News: Students

2020

PSD in the News - November 2020

November 19, 2020

PSD in white against a maroon background

This month PSD researchers have been featured for their efforts to turn an IBM computer into a quantum material, unlock why supersymmetry can solve problems in the Standard Model, and tune materials to launch a new computing paradigm inspired by the energy-efficiency of the brain.


In new step toward quantum tech, scientists synthesize ‘bright’ quantum bits

November 17, 2020

In new step toward quantum tech, scientists synthesize ‘bright’ quantum bits


A search for supersymmetric particles in the ATLAS detector at CERN

November 17, 2020

UChicago researcher Lesya Horyn inside of the ATLAS detector.

Supersymmetry is a proposed theory to expand the Standard Model of particle physics. Akin to the periodic table of elements, the Standard Model is the best description we have for subatomic particles in nature and the forces acting on them. But physicists know this model is incomplete—it doesn’t make room for gravity or dark matter, for example. Supersymmetry aims to complete the picture by pairing each Standard Model particle with a supersymmetric partner, opening up a new class of hypothetical particles to detect and discover. In a new study, UChicago physicists have uncovered limitations for what properties these superpartners, if they exist, could have.
 


Meet geophysical sciences student, Andy Heard

November 6, 2020

Andrew Heard

Meet geophysical sciences student, Andy Heard, who studies geochemistry and uses precise measurements of iron isotope ratios in sedimentary rocks to learn about the history of oxygen on the ancient Earth.


PSD in the News - October 2020

October 28, 2020

Physical Sciences data map logo

This month PSD researchers have been featured for their efforts to discover how a small molecule is the key to HIV forming capsules, adapt laboratory research during COVID-19, and design nanotechnology that provides hope for a personalized vaccination for treating cancer.


Three computer science students selected for Rising Star Program

October 28, 2020

Three PhD students from the Department of Computer Science, Yi Ding, Jean Salac, and Junwen Yang, have been selected for the 2020 edition of the Rising Stars workshop, a prestigious program for boosting the careers of women in CS and related fields. 


UChicago scientists reveal new clues into how Earth got its oxygen

October 23, 2020

Earth’s thin shell of oxygen atmosphere keeps us alive, though we still don’t know exactly how it formed. A new study from the University of Chicago reveals clues in the role that iron had to play. Image courtesy of NASA

In a new study published Oct. 23 in Science, UChicago graduate student Andy Heard, Prof. Dauphas and their colleagues used a pioneering technique to uncover new information about the role of oceanic iron in the rise of Earth’s atmosphere. The findings reveal more about Earth’s history, and can even shed light on the search for habitable planets in other star systems.


UChicago scientists teach a neural net to find baby star flares

October 23, 2020

An X-class solar flare from our sun in November 2013. Scientists trained a neural network to find such flares in data taken of distant planets around other stars.

Scientists with the University of Chicago and the University of New South Wales taught a type of artificial intelligence called a neural network to detect the telltale light patterns of a stellar flare, then asked it to check the light curves of thousands of young stars; it found more than 23,000 flares.


From outdoor art to laboratory COVID-19 research, a look at UChicago’s Autumn Quarter

October 13, 2020

Woman painting a canvas in a field

From outdoor art to laboratory COVID-19 research, a look at UChicago’s Autumn Quarter


Welcoming the largest class of graduate students in PSD history

September 25, 2020

Five new students to the PSD in 2020

Meet nine members of the incoming class and get behind the PSD Fellowship Challenge to support an unprecendented year for admissions. We are raising $3.6M to impact each student's graduate education.


Five UChicago CS Students Named in 2021 Class of Seibel Scholars

September 23, 2020

five portraits of the 2021 Seibel scholars

Five UChicago CS Students Named in 2021 Class of Seibel Scholars


PSD in the News: July – September 2020

September 23, 2020

PSD in white against a maroon background

This summer the Physical Sciences Division announced several institutional advancements, like the Institute for Mathematical and Statistical Innovation, major NSF support for materials science research, and exciting developments with CMB collaborations. Read the full list of articles for July, August, and September.


Radix Trading gift to support 20 PhD students

September 16, 2020

Student machining technology in PSD lab

A $400,000 gift from local company Radix Trading, LLC will support PhD students. Radix’s contribution is part of the PSD Fellowship Challenge and will be matched dollar-for-dollar by an anonymous challenge donor. Together, this $800,000 in gifts will name the Radix Trading Fellows—a cohort of 20 students for the 2020-21 academic year.


Conference highlights graduate research opportunities for women in mathematical sciences

September 8, 2020

Two women--one in foreground and one in background--look at screen

The Graduate Research Opportunities for Women (GROW) conference exists to create a space for women, who are historically underrepresented in mathematical fields, to network and learn about graduate research opportunities, graduate program admissions, and career options after they complete a degree. 


UChicago joins APS-IDEA network for community transformation

September 2, 2020

American Physical Society Logo

The University of Chicago named as member of APS-IDEA network, a consortium of physics departments, laboratories, and research collaborations committed to improving equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI)