News: Faculty

2023

No, the James Webb Space Telescope Hasn’t Broken Cosmology

February 27, 2023

The Webb telescope has spotted galaxies surprisingly far away in space and deep in the past. These four, studied by a team called JADES, are all seen as they appeared less than 500 million years after the Big Bang.

Prof. Wendy Freedman is exploring how JWST observations can be squared with the standard cosmological model.


PSD in the News - February 2023

February 24, 2023

PSD against a white and turquoise background

This month PSD researchers have been recognized for their pioneering discoveries, the quality and innovation of their research programs, and their unique contributions to new fields of inquiry. 
 


Solving astrophysical problems by hand

February 23, 2023

Photo of Abigail Vieregg outdoors

Abigail Vieregg, director of the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, shares her passion for building experiments and bringing people together to solve scientific mysteries.


Deep earthquakes could reveal secrets of the Earth’s mantle

February 22, 2023

Earth sliced in half, showing the different layers of the planet inside.

A new study led by University of Chicago geophysicist Sunyoung Park suggests there may be a layer of surprisingly fluid rock located in the Earth’s mantle. The study uses 350-mile-deep earthquake to make elusive measurements of the Earth’s layers. 


A chemist who studies the spots where chaos sneaks in

February 20, 2023

Photo of Sarah King's lab. King (at right) works in her lab with graduate student Ruiyu Li (at left).

UChicago Asst. Prof. Sarah King awarded prestigious Cottrell Scholarship, that honors “outstanding teacher-scholars who are recognized by their scientific communities for the quality and innovation of their research programs and their academic leadership skills.”


What “living drill bits” can teach us about evolution

February 18, 2023

A bivalve that bored into a coral reef in the Florida Keys

Clams that can bore into solid rock show surprising patterns of evolution, UChicago study finds.


Suri Vaikuntanathan awarded 2023 Early Career Award in Theoretical Chemistry

February 16, 2023

Portrait of Associate Professor, Chemistry, Suri Vaikuntanathan

Vaikuntanathan is being recognized “for the development of powerful non-equilibrium statistical mechanical theories to understand the behavior of complex matter ranging from driven systems to biological self-assembly.”


RNA’s “joints” play key role in our gene expression, UChicago scientists find

February 15, 2023

An illustration of mRNA molecules in purples and light blues.

Longstanding puzzle of RNA methylation revealed by team of UChicago chemists. The finding could have implications for gene therapies for disease, as well as our picture of gene expression, development, and evolution.


The winners of the 2023 Wolf Prize are announced

February 10, 2023

Professor Chuan He and a student in the lab

The winners of the 2023 Wolf Prize were announced this week. Chuan He, John T. Wilson Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago, was awarded the Wolf Prize in Chemistry for “pioneering discoveries that illuminate the functions and pathological dysfunctions of RNA.”


UChicago to award six honorary degrees at Convocation in 2023

February 9, 2023

Rockefeller Chapel during winter time

The University of Chicago will confer honorary degrees upon five renowned scholars at Convocation this June 2023. Hélène Esnault, world-renowned mathematician and the Einstein Professor at the Freie Universität Berlin, will receive the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science.


Chemist Sarah King named 2023 Cottrell Scholar

February 9, 2023

Portrait of Professor Sarah King against a grey background.

Neubauer Family Assistant Professor Sarah King of the Department of Chemistry is among the 25 early career scholars in chemistry, physics, and astronomy to be named recipients of the Research Corporation for Science Advancement (RSCA) 2023 Cottrell Scholar Awards. 


Women in STEM: In Conversation with Dr. Giulia Galli

February 9, 2023

Picture of Prof. Galli sitting at her office desk, resting chin on one hand and smiling at camera.

In this interview, AZoM had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Giulia Galli, a professor at the Univeristy of Chicago and senior scientist at the Argonne National Laboratory, about her impressive career in science.


Women in STEM: In Conversation with Professor Laura Gagliardi

February 9, 2023

Laura Gagliardi in a room with models of molecules. The background is a white screen with another model of a molecule.

Ahead of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, AZoM speaks with Dr. Laura Gagliardi, a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Chicago. Laura discusses her passion for chemistry and the importance of women and girls in STEM sectors such as her own. 


Prof. Michael Gladders is the 2022-2023 recipient of the Marian and Stuart Rice Research Award

February 8, 2023

Portrait of professor Michael Gladders

Prof. Michael Gladders is the 2022-2023 recipient of the Marian and Stuart Rice Research Award, a U. Chicago Physical Sciences Divisional honor that provides funding for intellectually exciting and innovative research ventures, enabling new directions of research.


Pioneering UChicago biochemist wins 2023 Wolf Prize

February 7, 2023

Chuan He

Chuan He, John T. Wilson Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Chemistry, has been named a 2023 Wolf Prize Laureate in Chemistry “for discovering reversible RNA methylation and its role in the regulation of gene expression.” The acclaimed Wolf Prize is awarded to outstanding scientists and artists for achievements in the interest of humanity and friendly relations among people.