New AB/MBA program for veterans

The Accelerated Booth Scholars Program, funded by an anonymous $24 million gift, will allow qualified veterans to earn a dual degree in five years. As well as scholarship support, students receive guidance on academics, internships, and networking. Three student veterans are in the first cohort, the Class of 2024: Colin Augustson, former sergeant in the Marines; Nick Golin, former corporal in the Marines; and Robert Zamora, former sergeant in the Army.

Preprofessional program for climate and energy

The Office of Career Advancement has launched UChicago Climate and Energy Careers, a preprofessional program preparing undergrads for careers in renewable energy, climate policy, and more. Four students in the program traveled to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, in November to attend COP27, the United Nations climate change conference. More than 90 heads of state, including President Joe Biden, also attended.

Ricky Holder, Class of 2023, awarded Marshall Scholarship

Navy veteran Ricky Holder, a fourth-year public policy major, has received a Marshall Scholarship to pursue an MPhil in comparative social policy at the University of Oxford. At age nine, Holder entered the foster care system and was raised apart from his four brothers. He hopes to bring about reform. “No family should suffer the same fate as mine,” he wrote in his application, “and no society should subsidize separation when its cost is so unconscionable.”

Undergraduate research demystified

The College Center for Research and Fellowships and the UChicago Library are launching a zero-credit course, Undergraduate Research: What, Why, and How, on the basics of faculty-mentored research. Course topics include navigating the library’s vast resources; working with archives and special collections; managing, analyzing, and sharing data; conducting ethical research; writing proposals; and sharing research. “Together,” the course description promises, “we will demystify the world of research.”