Looking back at the past year, 2025 was marked by discovery and transformation at the University of Chicago. Faculty, students, staff, and alumni celebrated awards and recognition; launched new centers and initiatives; and made deep contributions to the foundation of human knowledge.
Take a look back at some of the notable stories from 2025, a year in which the University and members of its intellectual community:
Conducted breakthrough research and scholarship
In the past year, UChicago scholars made new discoveries and insights about the world in dozens of fields. They built experiments, analyzed data, and released new books and cultural works.
Among many others: UChicago scholars translated a 4,400-year-old Sumerian myth; created new materials that defy thermodynamics; and discovered new planets around one of our nearest stars. They showed that economic inequality is linked to democratic erosion; unveiled never-before-see mummies of duck-billed dinosaurs; and reimagined our understanding of the so-called “Golden Age” of the Renaissance.
They made advances in technology, too, showing a way to use placeholders to speed up the process of making new molecules; turning a protein found in living cells into a quantum bit, creating a ‘plug and play’ system to boost cancer immunotherapies; developing molecular qubits to lay the groundwork for the future quantum internet; and forging a path toward batteries without ‘forever’ chemicals.
Celebrated honors awarded to faculty, students and staff.
In January, President Paul Alivisatos was recognized with the Enrico Fermi Presidential Award by the U.S. government for his contributions to nanoscience, and Board of Trustees Chair David M. Rubenstein was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his philanthropic support of the nation’s cultural institutions. In April, mathematician Ewain Gwynne received the New Horizons Prize for his work in conformal probability. Meanwhile, three scholars received Guggenheim fellowships; six scientists were awarded Sloan Fellowships; essayist Rachel Cohen was awarded the Berlin Prize; and astrophysicist Wendy Freedman was recognized with the National Medal of Science, the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Physics and as one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People.
Partnered with industry and government to advance science and engineering.
A series of partnerships with industry and government announced this past year will enable the University to translate its research into real-world technology.
In September, Hyde Park Labs opened its doors, including a dedicated space for a new UChicago Science Incubator. The Biological Sciences Division announced it would partner with Deerfield Management to create new medicines and disease treatments in an initiative known as Hyde Park Discovery.
This fall, UChicago leaders helped break ground on a massive quantum campus on Chicago’s South Side, called the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park. UChicago also announced a landmark partnership with quantum company IonQ, including the construction of a world-class science and engineering building at 56th Street and Ellis Avenue. Those announcements were part of a banner year for quantum at UChicago, which culminated with a record-setting Chicago Quantum Summit in downtown Chicago.
Convened eminent scholars and leaders for conversations on campus.
In February, civil rights icon Ruby Bridges spoke to a packed crowd at Rockefeller Chapel for UChicago’s Martin Luther King Jr. commemoration, and Nobel laureate in chemistry John Jumper, SM’12, PhD’17, returned to his alma mater to discuss his research at a standing-room-only event. In July, 13 Nobel laureates and 40 nuclear experts gathered on campus to issue an urgent appeal to world leaders to take steps to prevent the threats of nuclear war. The Institute of Politics as well as the Chicago Forum for Free Inquiry and Expression also hosted many compelling and wide-ranging discussions.
Earned prestigious scholarships to study across the world.
UChicago undergraduate Tori Harris was named a Rhodes Scholar; undergraduates Elijah Jenkins and Logan Hanssler were selected as Marshall Scholars; Marine veteran and undergraduate Luke Magyar was awarded a Truman scholarship; four students earned Goldwater Scholarships; an undergraduate and an alum were named Schwarzman Scholars; and an undergraduate and two alumni were named Gates-Cambridge scholars.
Grew degree programs and launched new ones.
Thanks to a $100 million gift from entrepreneur Konstantin Sokolov, MBA’05, the Executive MBA Program at the Booth School of Business will continue fostering excellence in business education. The University also launched a new major in climate and sustainable growth for undergraduates; a new master’s of science degree in chemistry, as well as degrees in biomedical informatics and threat and response management—the latest in a series of new master’s programs at UChicago.
Invited the community to broaden their horizons with the arts.
UChicago invited the community to play with a campus-wide celebration known as the Year of Games, as well as an expanded Arts & Humanities Day event full of discussions, tours and demonstrations. The Neubauer Collegium marked its 10th anniversary with exhibitions and events, including several linked to its years-long exploration of Pan-Africanism. Court Theatre celebrated a banner year with 21 Equity Jeff Award nominations and nine wins. And Prof. Theaster Gates brought pieces of campus that have traveled the world as part of his celebrated art installations home once again—this time at the Smart Museum of Art.
Opened new centers and institutes to advance the pursuit of knowledge.
A $21 million gift from philanthropist Thea Berggren to UChicago established the Berggren Center for Quantum Biology and Medicine to merge quantum technology with biology to transform the future of medicine; an $18.4 million commitment from the Leinweber Foundation will support the creation of a new institute for theoretical physics at UChicago; and a $25 million gift from Priscilla and Steven A. Kersten will strengthen K–12 education research.
Brought new life to Botany Pond.
The beloved campus landmark was renovated last year, but that was only the first step. A team including UChicago ecologists put together a plan to make the pond into a self-regulating ecosystem, starting with transplants of mud to seed microbial life—all the way up the food chain to native fish, turtles and plants.
Marked major anniversaries.
In January, UChicago and the Chicago Forum marked the 10th anniversary of the Chicago Principles of free expression with an event featuring leaders at UChicago and higher education. This fall, denizens of Swift Hall, home of the Divinity School, recognized the 100th anniversary of the building with a digital exhibition and a celebration. UChicago also celebrated 20 years of the South Side Home Movie Project with an exhibition.
Remembered eminent scholars we lost this year.
The UChicago community honored the memories of those lost this year, including philosopher Jonathan Lear; religious scholar Martin E. Marty; cosmochemist Edward Anders; scholar of Urdu studies C.M. Naim; New Testament scholar Hans-Josef Klauck; theologian David Tracy; medical education leader Holly Humphrey; helioscientist Priscilla Frisch; former chair of medicine Harvey Golomb; systems biologist John Reinitz; theologian Brian Albert Gerrish; and sports economist Allen Sanderson.
—The above reflects only some of the notable stories from across UChicago this past year. Read more at the UChicago News website.