Marshall, Mitchell, and Schwarzman Scholars

Ethan Ostrow, Class of 2024, has been named a Marshall Scholar. He will pursue a degree in sociolegal studies at the University of Oxford. Ostrow, who leads creative writing workshops at Cook County Jail, hopes to further his work in incarceration reform.

Tommy Hagan, AB’21, has been named a Mitchell Scholar. Growing up, Hagan’s Irish grandparents told him about cousins who had been imprisoned during the Troubles, the conflict in Northern Ireland. Hagan plans to pursue an MSc in peace and conflict studies at Ulster University.

Xavier Wu, Class of 2024, has been selected as a Schwarzman Scholar. Originally from Nanjing, China, Wu moved to St. Louis to attend high school. He will enroll in a master’s program in global affairs at Tsinghua University.

New Air Force ROTC program

In October the University launched an Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) program. AFROTC trains students from 17 universities across the Chicago area, preparing them for commissioning into the Air Force or Space Force after graduation. Cadets attend weekly classes at UChicago on subjects such as leadership and international relations.

Dean Hale named a top woman in STEM

In September Crain’s Chicago Business named Melina Hale, PhD’98, the dean of the College, to its list of top women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). Hale, the William Rainey Harper Professor in the Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, “is a neuroscientist with a research laboratory that studies the neuromechanics of movement,” Crain’s noted. “Hale conceived and led UChicago Eco, an initiative that began in 2021 aimed at promoting and broadening the role of the university in environmental research and sustainability.”

A new dean of students

Philip Venticinque, AB’01, AM’02, PhD’09, was named dean of students in the College beginning February 1. A former associate professor of classics at Cornell College, Venticinque has worked in the Office of the Provost at UChicago since 2018.