A Monthly Message from the Dean

Dear Community,

Climate change is one of the most critical challenges of our time. PME and the University of Chicago recently made a significant step forward in working to address climate change with the launch of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth, a collaborative effort that merges frontier research and education in economics and climate policy with cutting-edge energy and climate technologies. The Institute explores novel approaches for answering the question: How can we mitigate the effects of climate change without sacrificing global prosperity and growth?

UChicago PME’s energy expertise serves as the foundation for one of the Institute’s three pillars, the Energy Technologies Initiative, directed by PME Prof. Shirley Meng. Beyond connections to policy and scientific research, the Energy Technologies Initiative will connect fundamental research to early-stage startups and major corporations via the recently launched Energy Transition Network, co-directed by Meng and PME Prof. Laura Gagliardi. The Institute for Climate will also have close ties to other aspects of the energy ecosystem, such as the Argonne Collaborative Center for Energy Storage Science (ACCESS), where Meng is chief scientist, and the Argonne-based Energy Storage Research Alliance (ESRA), also directed by Meng.

Notably, researchers at UChicago PME and Argonne National Laboratory now form the nation’s largest cluster of energy technology experts, working on everything from advanced energy storage and batteries to creating clean energy from waste to enabling carbon capture using plant-based materials. This powerful alliance is laying the groundwork for a sustainable future.

At UChicago PME, we embrace challenges, leading the way on innovation and excellence. We are thrilled that our investments in energy and sustainability have allowed us to partner across campus, to confront climate change while striving to meet the world’s need for growth and increased living standards. Together, the University of Chicago and PME can make a positive impact on the most important problems facing us today.

Warm regards,

Nadya Mason
Dean, UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering

Dear Community,

As we enter October, I want to extend a warm welcome to the new students joining us at the UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering. Your arrival marks the beginning of an exciting journey. At PME, we know that interdisciplinary education is the driver of innovation and discovery. We enable our students to approach challenges with differing perspectives, transforming the educational experience and the careers and fields in which you will ultimately work. I encourage each of you to embrace the full breadth of opportunities across UChicago and at our partner institutions like Argonne National Laboratory.

This month also holds personal significance for me, as I mark my first year as Dean of PME. Over the past twelve months, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing the remarkable dedication and innovation that defines this community.

PME’s impressive growth is a testament to the power of our school’s non-traditional approach. This year, we not only welcome an expanded cohort of MEng and PhD students, attracting top talent from around the world, but we are already planning for future expansions, including new state-of-the-art laboratories and classroom spaces to support our evolving research and educational programs. This transformation is now visible in the construction happening just outside the William Eckhardt Research Center. PME is also seeking to attract new faculty who will further enhance our ability to innovate solutions to complex global challenges across immunoengineering, energy and sustainability, and quantum engineering.

Although we focus on solving global problems with our research, it is also important to engage with our community here at home, and we do this in a variety of ways throughout the year. Last weekend, the University of Chicago hosted the third annual South Side Science Festival, a vibrant celebration of science and engineering. The event welcomed more than 4,500 attendees to campus to engage in hands-on demonstrations and activities and was made possible by nearly 1,000 UChicago volunteers, staff, scientists and engineers. It was a joyful reminder that science inspires curiosity, sparks the imagination, elicits laughter, and can encourage a life-long passion for STEM. I value the idea that our PME students are engaging with and providing educational growth opportunities for other young people.

With that promising beginning, I look forward to the year ahead as we continue to collaborate, grow, and innovate the future.

Warm regards,

Nadya Mason
Dean, UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering

Dear Community,

At UChicago PME we focus on developing materials and technologies for clean energy, including energy storage, a critical technology for the future. Our investments in this core area of research and education have created unparalleled strength; when combined with our close partners at Argonne, we have the largest cluster of energy storage researchers in the nation.

Our leadership is being recognized – the U.S. Department of Energy recently announced the Energy Storage Research Alliance (ESRA), a $62.5M initiative, led by Argonne National Laboratory and directed by PME Professor Shirley Meng. ESRA brings together nearly 50 researchers from national laboratories and universities to address critical battery challenges such as safety, high-energy density, and the development of long-duration batteries from abundant, cost-effective materials. The goal is to push the boundaries of energy storage science, driving innovation and strengthening U.S. economic competitiveness. The alliance is co-led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

ESRA is just one part of PME’s broader commitment to clean energy work. In August, the Energy Transition Network (ETN) was launched, a collaboration that unites academia, national laboratories, and industry—from major corporations to startups—with the goal of working together to transition the globe off fossil fuels safely, swiftly, and cost-effectively.

