat wave, University of Chicago scientists, including College student first author, Emily Neal, discovered that a cyclone spawned an “anticyclone,” which combined to produce and then trap heat near the surface of the region.
Video: how to “photograph” a black hole
May 12, 2022

Understanding Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way, could help us understand how the Milky Way formed, as well as the strange physics that happen in and near black holes. In this video, University of Chicago Profs. John Carlstrom and Daniel Holz explain what it takes to “photograph” a black hole and what mysteries remain about black holes.
Mapping the digital divide: Data reveals internet inequities across the country
May 10, 2022

At UChicago’s inaugural Data Science Institute Summit on May 9, the initiative unveiled a new data portal that combines public and private data from 20 cities around the nation. The website makes data accessible to governments, community groups, data scientists and other interested stakeholders seeking to improve internet connectivity to mitigate the “digital divide.”
The quest for an ideal quantum bit
May 9, 2022

A team including Prof. David Schuster of the Dept. of Physics has announced the creation of a new qubit platform formed by freezing neon gas into a solid at very low temperatures, spraying electrons from a light bulb’s filament onto the solid, and trapping a single electron there. This system, developed at Argonne, shows great promise to be developed into ideal building blocks for future quantum computers.
Deep disparities in internet access found across Chicago in new analysis
May 9, 2022

Citywide, about 80% of households have internet access, but researchers with the University of Chicago’s Internet Equity Initiative led by Prof. Nick Feamster said there is a nearly 40 percentage-point difference between certain neighborhoods.
UChicago scientists uncover clues to mysterious but crucial genetic process
May 5, 2022

Chemist Prof. Chuan He has published results that shed light on a previously unknown pathway of genetic regulation, indicating new research directions to understand the fundamental processes of mammalian development—and could suggest avenues of treatments for disease or other biotechnology.