UChicago News

Investigative journalist adapts reportage on police torture scandal into a play

David Ford — Mon, 21 May 2012 10:11 -0500

John Conroy isn’t letting anyone off the hook.

After spending much of the last two decades covering the Chicago Police Department’s torture scandal in the pages of the Chicago Reader, the veteran investigative journalist has now compressed the details of that grisly chapter of the city’s history into My Kind of Town, a two-act play premiering this month at TimeLine Theatre.

“What I wanted...

Admissions yield for College grows to 47 percent, with greater diversity

Jeremy Manier — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:05 -0500

The proportion of admitted undergraduate students who chose to attend the University of Chicago increased this year from 40 percent to 47 percent, reflecting greater diversity and broad enthusiasm for educational opportunities in the undergraduate College.

Such a large increase in admissions yield is unusual, and it is one indication of growing interest in the College among students of high ability around the world, said John W. Boyer, dean...

New technique reveals unseen information in DNA code

Steve Koppes — Thu, 17 May 2012 11:00 -0500

Imagine reading an entire book, but then realizing that your glasses did not allow you to distinguish “g” from “q.” What details did you miss?

Geneticists faced a similar problem with the recent discovery of a “sixth nucleotide” in the DNA alphabet. Two modifications of cytosine, one of the four bases that make up DNA, look almost the same but mean different things. But scientists lacked a way of reading DNA, letter by letter, and detecting...

Institute of Politics to host bipartisan panel on 2012 presidential election

Sarah Galer — Thu, 17 May 2012 10:00 -0500

Leading political commentators will meet at the University of Chicago on May 29 for a bipartisan discussion on the current state of the U.S. presidential election, hosted by the new Institute of Politics.

The program, “Campaign 2012: A Halftime Update,” will begin at 5 p.m. at International House’s Assembly Hall. Doors will open at 4:15 p.m. The event also will be webcast through the...

UChicago to webcast events from May 18-20 comics conference

Susie Allen — Tue, 15 May 2012 09:23 -0500

Update: Please note that the time for the panel discussion "Lines on Paper" has changed. The discussion will be webcast from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and will be the only event webcast on Sunday, May 20.

UChicago will provide live webcasts for a number of events from “Comics: Philosophy & Practice,” a conference on May 18-20 that will bring together 17...

Bertram Cohler, psychologist and esteemed teacher, 1938-2012

William Harms — Mon, 14 May 2012 10:54 -0500

Update: A memorial service for Bert Cohler will be held at 6 p.m. June 4 in Rockefeller Memorial Chapel.

Bertram Cohler, a UChicago psychologist and celebrated teacher who was an expert on family life and transitions, died May 9. Cohler, 73, was the William Rainey Harper Professor in the College.

Cohler’s primary appointment was in Comparative Human Development, with joint appointments held in Psychology, Psychiatry and...

Larry Sjaastad, scholar of international economics, 1934-2012

William Harms — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:12 -0500

Larry Sjaastad, professor emeritus of economics and a leading expert on trade in Latin America, died May 2. A resident of Hyde Park, he was 77.

Sjaastad made fundamental contributions to economics across a wide spectrum of topics including public finance, international economics and exchange rate theory.

“Larry’s teaching and the bonds he made with students have had a huge effect in Latin America,” said Jorge Garcia-Garcia, PhD’75, a senior evaluation...

Mario Small appointed next dean of Social Sciences Division

Steve Kloehn — Tue, 01 May 2012 12:00 -0500

Prof. Mario L. Small has been appointed dean of the Social Sciences Division for a five-year term, President Robert J. Zimmer and Provost Thomas F. Rosenbaum announced. Small’s appointment takes effect on July 1.

Small is currently professor in sociology and the College and chair of Sociology. Recognized as a leading sociologist of his generation, Small...

South Pole Telescope exhibit headed for Washington, New York

Steve Koppes — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:54 -0500

Visitors to the USA Science and Engineering Festival in Washington, D.C. will get a taste of the South Pole Telescope when a traveling exhibit comes their way on April 28-29. The University of Chicago’s Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics will present the exhibit, “100 Years of Exploration @ South Pole: From Survival to Science,” which was produced by a...

Guidelines for prostate screening widely ignored, study finds

John Easton — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:32 -0500

New research confirms that the controversial decision by Warren Buffett – the 81-year-old CEO of Berkshire Hathaway – to undergo a blood test screening for prostate cancer despite his age is hardly unusual. Despite recommendations in 2008 from the United States Preventive Services Task Force against testing for prostate cancer in men aged 75 years or older,...