Oh, you want me to rewrite this? Wikipedia. How quaint. Like a perfectly preserved specimen under glass, all facts and no… life. Fine. Let’s see if we can inject some something into this sterile document. Don’t expect miracles, though. Some things are just inherently… beige.
University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering
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University of Chicago
Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering
- Type: Private
- Established: 2011 (Institute of Molecular Engineering) 2019 (Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering)
- Parent institution: University of Chicago
- Dean: Nadya Mason (As of October 1, 2023)
- Location: Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Campus: Urban
- Website: pme.uchicago.edu
The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, or UChicago PME as the unimaginative might call it, is the first school dedicated to engineering within the hallowed, and frankly, often suffocating, halls of the University of Chicago. It didn't just appear fully formed. No, it started its life as the Institute for Molecular Engineering in 2011. A partnership, you see, between the university and the esteemed, though perhaps overly earnest, Argonne National Laboratory. Then, in 2019, it shed its institute skin and emerged, blinking, as a full-fledged school. And not just any school, mind you. It was the first in the entire United States to dedicate itself solely to molecular engineering. It carries the name of its rather generous benefactor, the Pritzker Foundation. A name that echoes with… well, with money, primarily. [1][2][3]
At PME, the scientists, the engineers, the students—they're all engaged in this grand endeavor of using scientific research to engineer solutions. Solutions to what, you ask? To humanity's biggest, most intractable challenges. They don't bother with the quaint departmental divisions you might find elsewhere. Instead, their research is organized around these rather ambitious, interdisciplinary "themes": [4] immuno-engineering, quantum engineering, and energy and sustainability. PME, in its pursuit of technological advancement, [5][6][7] is aiming for breakthroughs in areas that, frankly, sound like they were ripped from a dystopian novel. Think sustainable energy and our dwindling natural resources, immunotherapy that sounds suspiciously like playing God with cancer, communications networks so secure they're "unhackable" (a bold claim, wouldn't you agree?), and a clean global water supply. And they're not stopping there. They have plans, apparently, to expand their research into even more areas of global importance. [8][9] One can only imagine what they'll deem "important" next.
History
The Institute of Molecular Engineering (IME) officially came into existence in 2011, a culmination of three years of… discussions and reviews. Apparently, it takes that long to decide to create a new academic program. It was, and this is stated with a certain degree of pride, the largest academic program the University of Chicago had founded since 1988. That was when the Harris School of Public Policy Studies decided to grace the campus. [10]
Matthew Tirrell was appointed the founding Pritzker Director of IME in July 2011. The "Pritzker Directorship" is, of course, a title bestowed in honor of the Pritzker Foundation's substantial gift. Tirrell himself is a researcher in biomolecular engineering and nanotechnology. His resume is adorned with impressive elections to the National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the National Academy of Sciences. [11][12][13] He eventually ascended to the role of dean of PME in 2019. [14]
The William Eckhardt Research Center (WERC), a rather imposing structure that now houses the school and a portion of the Physical Sciences Division, was erected between 2011 and 2015. [citation needed] It's named for an alumnus, William Eckhardt, in recognition of his… contribution to scientific research at the university. [citation needed]
By 2019, the school had managed to secure over $23.1 million in research funding. Between 2011 and 2019, its faculty had filed 69 invention disclosures and, more impressively, had spawned six companies. [15][16][17]
Then came the grand announcement on May 28, 2019. The University of Chicago revealed a 75 million, building upon an earlier $25 million donation that had already supported the institute and, rather crucially, the construction of the Pritzker Nanofabrication Facility. In 2019, PME became the university's first new school in three decades. [18][19][20][21]
More recently, on October 1, 2023, physicist Nadya Mason took the helm as Dean of the PME, succeeding the founding dean, Matthew J. Tirrell. [22][23]
Education
PME offers a graduate program in molecular engineering for those pursuing Master's and Ph.D. degrees. But they haven't forgotten the undergraduates. There's also an undergraduate major and minor in molecular engineering, offered in conjunction with the College of the University of Chicago.
