News: Faculty

2022

“Donald G. York to receive 2022 George Van Biesbroeck Prize from the American Astronomical Society”, UChicago News by Maureen McMahon

June 1, 2022

The American Astronomical Society has announced that it will present its 2022 George Van Biesbroeck Prize to Donald G. York, the Horace B. Horton Professor Emeritus, Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Enrico Fermi Institute, and the College. The award is presented biannually and honors a living individual for long-term extraordinary or unselfish service to astronomy.


Congratulations to Dr. Huanqing Chen

May 27, 2022

Congratulations to Huanqing Chen for successfully defending her Ph.D. dissertation on “Probing Cosmic Reionization with Quasar Proximity Zones” (PhD Advisor: Nick Gnedin)


Congratulations to Edward “Rocky” Kolb

May 24, 2022

Edward "Rocky" Kolb, Arthur Holly Compton Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, the David N. Schramm Director of the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, receives a Arthur L. Kelly Faculty Prize for Exceptional Service on June 4.


Congratulations to Joshua A. Frieman

May 3, 2022

Josh Frieman elected to the National Academy of Sciences


Associate Professor Jeff McMahon named co-spokesperson for the CMB-S4, PSD News

April 21, 2022

PSD scientist named co-spokesperson for international science collaboration mapping remnant light from the Big Bang.


“Eugene Parker, ‘legendary figure’ in solar science and namesake of Parker Solar Probe, 1927-2022”, UChicago News by Louise Lerner

March 16, 2022

Eugene Parker, University of Chicago Prof. Emeritus of Astronomy and Astrophysics, is remembered for seminal contributions to the understanding of our sun and solar system.


“196 lasers help scientists recreate the conditions inside gigantic galaxy clusters”, UChicago News by Louise Lerner

March 12, 2022

Experiments point the way to solving mystery that keeps clusters hot.


James Truran, pioneer in nuclear astrophysics and beloved colleague, 1940-2022

March 6, 2022

Prof. Emeritus James W. Truran, who helped lay the foundations for our understanding of how virtually all elements of the universe were created in stellar explosions, died March 5. He was 81.


Prof. Wendy Freedman named speaker for UChicago’s 2022 Convocation celebration, UChicago News

March 3, 2022

Prof. Wendy Freedman will address this year’s graduating class on the Main Quad. A renowned cosmologist, Freedman led the team that made a landmark measurement in 2001 of the Hubble constant—the rate at which the universe is expanding.


NASA gives go-ahead for $20M multi-institution balloon experiment led by UChicago scientists

January 6, 2022

University of Chicago physicist Abby Vieregg is leading an international experiment that essentially uses the ice in Antarctica as a giant detector to find extremely energetic particles from outer space. Recently approved by NASA, the $20 million project will build an instrument to fly above the Antarctic in a balloon, launching in December 2024.


Hsiao-Wen Chen named AAS Fellow

January 5, 2022

Professor Hsiao-Wen Chen in the University of Chicago Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics has been named 2022 American Astronomical Society Fellows. The AAS Fellows program was established in 2019 to recognize AAS members for their contributions toward the Society's mission of enhancing and sharing humanity's scientific understanding of the universe.  


Richard Kron named AAS Fellow

January 5, 2022

Professor Emeritus Richard Kron in the University of Chicago Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics has been named 2022 American Astronomical Society Fellows. The AAS Fellows program was established in 2019 to recognize AAS members for their contributions toward the Society's mission of enhancing and sharing humanity's scientific understanding of the universe.  


2021

Black holes have tantrums, and scientists have finally captured the resulting gamma rays

November 18, 2021


Prof. Eugene Parker accepts prestigious Crafoord Prize in Astronomy

November 18, 2021


Congratulations to Professor Jacob Bean

October 20, 2021

Jacob Bean has been promoted from Associate Professor to Professor with the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics.