Freshman Scholars Institute

Diane McKay has served as the Director of the Freshman Scholars Institute for four years. She came to Princeton from Duke University, where she served as an academic dean for undergraduate students. Duke is also her alma mater: as an undergraduate, she majored in English and earned a certificate in film studies; she later returned to Duke to pursue her Ph.D. in English.  Dean McKay is the campus coordinator for the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship program and serves as an academic athletic fellow for the football and women's basketball teams. A first-generation college student herself, Dean McKay is eager to assist Scholars as they begin their journey through Princeton.

Christy Siress is in her fourth year at Princeton University.  She came to Princeton from Cazenovia College (a small college outside Syracuse, NY)  where she worked in the admissions office for a number of years.  She grew up near Princeton and is happy to be back in the area and away from all the snow.  In her time away from the office, she loves to travel the world, meet new people, hang out with family and friends, and play with her two basset hounds.  She looks forward to welcoming the new class of FSI students.

Welcome to FSI 2013!  I am truly excited to get to know each and every one of you.  I am the Director of Student Life at Forbes College. This summer I will work closely with the FSI RGSs and RCAs to ensure that you have a safe, transformative and memorable experience.

I am originally from Brooklyn, NY and attended college at Cornell University. After receiving my BA in Sociology, I went to Rutgers University- School of Education where I received my Masters of Education, with a focus in the Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education. Complimenting my academic experience, I have worked in student support and residential life at a non-profit college access organization and later as a Residential Life Associate at MIT.

In my free time I enjoy writing and performing poetry, shopping and traveling to different countries. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or would just like to chat!

Congratulations on making the decision to join us this summer at the Freshman Scholars Institute (FSI).  By the end of the summer, I hope you will realize it was one of the best decisions you have made, besides coming to Princeton of course!

I am currently the Director of Student Life at Whitman College and am thrilled to be working with FSI this summer.  Over a decade ago I was a freshman at Princeton myself and am looking forward to helping you get off to a great start here.  I graduated in 2005 with my A.B. in Art and Archaeology and earned my Ed.M. at Harvard in 2011.  In my free time I enjoy reading, cooking, and hiking with my dog Bailey.  Most of the time though you can find me in my office on the first floor of Wendell Hall C.  My candy jar is always full, so please stop by and say hi!

Sarah Cotterill, Department of Politics
 

Hello, and welcome to the start of your college life at Princeton!  I'm a PhD student in the Politics Department, with other academic interests including history, philosophy and religion, among many others.  I'm originally from the UK, and have managed to live several years in Princeton without ever traveling further west than Chicago, so I'm very excited to be meeting people from all over the country (and the world!), and getting to know you all.  Outside of the classroom, I like to listen to all kinds of music, play a little guitar (badly) and piano (worse), watch films, roam around museums and libraries, and explore new places.  I love long conversations running into the night on any kind of topic, so you're welcome to corner me at any time with anything you want to talk about, from the mundane to the transcendent.  And if there's anything I can do to help you during these intense weeks of the FSI, don't hesitate to come to me at any time, day or night.  I can't wait to meet you!

James Linville, Department of Politics

Welcome to Princeton! I am a PhD student in the Politics Department, with interests covering philosophy, psychology, law, and political science. I grew up in New York City, and then migrated South to Virginia for college, but am happy to be back in the good old Northeast. Outside the classroom you'll probably find me biking, running, writing letters to editors, in conversation, or experimenting with new vegetarian dishes. I look forward to getting to know all of the FSI students, and helping you transition to Princeton!

Christina Chica '15

Joe Cloud '14

Jonathan Esposito '15

Tim Keyes '14

Damon Mclean '14

Elen Miteva '14

Carl Nist-Lund '15

Yayoi Teramoto '14