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New Provost: Chemistry professor Ka Yee Lee, the current Vice Provost of research, will serve as the University’s next Provost, President Zimmer announced on Tuesday. She starts February 1.

• Lee will replace outgoing Provost Daniel Diermeier, who will serve as senior advisor to the president until June 30. During his tenure, Diermeier led a budget reorganization that changed the way money is allocated among departments. He also oversaw the establishment of the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and the administration's response to Graduate Students United as they ramped up organizing.
• Lee’s research focuses on membrane biophysics, and she is a member of the College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and a fellow of the American Physical Society.

Law school student Sarah Gad is challenging incumbent Bobby Rush for Illinois’ first district congressional seat. Gad, who is challenging the 27-year incumbent, is campaigning on a platform of criminal justice reform.

Presidential candidate Andrew Yang spoke on campus at an IOP event last month. The discussion, led by IOP director David Axelrod, covered Yang’s signature UBI proposal.

• Yang also had this to say of Maroons: “You all are here at the University of Chicago…to the extent that winners exist in our ‘meritocracy,’ you are it.”

Açaí bowl chain Rollin’ and Bowlin’ rolled into the Booth School’s Kovler Cafe in November. The chain, which specializes in concoctions made with frozen and mashed açaí fruit, also offers toast and smoothies.

A fire broke out early Tuesday evening in a townhouse on 55th and Blackstone. The blaze, which appeared to have begun in the rear of 1450 East 55th Street and was reported around 5:30, produced clouds of black smoke that engulfed the house, took down one wall, and ruined most of the furniture inside.

In Viewpoints

Editor Zahra Nasser writes in:

Given his significant and varied contributions to the philosophy department, the decision to deny Professor Raoul Moati tenure must be re-examined.

Columnist Sylvia Ebenbach argues that university administration must increase dialogue with students regarding the prevalence of sexual misconduct on campus.

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