Led by Professor Meng and PME Professor Laura Gagliardi, the ETN will connect research with industry to turn innovations into climate solutions and create well-paying jobs. This Network will also serve as a vital conduit for industry connections within the new climate and energy institute that the university plans to unveil on October 30.

The challenges we face in the clean energy space require bold, game-changing research and ideas. They require the development of a robust ecosystem and collaborations across science, technology, industry, academia, and the national laboratories. We have a track record of success in drawing together partners that effect positive change, and this is no different. Together, we can tackle humanity’s greatest challenges and find novel and effective solutions that benefit the world, in clean energy and beyond.

Warm regards,

Nadya Mason
Dean, UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering

Dear Community,

When UChicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering was founded, a core goal was to build our impact in quantum science and technology. Now, 12 years later, the success of that goal is clearer than ever: because of PME and partners in academia, government, and national labs, Chicago is now the premier location for quantum research, education, technology, and business.

Recently, leaders from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors announced the creation of the Illinois Quantum & Microelectronics Park in South Chicago, anchored by investments from PsiQuantum, the state of Illinois, and up to $140 million from DARPA. This campus is estimated to have a $20 billion economic impact over the next decade. Additionally, The Bloch Quantum Tech Hub, led by the Chicago Quantum Exchange, received a $500,000 Consortium Accelerator Award from the US Department of Commerce to accelerate industry adoption of quantum technologies. These developments, along with projects like the CQE-led NSF Engines Development Award, are projected to drive $60 billion in economic impact for the region by 2035.

The investment in Illinois’ quantum infrastructure is predicated on important foundational work that has already been accomplished. The University of Chicago, with pioneering degree programs in quantum engineering through the PME, is pushing scientific boundaries alongside the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Northwestern University. Strong relationships across the UChicago Physical Sciences Division, CQE, the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Argonne and Fermi National Labs mean the region can effectively accelerate collective innovation. Duality, the first quantum accelerator in the country, is hosting startups commercializing quantum innovations and attracting significant investment.

At PME, we are investing in growing our quantum faculty and bringing approximately 15 additional state-of-the-art quantum laboratories online in the next five years. Our faculty and students drive critical advancements, including research discoveries in noise-canceling qubits, trapped atom arrays, phonon-based quantum computing, quantum networks, using quantum techniques to build superconductors, and more. PME is a critical link in Illinois’ booming quantum infrastructure, and we are excited to help build the quantum economy in the coming decade.

Warm regards,

Nadya Mason
Dean, UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering

Dear Community,

Our mission at the UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering is to work collaboratively to solve some of humanity’s biggest challenges – including water scarcity, information security, healthcare, and sustainable energy. To understand and address global issues effectively, we must foster strong international partnerships, embrace a wide variety of perspectives, and connect with the best minds around the world.

Our partnerships highlight our dedication to building and nurturing vital connections. Two recent visits organized and led by PME faculty – a quantum workshop as part of a new partnership with IIT Bombay and a separate recruitment visit to IIT Delhi this June – have strengthened those ties. UChicago’s partnership with IIT Bombay reaffirms the goals of the U.S.-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) to elevate and expand strategic partnerships between the two countries’ governments, businesses, and academic institutions.

In Nigeria, Professor Chibueze Amanchukwu has developed a program that provides high-achieving Nigerian undergraduate students with research experiences so they are competitive for U.S. PhD programs. RENEU (Research Experience for Nigerian Engineering Undergraduates) not only enhances our global outreach but also contributes to the educational and professional growth of students in traditionally underserved regions.

And in mid-July, UChicago will welcome colleagues from France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Switzerland, and across the US for an event that examines computational reaction prediction and interdisciplinary breakthroughs. This event is developed through our partnership with CECAM, the premier European Center for Atomic and Molecular Calculations.  

These are just a few of our global collaborations. Our many and varied partnerships are significant – they allow us to learn from different perspectives, share our insights, and work together to drive innovation on a global scale. Further, our students, who come from every corner of the globe, exemplify and strengthen our commitment to global engagement. Together, we are building a future where our research and collaborations drive meaningful progress and contribute to a better world.

