Dear Alumni & Friends, 

On June 15, we brought the 2018-2019 academic year to a close. This year, our faculty earned many distinctions, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, Wolf Prize, and Dirac Medal. Over 300 Master's and 160 Ph.D. students graduated from our programs. Our researchers contributed to groundbreaking discoveries and advancements, including the first image of a black hole, the discovery of a rare exoplanet, cell division outside of a cell, rivers raging on Mars, a way to power pacemakers with light, new doors to greener chemicals, and so much more.  

I’m excited and proud to serve a Division that is driving innovation and exploration, fostering an inclusive and creative intellectual environment, and helping shape the next generation of physical scientists and mathematicians. 

Our newsletter will go on hiatus for the summer. We look forward to sharing monthly highlights when we return in September. 

Thank you for being supporters  and advocates of the PSD, 

Angela V. Olinto 
Dean of the Physical Sciences Division, UChicago 

Quanta Features Prof. Amie Wilkinson 

In a Q&A with Quanta Magazine, Amie Wilkinson, professor of mathematics, discusses dynamical systems, equity and inclusion in the field of mathematics, and her growth as a mentor. Read more about Prof. Wilkinson's career trajectory, work, and facilitation of safe spaces in the classroom. 

Study Shakes Up Sloth Family Tree 

A pair of studies have overturned a longstanding consensus on how major groups of sloths are related. Graham Slater, assistant professor of geophysical sciences, and his collaborators determined that three-toed sloths are more closely related to a large family that included ancient elephant-sized ground sloths; meanwhile, the two-toed sloth appears to be the last survivor of an ancient lineage previously thought extinct. 

Using human genome, scientists build CRISPR for RNA to open pathways for medicine 

A group of scientists from the University of Chicago  has announced a breakthrough method to alter RNA—and instead of using a protein from bacteria, like CRISPR, the new system is built out of parts from the human genome. The discovery could open new pathways for treating diseases or injuries by temporarily altering how the genetic template is carried out in the cell. 

• Nova notes Assoc. Prof. David Schuster’s work to improve superconducting qubits used in quantum computers.
• Ozy feature explains Assoc. Prof. Jonathan Simon's research on photons and their potential use in quantum computers.

• Scientists use atoms to simulate quantum physics in curved spacetimes.
  • See also: Phys.org
• Scientists use X-rays from faraway galaxy cluster to reveal secrets of plasma.

• UChicago’s Class of 2019 celebrates Convocation weekend.
• Professors Malliaris, Hu, and Lalley announced winners of Quantrell and Graduate Teaching Awards.
• First class of astrophysics majors excels at research.
• PhD student Gregory Rassolov awarded 2019 Wayne C. Booth Prize. 
• PhD student Yuliana Zamora awarded National Physical Science Consortium Fellowship.
• CS PhD student profiled for Harper award-winning research.
• Students earn Nathan Sugarman Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate and Graduate Research.