News: Students

University of Chicago astrophysics undergrad Zewei Wu has spent his summer near Munich, Germany in “Science City,” conducting research to help unravel the story of how galaxies form and evolve. At his internship at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics he has been running simulations of astrophysical plasma—the gas that composes more than half of all visible matter in galaxies, including stars and solar systems.

UChicago research scientist Arjun Bhagoji and 5th year PhD student Brennan Schaffner collaborate to study content moderation across the top 43 online platforms.

UChicago PhD student Edgar Marrufo Villalpando journeyed from Mexico to the United States and transitioned from computational physics to astronomical instrumentation to pursue his childhood dream of becoming a physicist. In this article, Villalpando reflects on his personal and academic journey toward becoming a scientist.

A new study led by researchers from the University of Chicago and the University of Pittsburgh introduced new method for altering vinyl systems, important in drug and materials science. 
 

Ava Polzin is one of 50 students selected as a 2024 Quad Fellow. Now in its second year, the Quad Fellowship supports exceptional master's and doctoral students pursuing studies in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in the United States.

Chemistry Graduate Student Lauren McNamara has been recognized with the 2024 Merck Research Award. McNamara, who works as part of the John Anderson Lab, will be recognized at the American Chemical Society Women Chemists Committee (WCC) luncheon in the fall and will present her research at a symposium in August. 

Assistant Professor Aloni Cohen, second-year PhD student Gabe Schoenbach, and postdoc Alexander Hoover recently posted a paper that extends the theory of watermarking outputs of language models. One of the main goals of watermarking language models involves embedding detectable signals within the outputs of language models such as ChatGPT.

PhD student Romain Nith, research collaborator Yun Ho, and Associate Professor Pedro Lopes propose increasing the efficiency of multitasking by incorporating electrical muscle stimulation called “SplitBody.”

University of Chicago rising fourth-year students Sarah Kress, Eva McCord, and Joshua Pixley have been awarded 2024 Barry Goldwater Scholarships. Kress and Pixley are chemistry majors.

A new algorithm developed at UChicago, drawing inspiration from a famous experiment involving shadows in ancient Alexandria, could help quantum computers more efficiently simulate molecular systems with high accuracy.

New Yorker staff writer Rivka Galchen discusses UChicago class Are We Doomed?, cotaught by astrophysicist Daniel Holz. It’s in the interdisciplinary field of existential risk, which studies the threats posed by climate change, nuclear warfare, and artificial intelligence. Listen to the podcast and read the story.

A novel algorithm that harnesses math and physics principles offers enhanced pattern recognition capabilities.

A flexible, adaptable, storable patch combines bacteria and sensors to interface with the body.

UChicago students conduct research at Magellan telescopes as part of new field course. This story is part of a series called UChicago Class Visits, spotlighting transformative classroom experiences and unique learning opportunities offered at UChicago.

PhD student Anup Sathya and Assistant Professor Ken Nakagaki introduce Attention Receipts, a tangible solution aimed at increasing awareness of digital consumption habits and navigating the complexities of technology's impact on human agency. Through this innovation, they seek to foster a culture of introspection in the digital age.