Warm regards,

Nadya Mason
Dean, UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering

Dear Community,

June is the month that we celebrate the achievements of our graduating students. At PME’s recent convocation, we celebrated 59 undergraduate Molecular Engineering majors, 14 Master of Engineering students, six Master of Science in Molecular Engineering students, and 28 PhD students who have completed their studies at PME. Their dissertation topics ranged from therapeutic cancer vaccines to fault-tolerant quantum computing. And they are off to exciting future positions at Tempus AI biotech, Portal’s venture team, as well as future studies at Yale, Princeton, UCLA, UChicago Booth, and more.

Convocation marks a significant life milestone – particularly because obtaining an engineering degree in molecular engineering is no small feat. Many of our students have spent countless hours on a single problem set or years on a single project. They have tackled innumerable challenges and persevered.

We live in a world with difficult problems. At times, the solutions seem daunting: build consensus, address long-standing geo-political conflicts, develop secure communications, combat social injustice, climate change, and disease.

Yet, I know that our graduates are prepared to confront challenges and solve hard problems. They are trained to attack problems as engineers do: break them down, work on each piece, and then put the parts back together in an even better way.

My advice to our graduates is simple – as you begin this new chapter, embrace challenges as opportunities to grow, learn, thrive, and create a positive impact. Approach each challenge with courage, resilience, and belief in your abilities. Keep trying and know that you have trained for this, and you can make a difference. The world needs you.

Nadya Mason
Dean, UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering

Dear Community,

At the UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, our robust commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion for all scholars, educators, learners, and staff reflects our broad community. We are an inherently interdisciplinary program, bringing together the best minds with diverse perspectives to collaboratively solve some of humanity’s biggest challenges. Creating an inclusive environment isn’t separate from that work – it’s the very essence of it.

Since 2020, our Committee on Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion has worked to make this commitment tangible. This group of volunteer faculty, staff, and students implement new EDI-focused training, mentorship, and tutoring programs, organize social events that share the joy of each other’s cultures, develop climate surveys that ask the hard questions about our workplace and seek to improve our connections, workshop inclusive teaching practices that benefit everyone and help to create policies that merge our values with day-to-day practices.

I hope you all enjoyed the recent Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebration as just one example of the ways in which we come together as a community – that was an event organized by the Committee. However, the behind-the-scenes work PME’s EDI Committee undertakes is part of the fabric of our community and goes far beyond the wonderful events in which we all engage, as you’ll see in the article in this month’s Review.

I encourage you to explore PME’s EDI page and consider how you can contribute your insights and perspectives. Together, let's continue to nurture an environment where every voice is heard, valued, and respected.

Nadya Mason
Dean, UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering

Dear Community,

Educating the next generation of engineers is a core mission of PME. We have developed powerful interdisciplinary programs for our undergraduate, PhD, and master’s students. We also recognize that in order to develop engineers in the future, we must attract them even before college. When access and interest in STEM takes root at a young age, students develop knowledge and the skills to solve challenges. They also begin to discover how fascinating and relevant STEM subjects really are, a first step to pursuing careers in STEM.

The numerous K-12 educational outreach programs PME offers promote this type of fluency by providing hands-on and student-centered experiences for middle and high school students and their teachers as part of an integrated approach to learning.

For example, this coming Friday, our graduate researchers will be sharing their passion for STEM subjects through a variety of hands-on activities during our No Small Matter Molecular Engineering Fair. More than 120 students from four South Side middle schools will spend the day with us discovering STEM as they explore this year’s fair theme - solving problems through engineering. This collaboration inspires PME students as much as it does the middle schoolers and their teachers.

Throughout the spring quarter, students and postdocs in the PME Science Communications Program will also engage students and the broader public in STEM, visiting more than 20 middle school classrooms to lead junior science cafes, and, on May 11, hosting the PME STEM Showcase in partnership with the Museum of Science and Industry.

In June, we welcome the fourth cohort of high school students in the After School Matters STEM Lab Internship, which introduces high schoolers to STEM research at the college level. These summer internships offer insights into how science and engineering professionals work in an innovative, collaborative environment, and allow students who may not have access to research experiences to obtain valuable skills for college applications.

Beyond our K-12 programs, there are many other outreach activities in which PME and our students engage, including research opportunities for college students in programs such as REU or the City Colleges of Chicago summer program, as well as the innovative learning opportunities we offer local teachers through TeachQuantum.

All of these efforts fulfill our goal of igniting curiosity and passion for STEM fields and making engagement and education more accessible to all.

