Archive – May, 2010
Seniors celebrate highlights of last four years at Class Day
Posted May 31, 2010; 03:40 p.m.
Members of the class of 2010 assembled on Princeton's sun-drenched Cannon Green to recognize students' accomplishments and share laughs at the Class Day ceremony Monday, May 31.
Students recognized for service and leadership at Class Day
Posted May 31, 2010; 12:35 p.m.
Members of Princeton's class of 2010 gathered on Cannon Green Monday, May 31, to celebrate the conclusion of their undergraduate careers in a Class Day ceremony honoring their service and accomplishments.
Choices shape lives, Bezos tells seniors
Posted May 30, 2010; 05:58 p.m.
The founder and chief executive officer of the major Internet retailer Amazon.com made an impassioned plea to Princeton's graduating seniors on May 30 to pay close attention to the choices they make in life, as they will dictate not only success, but happiness. Bezos, a 1986 Princeton alumnus, delivered this year's Baccalaureate address.
2010 Baccalaureate Remarks
Posted May 30, 2010; 04:35 p.m.
"We are What We Choose": Remarks by Jeff Bezos, as delivered to the Class of 2010 at Baccalaureate May 30, 2010.
Reunions 2010 celebration is under way
Posted May 28, 2010; 07:20 p.m.
Princeton's Reunions 2010 celebration is under way, with alumni, family members and friends gathering on campus for activities through Sunday, May 30.
'Inner Sanctum' exhibition highlights Nassau Hall Faculty Room
Posted May 28, 2010; 12:10 p.m.
A new exhibition hosted by the Princeton University Art Museum takes viewers inside Princeton's historic Nassau Hall to explore the Faculty Room's role as the symbolic center of Princeton and venerable repository of its institutional memory. The exhibition, titled "Inner Sanctum: Memory and Meaning in Princeton's Faculty Room at Nassau Hall," runs from Friday, May 28, to Saturday, Oct. 30, in the Faculty Room.
Graduate students honored as excellent teachers
Posted May 28, 2010; 10:00 a.m.
The Princeton Graduate School will present awards to six graduate students in recognition of their outstanding abilities as teachers.
Princeton scientists win Shaw Prize for helping map the universe
Posted May 27, 2010; 06:31 p.m.
Two Princeton University scientists have been recognized with a major international prize for their central role in a satellite experiment that has contributed to breakthroughs in better understanding the shape, makeup and age of the universe.
Alumni, families arrive on campus for Reunions
Posted May 27, 2010; 06:00 p.m.
Princeton alumni, family members and friends have arrived on campus for Reunions activities, which run through Sunday, May 30.
Two to receive Phi Beta Kappa teaching awards
Posted May 27, 2010; 12:56 p.m.
The Princeton chapter of Phi Beta Kappa will honor Lyman Page, the Henry De Wolf Smyth Professor of Physics, and Gilbert Rozman, the Musgrave Professor of Sociology, with its annual awards for excellence in undergraduate teaching.
Princeton honors exceptional secondary school teachers
Posted May 27, 2010; 12:52 p.m.
Princeton University will honor four exceptional New Jersey secondary school teachers at its 2010 Commencement on Tuesday, June 1. This year's honorees are Roy Chambers, Westfield High School, Westfield; Gregory Devine, Delbarton School, Morristown; Argine Safari, Pascack Valley High School, Hillsdale; and Hans Toft, Cape May County Technical High School, Cape May Court House.
John Lewis, economist and former Wilson School dean, dies
Posted May 26, 2010; 02:44 p.m.
John Lewis, a development economist and former dean of Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, died of natural causes on May 19 at the Stonebridge retirement community in Montgomery, N.J. He was 89. A public memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 27, at Prospect House on the Princeton campus.
Weapons of Mass Construction 2010
Posted May 26, 2010; 11:35 a.m.
More than 130 Princeton student-athletes participated a day of service in conjunction with the Princeton Varsity Club and Isles Inc. Read more.
Video: A Sympoh retrospective
Posted May 26, 2010; 11:34 a.m.
Past and present members of Sympoh recall how joining Princeton’s break dancing crew has enhanced their campus experiences since the troupe's genesis in 1998. Read more.
Video: Community House's 40th anniversary
Posted May 25, 2010; 06:44 p.m.
For more than 40 years, Community House has provided opportunities for undergraduates to tutor and mentor local students from preschool through high school. Read more.
Gifted analyst of history, literature will serve as salutatorian
Posted May 24, 2010; 12:00 p.m.
