Looking back at 2024 at the University of Chicago

2024 was an extraordinary year at the University of Chicago. The University launched groundbreaking new centers and institutes; celebrated awards and recognition for extraordinary faculty, students and alumni; deepened its historic commitment on free expression; and fostered innovative scholarship in dozens of fields.

Take a look back at some of the notable stories from 2024, a year in which the University and members of its intellectual community:

Made groundbreaking discoveries and created original work

In the past year, UChicago scholars made hundreds of discoveries across fields; released dozens of books and cultural works; and brought new knowledge into the world. These included developing strategies to reverse pandemic-era learning loss for students, creating an ultra-thin pacemaker powered by light, premiering new music on the world stage, welcoming a legendary singer and civil rights activist back to campus, revealing previously unknown facets of gene expression, and making new landmark measurements of the rate at which the universe is expanding.

Marked major anniversaries

The Smart Museum of Art celebrated 50 years of impact and its growth into a gallery housing 17,000 works of art; the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics reflected on 20 years of discovery; UChicago Presents marked 80 years of bringing boundary-pushing music to campus; the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures looked back at 100 years of research at the Luxor House in Egypt, where scholars have documented ancient hieroglyphs and reliefs in temples and tombs; and UChicago celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Center in Delhi.

Celebrated winners of a Nobel Prize, MacArthur and Guggenheim fellowships, and a Kavli Prize

President Paul Alivisatos was awarded the 2024 Kavli Prize in Nanoscience in September and the Enrico Fermi Presidential Award in December for his pioneering work on nanomaterials; UChicago writer Ling Ma was recognized as a 2024 MacArthur Fellow; and literary scholars Profs. Sianne Ngai and Robyn Schiff earned 2024 Guggenheim Fellowships for their innovative work. And in October, Prof. James A. Robinson became UChicago’s newest Nobel laureate, receiving the 2024 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel for his research on global inequality.

Celebrated two NCAA national champions in tennis

In May, the UChicago women’s tennis team won the program’s first NCAA Division III national championship, after finishing as the national runner-up the past two seasons. The following day, the men’s team pulled off an incredible comeback, winning its final three matches to clinch its second NCAA title in the past three years.

Bolstered facilities for science, technology and medicine

Quantum startup company PsiQuantum announced a new quantum science and technology park in July to be based on the South Side of Chicago, with the University of Chicago a partner. The University also celebrated two milestones at its two affiliated national laboratories: a powerful new upgrade to the synchrotron at Argonne National Laboratory, and the completion of the excavation of the underground caverns for DUNE, a flagship U.S. particle physics experiment based at Fermilab. In addition, UChicago, UChicago Medicine and City Colleges of Chicago announced a health care education partnership in Washington Park that would bring up to 600 jobs to the South Side.

Advanced its historic commitment to free inquiry and expression

In September, the University received a $100 million gift from an anonymous donor to support its longstanding leadership on the principles and practice of free expression, and to advance the work of the University of Chicago Forum for Free Inquiry and Expression—both on campus and beyond. The new gift will allow for a rapid expansion of the Chicago Forum’s work through thought-provoking events and powerful new initiatives, including the expansion of free expression education beyond academia and a fellowship program for visiting scholars.

Increased support for advancing cancer treatment

The AbbVie Foundation made a $75 million donation in September to support the construction of UChicago Medicine’s new cancer pavilion—the first freestanding facility in Illinois dedicated to reshaping cancer care, scheduled to open its doors in 2027.

Opened new frontiers in sustainability and climate

In October, UChicago launched the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth, aimed at combining research in economics, policy, and energy technologies to develop deeper understanding of climate change and practical solutions. UChicago researchers also created new technologies to prepare for a more sustainable future, such as plastic that can be re-formed as needed, a new type of battery based on inexpensive and commonly found ingredients, a catalyst that could “recycle” carbon dioxide into useful chemicals, and a fabric that can reflect heat away from people and buildings.

Launched new master’s programs

This fall, the Booth School of Business welcomed the first students into its new Master in Finance and Master in Management programs. In October, it was announced that UChicago alumni Clifford Asness and John Liew made a $60 million gift to the University, in support of Chicago Booth and its Master in Finance program. UChicago also announced it was offering a new master’s program in environmental science that would launch in autumn 2025.

Revitalized beloved campus spaces

This fall, the University welcomed the community back to an improved campus, including a renovation to the Main Quadrangles to improve sustainability and accessibility, and reopened Botany Pond after a two-year project to keep the beloved campus landmark flourishing for another 100 years.

Video by UChicago Creative

Launched a new center in Paris

In November, the University officially opened the John W. Boyer Center in Paris—a new facility that will serve as a hub for UChicago’s ambitious education, research and collaboration across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The building, designed by renowned architectural firm Studio Gang, nearly tripled the capacity of the previous Center, which opened in 2003.

Earned prestigious scholarships to study across the world

Two College students were named Rhodes scholars: fourth-years Francesco Rahe and Anqi Qu. Mónica Ruiz House, AB’24, was named a Marshall Scholar. In addition, Umar Siddiqi, AB’24, was named a Knight-Hennessy Scholar, and three undergraduates earned Goldwater Scholarships.

Took pride in extraordinary alumni achievements

The UChicago community celebrated the contributions of its alumni, including Trina Reynolds-Tyler, MPP’20, who won a Pulitzer Prize in Local Reporting; two alumni who competed on the world stage in the Olympic Games in Paris; and John Jumper, SM’12, PhD’17, who became the youngest person to win a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in three-quarters of a century.

—The content above reflects only some of the notable stories from across UChicago this past year. Read many more at the UChicago News website.