Nadya Mason
Dean
The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago

Dear Community,

The University’s budget deficit has been an important topic of discussion of late. While these conversations are necessary, I want to remind you that from moments of challenge also come great opportunity. Our charge going forward is to thoughtfully prepare UChicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering for the future – to grow and develop the strength we need through our faculty, students, postdocs and staff to continue to thrive over the next decade and beyond.

PME is investing in sustainable growth: in faculty recruitment, undergraduate enrollment, master programs, teaching capabilities, and grant revenue. And our initial investments have already paid off, not just in technological advances, but in global impact. Our faculty’s efforts have brought more than half a billion dollars of regional investment to Chicagoland in the last two years alone. This includes our involvement in the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago, which will work to understand disease and discover new therapies, as well as in Great Lakes ReNew, which is inventing new ways to extract valuable minerals and toxic forever chemicals from wastewater. And there’s more.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s recently proposed $500 million state investment in quantum is an incredible testament to the growth of quantum in the region – and PME helped build the ecosystem to make it possible.

PME was a big bet that has and continues to exceed expectations. Our driving role as a catalyst across campus and beyond has led to greater investment in the University, in Chicagoland, and in a better future.

We will continue to lead translational research and build meaningful partnerships between academia, government, and industry.

No University and no school are immune to challenges. It is how we meet those challenges that matters most. I can say with confidence that PME’s future is bright.

Nadya Mason
Dean
The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago

Dear Community,

The UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering is a catalyst for innovation, a place that brings translational research to life. The recent award from the U.S. National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engines program, which fosters innovation ecosystems across the United States to address pressing issues, is a perfect illustration.

The Chicago-based Great Lakes ReNEW coalition has been awarded one of the largest climate awards in the city’s history – up to $160 million over 10 years. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker noted the award in a recent press conference and release. The award builds on some of PME’s core strengths: stellar faculty, strong scientific collaborations with Argonne Lab, extensive outreach to the community, and world-class research in energy and sustainability.

For Junhong Chen, Crown Family Professor at Pritzker Molecular Engineering and Lead Water Strategist at Argonne National Laboratory, the announcement is the culmination of years of effort – and the promise of years of more important work ahead on a critical task. Chen is the Co-Principal Investigator for Great Lakes ReNEW. A water-quality expert with decades of expertise in real-time water quality monitoring and detection, Chen provided the scientific vision for the project, and will be working alongside PI Alaina Harkness, the Executive Director of the nonprofit Current.

Not only will the project remove the impurities from the water of the Great Lakes, but the effort will also take the resulting waste pulled from the water and turn it into renewable energy, creating jobs and new batteries. 

This is exactly the kind of powerful work PME is driving forward across our interdisciplinary areas of research. Together, we are having a positive impact that is truly changing the world.

Nadya Mason
Dean
The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago

Dear Community,

As we embark on a new year, I am excited about upcoming possibilities. The world is full of serious challenges, but we are actively working to address these issues, pushing the boundaries of teaching, research, and partnerships to make advances.

Some of the grandest challenges we face have to do with sustainability, which is a core focus for PME. Our faculty and students already are actively contributing to the development of clean energy solutions, working to help ensure a clean global water supply, and creating infinitely recyclable materials, among other endeavors. This work also dovetails with one of the key priorities set by University of Chicago President Paul Alivisatos around energy and climate change.

As one example, the goal of PME Prof. Supratik Guha is to create a sensor network that monitors the air, soil, and water for pollution and nutrient content, including the water of the Ganga River in India. These systems, Guha believes, will unlock sorely needed data on the planet’s rapidly shifting composition. The University of Chicago Trust and IBM recently announced their collaboration to scale the initiative through the IBM Sustainability Accelerator. 

Junhong Chen, Crown Family Professor of Molecular Engineering at PME and lead water strategist at Argonne and his lab develop nanomaterials and nanodevices used in sustainable water technologies. One such technology is a low-cost, real-time water sensor that measures lead content in water within seconds. His device could have major health impacts for communities.

In addition to clean water, PME is creating clean energy solutions.

Neubauer Family Assistant Professor of Molecular Engineering Chong Liu’s group is developing electrochemical and optical tools to extract critical metals from seawater or underground salt brines, creating a fast, low-energy alternative to modern acid-reliant methods. Her research would also provide new tools to purify drinking water.

Y. Shirley Meng, a faculty member at Pritzker Molecular Engineering and the chief scientist for the Argonne Collaborative Center for Energy Storage Science, has her sights set on creating new technologies that support a sustainable future. 