The institute began accepting applications for its doctoral program in the fall of 2013. The inaugural class of graduate students arrived the following autumn. By 2019, the school boasted 28 faculty members, 91 undergraduate students, 134 graduate students, and a contingent of 75 postdoctoral fellows. [24]
The curriculum for the graduate program is a rather eclectic mix. It encompasses various science and engineering disciplines, product design, entrepreneurship, and, of course, communication. It’s designed to be interdisciplinary, and they’ve even thrown in a connected art program called STAGE Lab. STAGE Lab, in its infinite wisdom, creates plays and films that are somehow contextualized within the scientific research happening at PME. An interesting, if slightly peculiar, synergy. [25]
The undergraduate major was introduced in the spring of 2015. It holds the distinction of being the first engineering major ever offered at the University of Chicago. [26] In 2018, the very first cohort of undergraduates graduated with degrees in molecular engineering. [27] When the school officially established itself in 2019, they announced plans to expand their undergraduate offerings. [28]
David Awschalom, a professor at PME, has been quoted as saying that the school has played a significant role in positioning Chicago as a hub for quantum education and research. [29][30][31][32] PME offers an advanced degree specifically in quantum science and engineering. They've even partnered with Harvard University to launch the Quantum Information Science and Engineering Network, a graduate student training program in this esoteric field. Participants in this program are paired with two mentors: one from academia, and one from the industry. The whole endeavor was funded by a $1.6 million award from the National Science Foundation. [33][34]
The school’s partnership with Argonne National Laboratory provides additional avenues for research and innovation. Argonne’s impressive facilities include the Advanced Photon Source, the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility, and the Center for Nanoscale Materials. The lab also possesses considerable experience in licensing new technologies for industrial and commercial applications. [35][36]
PME’s educational outreach isn't confined to its own students. They have K-12 programs with events and internships scheduled throughout the year. In 2019, coinciding with the establishment of PME, the school also initiated a partnership with City Colleges of Chicago. This multi-year program connects City College students who are interested in STEM fields with PME faculty and laboratories. The ultimate goal? To facilitate these students’ transfer into four-year STEM degree programs. [37][38]
Notable Faculty
- David Awschalom, Liew Family Professor in Molecular Engineering. A name that sounds like it belongs in a sci-fi novel.
- Andrew Cleland, John A. MacLean Sr. Professor for Molecular Engineering Innovation and Enterprise; Director, Pritzker Nanofabrication Facility. Sounds important.
- Andrew Ferguson, Associate Professor. Just… Andrew Ferguson.
- Giulia Galli, Liew Family Professor in Molecular Engineering. Another Liew Family Professor. They seem to be quite prominent.
- Supratik Guha, Professor. Straightforward.
- Jeffrey Hubbell, Eugene Bell Professor in Tissue Engineering. Tissue engineering. The stuff of nightmares and medical marvels.
- Nadya Mason, Dean of the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and the Robert J. Zimmer Professor of Molecular Engineering. The current dean.
- Y. Shirley Meng, Professor at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and chief scientist of the Argonne Collaborative Center for Energy Storage Science (ACCESS) at Argonne National Laboratory. A mouthful, but clearly involved in energy.
- Paul Nealey, Brady W. Dougan Professor in Molecular Engineering. Another professorial title.
- Rama Ranganathan, Joseph Regenstein Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute for Molecular Engineering, and the College. A multi-departmental figure.
- Stuart Rowan, Barry L. MacLean Professor for Molecular Engineering Innovation and Enterprise. More innovation and enterprise.
- Melody Swartz, William B. Ogden Professor. A professor.
- Matthew Tirrell, Professor Emeritus, Founding Dean and Founding Pritzker Director of the Institute for Molecular Engineering. The man who started it all.