Marguerite Colson, the highest-ranking history major in the class of 2010 and the class salutatorian, will continue the Princeton tradition of delivering a speech in Latin at Commencement on Tuesday, June 1.
For valedictorian Karp, success is built upon teamwork
Posted May 24, 2010; 12:00 p.m.
Princeton's class of 2010 valedictorian David Karp, who will present his valedictory address at Commencement, has embraced teamwork and creative problem-solving in his path to the top of the class.
Four professors honored for excellence in mentoring graduate students
Posted May 20, 2010; 05:06 p.m.
Four Princeton faculty members have been named the recipients of Graduate Mentoring Awards by the McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning and will be honored during the Graduate School's hooding ceremony on Monday, May 31, in McCarter Theatre.
Princeton awarded $1.5 million for biology education
Posted May 20, 2010; 01:46 p.m.
Princeton has been awarded $1.5 million from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) to help support the University's efforts to improve education in the biological sciences. The grant will support an annual two-week workshop for high school science teachers and a large summer research program for college students.
Scientists discover the molecular heart of collective behavior
Posted May 20, 2010; 12:00 p.m.
A group of scientists seeking the answer to the mystery of collective motion has found strong evidence pointing to a third possibility -- collective behavior can arise in cells that initially may not be moving at all, but are prodded into action by an external agent such as a chemical.
Esmann to receive International Service Award
Posted May 19, 2010; 04:54 p.m.
Princeton junior Mathias Esmann will receive the 2010 International Service Award, which is presented annually by the Davis International Center to a student or student group in recognition of crosscultural humanitarian endeavors.
Extending lifespan has mixed effects on learning and memory
Posted May 19, 2010; 12:00 p.m.
Decreasing the intake of calories and tweaking the activity of the hormone insulin are two methods long known to increase lifespan in a wide range of organisms. Now, a team of Princeton biologists has found the first evidence that these mechanisms also have an impact on cognitive function.
20,000 expected on campus for Reunions
Posted May 18, 2010; 06:19 p.m.
Some 20,000 Princeton alumni, family members and friends are expected on campus Thursday through Sunday, May 27-30, for Reunions activities.
Commencement events to occur May 30-June 1--UPDATED 6/1/10
Posted May 18, 2010; 03:44 p.m.
**Commencement on Tuesday, June 1, will take place outdoors on the lawn in front of Nassau Hall as planned.**
Several University activities for undergraduate and graduate degree candidates and their families are planned for Sunday through Tuesday, May 30-June 1. Baccalaureate, Class Day and Commencement are among the graduation activities for seniors, and the Hooding Ceremony will take place for advanced degree candidates.
Charles Gibson named Class Day speaker
Posted May 18, 2010; 12:50 p.m.
Veteran television journalist Charles Gibson, a Princeton University 1965 alumnus, will deliver the keynote address at Princeton's Class Day on Monday, May 31.
Reunions mobile website available to visiting alumni for second year
Posted May 18, 2010; 12:00 p.m.
The 20,000 alumni and other guests expected to return to campus for Reunions this year will have access to Reunions Mobile, a website optimized for use on mobile devices that provides a wide range of information designed to help attendees more easily navigate the celebrations.
Princeton University Commencement to be held June 1
Posted May 14, 2010; 07:16 p.m.
Members of the news media who wish to attend any of Princeton University's 2010 graduation ceremonies Sunday through Tuesday, May 30 to June 1, must contact the University's Office of Communications no later than 1 p.m. Friday, May 21, to request credentials.
Energy is focus of 'Art of Science' exhibition
Posted May 14, 2010; 01:21 p.m.
The fourth annual "Art of Science" exhibition, featuring "found art" images made by Princeton University community members during the course of scientific research, is on view in the Friend Center and in an online gallery.
Senior thesis production of 'On the Verge' to be staged
Posted May 14, 2010; 11:58 a.m.
The Lewis Center for the Arts will present a senior thesis production of the comedy "On the Verge, or the Geography of Yearning," written by Eric Overmyer and directed by Princeton senior Sophie Gandler, at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, May 27-29, in the Matthews Acting Studio, 185 Nassau St.
Campisano to direct Program in Teacher Preparation
Posted May 14, 2010; 09:50 a.m.
Christopher Campisano, the coordinator of higher education programs at the New Jersey Department of Education for the past four years, has been selected as the director of Princeton's Program in Teacher Preparation, effective July 12. He succeeds John Webb, who will retire at the end of the current academic year.
Princeton researchers develop disaster relief technologies for Haiti
Posted May 14, 2010; 09:15 a.m.
Even before the Jan. 12 earthquake that devastated Haiti, killing more than 200,000 people and leaving more than 1 million homeless, the citizens of the Caribbean nation were in desperate need of access to clean drinking water and electricity. After the disaster the need skyrocketed, inspiring a team of Princeton researchers to launch a one-year effort to develop, deploy and test two novel disaster-relief technologies.
Art of Science 2010
Posted May 13, 2010; 04:19 p.m.
This year's "Art of Science" exhibition was launched with an original score by Miracles of Modern Science, an orchestral rock band composed of recent Princeton alumni.
In focus: PPPL makes strides in the uncharted science of fusion energy
Posted May 13, 2010; 12:00 p.m.
Research being conducted along the frontier of fusion science makes the DOE Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) a destination for young scholars and community members interested in the field of fusion energy.
Video: Plasmas are hot, fusion is cool
Posted May 13, 2010; 12:00 p.m.
The DOE Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory conducts research along the frontier of fusion science. Read more.
From New Jersey to Nairobi: Princeton in Africa marks 10 years
Posted May 12, 2010; 04:56 p.m.
Ten years ago, Princeton alumnus Steven Feldstein spent a year in Rwanda assessing orphanages and documenting the lives of street children as part of his work for a humanitarian relief organization. Feldstein was in Africa with the first group of University graduates to participate in the Princeton in Africa program, an experience that has shaped his working life.
Labouisse winner to focus on conservation in Panama
Posted May 12, 2010; 03:30 p.m.
Princeton senior Ruth Metzel has been awarded the University's Henry Richardson Labouisse '26 Prize, which will fund her work with a nongovernmental organization to help address environmental issues in Panama.
Andlinger plans blend technical, aesthetic goals for new energy research hub
Posted May 12, 2010; 10:00 a.m.
Architects for Princeton's Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment have completed initial plans for laboratory, classroom and garden spaces that support the center's mission while creating an inviting new presence at the eastern edge of campus. The design provides for specialized facilities for research related to sustainable energy use and production.
French government honors Huet
Posted May 11, 2010; 08:30 p.m.
Princeton Professor Marie-Hélène Huet has been awarded the title of Officier dans l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques (Officer in the Order of Academic Palms) by the French government for her contributions to culture and the arts.
Krugman to deliver keynote at symposium on financial crisis
Posted May 11, 2010; 09:33 a.m.
The Center for International Security Studies will host a symposium titled "The Geopolitical Implications of the Financial Crisis" Thursday and Friday, May 13 and 14, in Robertson Hall, featuring a keynote address by Princeton economist and Nobel laureate Paul Krugman on "European Shadows" at 4:30 p.m. May 13 in Dodds Auditorium.
Princeton awarded $27 million in Recovery Act funding
Posted May 10, 2010; 04:57 p.m.
As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), Princeton University has received $27 million in research funding from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.
Class snapshot: 'Origins of Abstraction'
Posted May 10, 2010; 12:00 p.m.
Princeton art scholars Hal Foster and Molly Warnock teamed with Leah Dickerman, a curator at the Museum of Modern Art, to develop a course on "The Origins of Abstraction" to contribute to the planning of a major exhibition on the abstract art movement.
Princeton alumna Kagan nominated to Supreme Court
Posted May 10, 2010; 10:00 a.m.
Princeton alumna Elena Kagan has been nominated by President Barack Obama to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. If confirmed, Kagan would join Princeton alumni and justices Samuel Alito and Sonia Sotomayor on the Supreme Court, which would make her the 11th Princeton graduate to sit on the court.
Video: Student work: Set design at Princeton
Posted May 8, 2010; 06:59 p.m.
Senior Casey Ford Alexander documents the Lewis Center's theatrical design course with Guest Lecturer Riccardo Hernandez. Read more.
Two elected to American Philosophical Society
Posted May 7, 2010; 03:24 p.m.
Two Princeton scholars are among 37 people recently elected to membership in the American Philosophical Society.
Memorial service for Murphy planned for June 9
Posted May 7, 2010; 11:16 a.m.
A memorial service for Walter F. Murphy, the McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence Emeritus, is set for 3 p.m. Wednesday, June 9, in the University Chapel. A reception will follow in the Chancellor Green Rotunda.
'Art of Science' exhibition opens
Posted May 7, 2010; 08:09 a.m.
The fourth "Art of Science" exhibition opens with a reception at 4:30 p.m. Friday, May 7, in the Friend Center Atrium, followed by a 9 p.m. outdoor concert in the Friend Center Quad by the orchestra rock/pop ensemble Miracles of Modern Science, which will premiere its new song "Art of Science." The exhibition will remain on view for a year at the Friend Center.