And Chibueze Amanchukwu, Neubauer Family Assistant Professor of Molecular Engineering at PME, also is driving novel battery work, and calls batteries the “kingmaker” of the energy challenge.

“Solving the battery challenge can solve many of the other challenges related to climate change,” he said. “Not only can they power electric vehicles, but they can also fill the void to store and provide excess energy when the wind isn’t blowing or the sun isn’t shining, to power our homes or power manufacturing plants 24/7.”

As we begin 2024, let’s continue our incredible forward momentum. PME is not just a place of inclusive education and research; we are a catalyst for positive change.

Thank you for being an essential part of our dynamic community. Here's to a 2024 filled with continued collaboration, innovation, and positive transformation.

Nadya Mason
Dean
The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago

As we enter the holiday season, I feel a tremendous amount of gratitude. The fall is always a time of growth and activity, and now, as we sprint through December, I want to pause and take a moment to reflect. I’m thankful to UChicago and The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering community for welcoming me and for sharing the incredible work unfolding across our interdisciplinary themes.

The holidays are also a time of togetherness – and this is something PME excels at all year long! We come together every day to advance science, engineering, and technology to have a positive impact on society. We gather students, faculty, and trainees, and connect to extensive partnerships, from our work across departments and schools at UChicago, to our connections with Argonne National Laboratory and FermiLab, to our role in the Chan Zuckerberg BioHub Chicago, to our international collaborations such as with CRNS in France – we are continuously forging new methods for research and discovery together.

For example, researchers at PME, Argonne National Laboratory, and Cambridge University recently partnered to “stretch” thin films of diamond and created quantum bits that can operate with significantly reduced equipment and expense. Another example: our Communication Skills for Industry Program (CSIP) is holding a Capstone Event this week that brings together PME students and industry partners. And: we were part of the recent Chicago Quantum Summit, one of the largest annual events connecting industry, scientific and government leaders, and trainees to help build the quantum ecosystem.

Looking ahead, I expect PME will engage even more deeply with industry partners, support increasingly entrepreneurial efforts among our students, and continue to leverage the considerable expertise across campus, the region, and beyond to collectively drive novel solutions to global challenges.

As we enter 2024, I am focused firmly on the future. And while that feels serious, there also is a great deal of fun in the work we do. For an inspiring way to close out the year, take a look at the predictions and observations PME faculty have made about the future of their fields for 2024.

Thank you for being part of our extraordinary community and for working together with us to create a brighter global future. I wish you a wonderful holiday season.

Nadya Mason
Dean
The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago

Dear PME Community,

I’ve been Dean for just over a month, and it’s been a great experience so far. I’ve had the pleasure of learning more about the research and educational programs, and connecting with many of our students, postdocs, staff, faculty, and collaborators – all of which has reinforced my view that PME is the most exciting school of engineering in the country.

It’s been inspiring to see the impactful work happening here, from the development of an inverse vaccine that can reverse multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes in the lab, to the new Boeing collaboration that seeks to grow our robust quantum ecosystem, and novel biosensing transistors that allow for stable, suture free medical monitoring in the body as well as our PME faculty and students who brought “Battery Day” to the Museum of Science and Industry. It’s been fantastic to meet so many people who every single day invest themselves in PME’s transformative vision of the future.

I’m eager to further engage and focus on opportunities that lie ahead of us, and they are many. The new space at the corner of 52nd Street and Harper Avenue in downtown Hyde Park will be coming online soon, providing critical new laboratory space. We have done a tremendous job in leading research proposals and expenditures, and continued growth in this area will be an ongoing priority. Importantly, we also will be thinking about translational outcomes – expanding our relationships with industry and finding new ways to support and drive entrepreneurship.

This past year, PME matriculated 70 students, our largest class ever, and we will continue to strive to deliver the best educational experience for our undergraduate and graduate students as well as postdocs. We also aim to grow our professional masters programs, including adding new partnership programs. 

And, it’s important to make sure that all of this work takes place in an inclusive, collaborative climate where people from diverse backgrounds and differing perspectives feel valued and engaged.

There is a lot of activity at PME, and learning about all of it has indeed felt like “drinking from a firehose.” My biggest take-away from the last month is this is an exceptional community. PME already has created a tremendous amount of positive momentum upon which we will continue to build.

Let us go forward with a renewed sense of purpose. We have a lot of excellent work to do, and I look forward to accomplishing it alongside you.

Nadya Mason
Dean
The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago