The University of Chicago Magazine

Notes on campus On living in and out of the moment.

"Three years ago I knew nothing here. Now I have memories in a hundred rooms." A student reflects on the workings of memory and the campus spaces that define her life in the College. https://mag.uchicago.edu/university-news/notes-campus

Claudia Goldin, AM’69, PhD’72 Questions for the Nobel Memorial Prize–winning economist and friend to golden retrievers.

Claudia Goldin, AM’69, PhD’72, is our Fall/25 UChicagoan. Read the full Q&A with the Nobel Memorial Prize–winning economist and friend to golden retrievers. https://mag.uchicago.edu/economics-business/claudia-goldin-am69-phd72

Life as a team sport An alumna reflects on her husband’s legacy and the community he created.

Alumni essay: Madeline de Figueredo, AB’19, reflects on learning to live in community after the death of her husband. https://bit.ly/4ogRFpG

Songs of experience Beyond seeking pleasure or meaning, the writer argues, a third path to a good life is to embrace its complexity.

What makes a good life? In an excerpt from his new book, psychologist Shigehiro Oishi reflects on how his path has differed from his father’s and makes the case for a life defined by psychological richness. https://bit.ly/4p3xOf2

Greening the red planet Humans will likely go to Mars. What we do when we get there warrants careful study and discussion, says Edwin Kite.

Humans will likely go to Mars, says geophysicist Edwin Kite, but rigorous research is needed before we make decisions about what to do when we get there. https://bit.ly/47F7Ir0

In a new book Jens Ludwig challenges conventional wisdom on gun violence and suggests new approaches to solving the problem. https://mag.uchicago.edu/ludwig

Growth mindset Over the summer a cohort of students lived together in Campus North, conducted research, and laid the groundwork for their future careers.

Fifty-five students participated in the pilot of the College’s Summer research residency program, living in Campus North while they conduct research and prepare for their future careers. https://mag.uchicago.edu/university-news/growth-mindset

In Horror on the Brain: The Neuroscience behind Science Fiction, Austin Lim, PhD’14, explores brain science through horror and science fiction. Read about some of the science-and-fiction connections Lim explores in the book. https://mag.uchicago.edu/science-medicine/body-horror

Releases A selection of books, films, and recordings by UChicago alumni.

Flight attendants, wartime trade, magic, and more. Check out a selection of alumni books: https://bit.ly/4h0Chf3

Animal archive Meredith Miller, AB’98, combines archival materials and everyday objects to rethink our relationship with endangered species.

Photographer Meredith Miller, AB’98, uses archival materials and everyday objects to rethink our relationship to endangered species. https://bit.ly/4q11DgW

Life itself Nobel laureates and nuclear experts urge action on a looming threat.

Nobel laureates and nuclear experts gathered on campus in July to urge action to prevent nuclear war. Read an excerpt from their declaration and learn more about the event. https://bit.ly/3KDFuVY

What are the aims of education? For more than 50 years, distinguished professors have offered answers to this question.

Every year since 1962, a distinguished faculty member has been invited to give the Aims of Education address to incoming first-year College students during Orientation Week. Read excerpts from their talks https://bit.ly/4q13CC5

The five best things about Alumni Weekend (according to reunion volunteers)

Reunion volunteers share the best things about Alumni Weekend. https://mag.uchicago.edu/university-news/five-best-things-about-alumni-weekend

six images of buildings on the University of Chicago campus

What is KPTC? And how is W different from WB? ICYMI, test your knowledge of UChicago building abbreviations—and make it to class on time! https://mag.uchicago.edu/university-news/maroon-alphabet

Crossover artist Carolyn Yackel, SB’92, weaves together math and fiber arts.

Mathematician Carolyn Yackel, SB’92, uses fiber arts—including shibori, temari, and knitting—to explore mathematical concepts. https://mag.uchicago.edu/university-news/crossover-artist

The Fall/25 issue of The Core is here, with stories on campus spaces, the aims of education, summer research, postal inspection, oral history, and much more. https://bit.ly/4nGrc5J

Cover of the fall 2025 issue of The University of Chicago Magazine, with a photograph of three red embroidered temari balls against a dark blue background.