George honored with national human rights medal in Poland
Posted May 6, 2010; 04:39 p.m.
Princeton legal philosopher and constitutional scholar Robert George has been awarded the Honorific Medal for the Defense of Human Rights of the Republic of Poland, which recognizes outstanding achievement in the field of human rights.
Exhibition showcases students' international photos
Posted May 6, 2010; 12:00 p.m.
"International Eye," an exhibition of photographs taken by Princeton undergraduates on five continents, will be on view through May 31 in the Guggenheim Gallery of Whitman College and the James S. Hall '34 Memorial Gallery in Butler College.
Biologists discover extra layer of protection for bacterial spores
Posted May 6, 2010; 11:31 a.m.
Scientists have found that bacterial spores, the most resistant organisms on Earth, carry an extra coating of protection that has gone undetected until now.
Corzine to speak on 'how to run for office'
Posted May 5, 2010; 12:29 p.m.
Jon Corzine, newly appointed chief executive of MF Global and former New Jersey governor, U.S. senator and chief executive officer of Goldman Sachs, will give a talk titled "How to Run for Public Office" for the Princeton University campus community at 4:30 p.m. Friday, May 7, in McCosh Hall, Room 50.
Video: Student work: BAC's 'Real World'
Posted May 4, 2010; 05:32 p.m.
The Black Arts Company: Dance, a Princeton student hip-hop dance troupe, will present its spring show May 6-8 in the Film and Performance Theatre at Frist Campus Center. Read more.
Black Arts Company: Dance to present spring concert
Posted May 4, 2010; 12:01 p.m.
The Black Arts Company: Dance, a Princeton student hip-hop dance troupe, will perform at 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, May 6-7, and at 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, May 8, in the Film and Performance Theatre at Frist Campus Center.
Conference honors classics scholar Zeitlin
Posted May 4, 2010; 11:58 a.m.
A conference titled "Mythmaking: Celebrating the Work of Froma I. Zeitlin" is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 8, in the Chancellor Green Rotunda.
L'Avant-Scène to perform 'L'Échange'
Posted May 4, 2010; 11:54 a.m.
L'Avant-Scène, Princeton's French theater workshop, will perform Paul Claudel's "L'Échange" at 8 p.m. Friday, May 7, in the Butler College Memorial Court theater.
Modern jazz pianist to perform
Posted May 4, 2010; 11:49 a.m.
Celebrated jazz pianist Geri Allen will perform a concert at 8 p.m. Friday, May 7, in Taplin Auditorium, Fine Hall. An hourlong open rehearsal beginning at 5 p.m. will precede the concert.
Video: Student work: BodyHype's spring performance
Posted May 3, 2010; 01:58 p.m.
The student-run BodyHype Dance Company will present its spring show May 6-8 in Hamilton Murray Theater. Read more.
Shapiro to chair InterAcademy Council's IPCC review committee
Posted May 3, 2010; 01:20 p.m.
Harold T. Shapiro, an economist and president emeritus of Princeton University, has been selected by the InterAcademy Council (IAC), an organization of the world's science academies, to chair a 12-member committee to conduct an independent review of the procedures and processes of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The review was requested last month by the United Nations.
Graduate School applications rise almost 10 percent
Posted May 3, 2010; 12:37 p.m.
Princeton University's Graduate School admitted 1,183 of the 11,123 applicants who applied for the 2010-11 academic year, with notable interest in new science doctoral degrees and the strength of the school's financial aid program contributing to a 9.7 percent increase in the number of students applying for master's and doctoral programs.
Irwin Wilkins named director of Princeton Writing Program
Posted May 3, 2010; 12:36 p.m.
Amanda Irwin Wilkins has been appointed director of the Princeton Writing Program. Irwin Wilkins has worked with the writing program in a variety of capacities since 1999, and has served as interim director since September 2009.
Task force issues report on University and the eating clubs
Posted May 3, 2010; 10:00 a.m.
In a report issued May 3, the University's Task Force on the Relationships between the University and the Eating Clubs reaffirms the important role the clubs play at Princeton and offers recommendations for enhancing the positive contributions the clubs can make to social life on campus for all undergraduate students. The task force also offers recommendations to address a number of concerns and challenges that are described in the report, and to strengthen relationships between the clubs and the University.
Appiah and Barkan receive Behrman Award
Posted May 1, 2010; 10:00 p.m.
Professors Kwame Anthony Appiah and Leonard Barkan have received Princeton's Howard T. Behrman Award for Distinguished Achievement in the Humanities.