News: 2026

The fight over the data that trains artificial intelligence has become one of the defining economic conflicts of the decade.

Joylyn Yu '26 came to the University of Chicago as a licensed forester from the Philippines. Her motivation for the field came partly from where she grew up — a country highly affected by climate change, where she lived through typhoons. That experience pushed her toward forestry as an undergraduate. After completing her degree, she earned her forester license in her home country. But by the time she finished studying for that exam, she knew forestry alone wasn't enough.
 

Joshua Frank '26 came to the University of Chicago’s MS in Environmental Science with the intention of finishing his one-year degree, finding a job, and putting his analytical training to work on problems he cared about. Three quarters in, while he's still applying for jobs, he's also looking into PhD programs. Not because the original plan was wrong, but because the program kept opening doors he didn't know existed.
 

Xinyuan Zhou ‘26 isn't your typical science student. Then again, she is exactly the kind of student that University of Chicago’s MS in Environmental Science attracts: someone who wants to use the degree to scale meaningful change and advance sustainability practices.
 

PSD department chair, director, and deputy dean appointments and reappointments, effective July 1, 2026.

Congrats to Abigail Lee, PhD’25 in Astronomy and Astrophysics, who has received a 2025 PhD Prize from the International Astronomical Union (IAU).
 

In this episode of Big Brains, Marshini Chetty discusses tactics used in apps and online to deceive users—from subscription traps to collecting data.

A new device from AxLab, led by PhD student Willa Yang in the Department of Computer Science, lets digital displays bloom from everyday objects and surfaces—creating touch interfaces only when they're needed, and helping technology fade seamlessly into daily life.

How an innovative UChicago laboratory built a fast-moving platform to target "undruggable" cancer proteins and train the next generation of scientific leaders. 

Chicago Data Night has become a cornerstone of Chicago’s data and AI community, bringing together professionals and academics for technically rigorous and timely conversations. Since its start in fall 2023, the series has featured speakers spanning cutting-edge research and real-world industry applications, creating a forum where ideas translate into practice and a community that shares learnings across sectors through conversation. 

The series creates a recurring forum for the emerging community of AI in Science researchers to share methodological advances, discuss challenges, and forge new collaborations.
 

Researchers say a lack of reliable information on artificial intelligence use on campus could lead to misguided policies.

Carlos Kenig discusses the Fields Medal, Jorge Luis Borges, and the Chicago School of Analysis.
 

From a student who won a gold medal at the International Mathematical Olympiad with a perfect score in 1984, Professor Dam Thanh Son has become one of the most influential Vietnamese-born theoretical physicists on the international stage.

The need for massive upfront investments and the likelihood of significant job displacement imply remarkable parallels between the AI buildout and the green transition. In both cases, the state has an important role to play in guiding market forces on behalf of the public good.