News: Students

2026

Learning is a blast – and a bang – at the South Side Science Festival

October 6, 2026

John Anderson demonstrating liquid nitrogen experiments

Dancing robots, mutant Legos and rocks that rock mark the fifth annual UChicago STEM community outreach event.


From inspiration to reality: building an AI home design system

October 6, 2026

Website showing the interface of this AI home design software.

For people looking to refresh their homes, generative AI offers an enticing possibility: Upload a photograph of a room and, within seconds, see what it might look like with a different color palette, new furniture or an entirely new style.


Vera Rubin Observatory detects one of the smallest and faintest satellite galaxies ever seen — before the telescope’s mission even began

October 6, 2026

The infamous Helix Nebula, imaged here by NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer spacecraft, is located deep in the constellation Aquarius. Even farther — beyond the edge of the Milky Way — astronomers using the Vera C. Rubin Observatory have discovered wha

Astronomers looking at Vera C. Rubin Observatory test data have discovered 'Aquarius IV', believed to be a brand new satellite galaxy of the Milky Way located 350,000 light-years away.


University of Chicago to launch its first degree program dedicated solely to AI

October 6, 2026

Photo of the University of Chicago.

UChicago launches its Master of Science in Applied Artificial Intelligence program. (Audio)


MS in Applied Data Science capstone research published in cancers

September 28, 2026

Utku Pamuksuz, faculty advisor for the MS-ADS capstone project.

For many graduate students, a capstone project marks the culmination of months of learning. For one team of students in the University of Chicago’s MS in Applied Data Science (MS-ADS) program, it became something even more: peer-reviewed published research in Cancers.


Cross-sector partnership expands tech pathways on Chicago’s South Side

September 28, 2026

The Summer ’26 Tech Pre-Apprenticeship cohort on their capstone presentation day.

The University of Chicago Data Science Institute (DSI) partnered with the Gary Comer Youth Center (GCYC), XChange Chicago, United Airlines, Girl Security, and Chicago Youth Works to launch GCYC’s Tech Pre-Apprenticeship Program – a paid, six-week experience designed to create accessible pathways into the data science field and inspire young adults to explore careers in technology.


Harnessing AI to find new materials

September 21, 2026

PME/Stats PhD student Rodrigo Pires Ferreira uses AI and machine learning to determine the best materials for chemical sensors.

PhD student Rodrigo Pires Ferreira, co-advised by statistics Asst. Prof. Claire Donnat, uses his talents for problem solving to discover new materials for future technologies.


Four UChicago CS students named to Siebel Scholars class of 2027

September 18, 2026

G. Jake Chanenson, María Fernanda Muñoz (top); Anup Sathya, Alex Wuqi Zhang (bottom)

G. Jake Chanenson, María Fernanda Muñoz, Anup Sathya, and Alex Wuqi Zhang were selected to the prestigious program’s Class of 2027.


New method swaps single atom in a molecule to speed drug discovery

September 14, 2026

A group of chemists with the University of Chicago has shown a new way to make a single-atom edit to a molecule, without changing any of its other components.

UChicago chemists invent faster, cheaper technique to turn isoxazoles into pyrroles, a building block for medicines.


UChicago summer programs prepare 400+ Chicago public high school students for college and careers

September 8, 2026

A photo of two people speaking in an hallway.

The Youth Internship Program, a Chicago Youth Works partner, is one of a broad suite of free academic, scientific, and creative initiatives UChicago offers Chicago high school students each summer, offering structured exposure to prospective career pathways across STEM, healthcare, and the arts, while also preparing local youth for college.


How MS-ADS student Aaron Garay turned his passion for basketball into a data science internship

September 8, 2026

Photo of a basketball.

When Aaron Garay decided to return to graduate school, he wasn’t looking for an escape from his career; he was looking for a way to expand it.


DSI celebrates 2026 summer program researchers

September 8, 2026

The DSSI cohort dives into work during a two-week bootcamp at the start of the summer.

This summer, 48 undergraduate and high school scholars participated in the UChicago Data Science Institute’s Summer Research Programs — the first cohort hosted in the DSI’s new home, the Lorraine and Yuji Suzuki Center.


Master’s in applied data science summer 2026 Capstone winners

September 8, 2026

Group of people working on a project.

The University of Chicago’s MS in Applied Data Science program celebrated the culminating work of its graduating students at the Summer 2026 Capstone Showcase on August 15th.


UChicago planetary scientists detect atmosphere on the coldest lava world to date

August 27, 2026

artist's depiction of a lava world

Studying the atmospheres of lava worlds offers window to Earth’s earliest history, pathway to habitable worlds.


How one toothbrush inspired a startup: UChicago environmental science grad builds a more sustainable future

August 26, 2026

a toothbrush, with flosser and tongue scraper heads, next to a figure spelling LOOP

After years of recycling and environmental consciousness, a UChicago alum turned to an old toothbrush, an engineering background, and new knowledge from UChicago’s MS in Environmental Science to create LOOP, a startup reimagining how people approach oral care.