News: 2022

November

Meet 3 LGBTQ+ scientists putting pride in STEM

November 21, 2022

Jas Brooks, Computer Science Student, and two other LGBTQ+ scientists in The Advocate

University of Chicago computer science Ph.D. student Jas Brooks was interviewed by The Advocate for Pride in STEM Day, Nov. 18, for being a successful LGBTQ+ person in STEM.


PSD Spotlight: Meredith Davis

November 15, 2022

Meredith Davis

The PSD November Spotlight is Meredith Davis, media relations manager for the Physical Sciences Division and Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering. She began at UChicago in November 2021.


Nine PSD members named Highly Cited Researchers

November 15, 2022

PSD in white against a maroon background

The Highly Cited Researchers™ list from Clarivate™ identifies scientists and social scientists who have demonstrated significant influence through publication of multiple highly cited papers during the last decade. Ten PSD members made the 2022 list.


Chemists create an ‘artificial photosynthesis’ system that is 10 times more efficient than existing systems

November 10, 2022

Illustration of artificial photosynthesis happening in a leaf

A new study from six UChicago chemists shows an innovative new system for artificial photosynthesis that is more productive than previous artificial systems by an order of magnitude and could produce ethanol, methane, or other fuels.


A slime mold turns your smartwatch into a living Tamagotchi

November 10, 2022

A wrist and hand sporting an experimental device called at Slime Mold Smart Watch, with a close up of living slime housed in the watch.

What if your ‘90’s Tamagotchi pet wasn’t digital? What if your devices were really alive, at least a little bit, and you had to care for them in order for them to work? These are the questions grad student Jasmine Lu and Assoc. Prof. Pedro Lopes of UChicago Computer Science set out to answer with their Slime Mold Smart Watch.


$9.2M grant to UChicago computer scientists will improve graph analytics

November 10, 2022

Andrew A. Chien

UChicago computer scientists will lead a $9.2M grant from ARPA for the UpDown System, to speed up graph analytics. The effort will reinvent computer architecture, dramatically increasing efficiency and scalability for graph computing. Prof. Andrew Chien wil head a team including Henry Hoffmann, Yanjing Li, and Michael Maire.


Pranav Gokhale, PhD’20, among Crain’s Chicago Business 40 Under 40 for 2022

November 7, 2022

Pranav Gokhale

Pranav Gokhale, PhD‘20 Computer Science, was among Crain’s Chicago Business 40 Under 40 for 2022. Prof. Fred Chong comments on his success in co-leading their quantum startup, Super.tech. 


2022 Chicago Quantum Summit to gather leaders defining the emerging field

November 4, 2022

quantum communication illustration

The fifth annual Chicago Quantum Summit, hosted by the Chicago Quantum Exchange, will convene academic, government, and industry leaders in quantum information science and engineering on Nov. 14-15. The public can attend on Zoom.


A massive space rock impact may have kickstarted Earth’s magnetic field

November 4, 2022

Depiction of interplanetary crash with explosion of heat and light

A new study led by Prof. Fausto Cattaneo, Dept. of Astronomy and Astrophysics, informs Earth-Moon formation theories. Through analysis of the dynamics of fluids and electrically conducting fluids, the researchers concluded that the Earth must have been magnetized either before the impact of an interplanetary collision or as a result of it. 


Scientists discover way to target ‘undruggable’ molecules involved in cancer

November 3, 2022

illustration of the structure of the molecule as it clamps onto DNA

UChicago chemist Raymond Moellering is in a group that has created an innovative way to build synthetic molecules that can target these previously “undruggable” transcription factors. The breakthrough holds promise for drugs and treatments as well as tools to better understand cancer biology.


UChicago AI Summit examines promise and concerns for science and society

November 3, 2022

AI Summit panelists talking

The Summit on AI in Society, organized in October by the Institute on the Formation of Knowledge (IFK), featured several UChicago CS speakers alongside social scientists, artists, policy experts, historians, and philosophers.


Diana Franklin talks K-12 quantum ed on Entangled Things podcast

November 2, 2022

Entangled Things podcast logo, black with quantum waves in rainbow

Assoc. Prof. Diana Franklin, Dept. of Computer Science, was interviewed by the podcast Entangled Things about K-12 education in quantum, suspension of disbelief, and ways to communicate quantum topics to broader audiences.


Scientists discover a potential ​‘diamond factory’ near the center of the Earth

November 2, 2022

Earth core vivisection

Scientists working with UChicago GeoSoilEnviroCARS (GSECARS) beamline used an X-ray beam, laser techniques and high-resolution spectroscopy tools to simulate the extreme conditions at Earth’s core-mantle boundary. They found that unlike rusting at Earth’s surface, carbon comes out of the liquid iron metal alloy and forms diamond.


A quantum-computing startup gets big-name backing

November 2, 2022

Ethernet cables

Former Motorola CEO Chris Galvin invests in and joins the board of ColdQuanta, which acquired Prof. Fred Chong’s UChicago-born quantum startup Super.tech.


Meet computational and applied mathematics student, Phillip Lo

November 1, 2022

Phillip Lo

Phillip Lo grew up near Worcester, MA, and did his undergraduate degree at UChicago (AB’19). Currently a fourth-year student in the Computational and Applied Math PhD program, he is in his eighth year on campus, making him “a UChicago lifer.” In his research, he uses physically-informed machine learning methods to study the magnetic structure of the atmosphere of our sun.