The Fall/25 issue of The University of Chicago Magazine is here. Sit in on a class about crony capitalism, learn what makes a good life, and discover how an alumna weaves together math and fiber arts, and much more. https://bit.ly/3J32Eod

It’s got a good beat and you can study it The coeditor of a new scholarly volume on Taylor Swift believes in taking popular music seriously.

Learn how Assistant Professor of Music Paula Clare Harper’s (AB’10) recent book on Taylor Swift came together, challenges of studying music on the internet, her favorite version of “All Too Well,” and more: mag.uchicago.edu/paulaharper

Releases A selection of books, films, and recordings by UChicago alumni.

A selection of new books by alumni. https://mag.uchicago.edu/university-news/releases-61

Marilu Henner, EX’74 Questions for the actor, author, and possessor of HSAM (highly superior autobiographical memory).

Marilu Henner, EX’74, is our Summer/25 UChicagoan. Read the full Q&A with the actor, author, and possessor of HSAM (highly superior autobiographical memory): https://mag.uchicago.edu/arts-humanities/marilu-henner-ex74

Internal dialogue Meet the Magazine’s interns, Brady Santoro, Class of 2027, and Vivian Li, Class of 2028.

The University of Chicago Magazine hired its first Metcalf intern in 1997, the year the program started. Once the Magazine began hiring two interns, they got a standard practice assignment: interview each other. Meet our summer 2025 interns: mag.uchicago.edu/university-n...

Breaking all the rules New materials that defy the laws of thermodynamics could revolutionize batteries, buildings, and more.

What expands under pressure and contracts when heated? Groundbreaking materials discovered by Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering researchers defy the conventional laws of thermodynamics. https://bit.ly/46eMn78

Such stuff as dreams are made of Following the loss of his mother, an alumnus reflects on skepticism and faith.

Irwin Keller, EX’85, JD’88, wasn’t sure whether his dreams of his late mother were a divine message or just wishful thinking. Read his reflections on skepticism and faith. mag.uchicago.edu/university-n...

Out of circulation As book bans spread nationwide, a professor, an author, and UChicago’s library system defend the freedom to read.

As book bans spread nationwide, a professor, an author, and the UChicago library system defend the freedom to read. mag.uchicago.edu/university-n...

Uninhibited debate At an alumni event this spring, panelists discussed threats to higher education in light of a foundational UChicago value.

In April UChicago Alumni and The Chicago Forum for Free Inquiry and Expression cohosted “Uninhibited Debate: How UChicago Shaped Free Expression Discourse.” Panelists addressed open discourse in classrooms, the legacy of the Chicago Principles, and more mag.uchicago.edu/university-n...

Game plan Daryl Fairweather’s (AM’12, PhD’14) new book encourages readers to think like an economist.

With plenty of references to Beyoncé and other Black women in pop culture, Daryl Fairweather’s (AM’12, PhD’14) new book, Hate the Game, discusses how game theory plays into everyday lives, offering economics-rooted insights into navigating careers and finances. mag.uchicago.edu/economics-bu...

Mathematical model Mina Rees, PhD’31 (1902–97), helped scientific research flourish.

Mathematician Mina Rees, PhD’31, worked behind the scenes to develop the first federal agency dedicated to funding scientific research in peacetime. Her policies have characterized federal science funding into the 21st century. mag.uchicago.edu/university-n... @uchicagoalumni.bsky.social

By design In the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering’s capstone course, fourth-year students put their skills to the test.

After four years of textbooks and problem sets, molecular engineering students test their skills out on real world engineering problems. They might not be able to solve the problems in two quarters, but what matters is how they approach the challenge. mag.uchicago.edu/science-medi...

Need to know A band of UChicago alumni and affiliates brings psych-rock daring to Bollywood classics.

With two College alumni singers, an editor at the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists behind the drums, and a UChicago linguistics professor on the bass, Do the Needful pays tribute to classic Bollywood. mag.uchicago.edu/arts-humanit...

Aging against the odds The brains of aging outliers hold lessons for neuroscientists.

The brains of people who stay sharp-witted in their 80s and 90s might hold clues to healthy aging for the rest of us. Emily Rogalski of UChicago is studying these "superagers" at the @haarccenter.bsky.social. I spoke with her for @uchicagomag.bsky.social mag.uchicago.edu/science-medi...