Archive – June, 2010
Poet Smith selected for international arts honor
Posted June 30, 2010; 05:59 p.m.
Tracy K. Smith, a poet and assistant professor of creative writing in the Lewis Center for the Arts, is one of six international artists who has been selected for the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative, which pairs artists with leading figures in their fields for a year of individual mentoring and creative collaboration. Smith was chosen to be mentored by Hans Magnus Enzensberger, a provocative essayist who is often regarded as Germany's most important contemporary poet.
Perspective on: Imagination and optimism in scientific discovery
Posted June 28, 2010; 12:00 p.m.
Roberto Car, the Ralph W. Dornte *31 Professor in Chemistry and a faculty fellow of the Princeton Center for Theoretical Science, discusses how he developed a theory that changed the course of research in computational science. He also focuses on how he came to love science and how he uses imagination, optimism and creativity in his work.
Inner workings of the brain I
Posted June 28, 2010; 10:00 a.m.
Using two-photon microscopy in the laboratory of virologist Lynn Enquist, Stephan Thiberge, manager of the imaging facility in the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, and graduate student Andrea Gransted visualized pseudorabies virus particles moving in neurons growing in a tissue culture dish. The protein shells, or capsids, which surround the viral DNA can be seen because they carry a fluorescent protein that glows when illuminated by the laser in the microscope. These glowing capsids move rapidly in the axons suggesting how they can be used to follow the wiring patterns in the brain. Read more.
Inner workings of the brain II
Posted June 28, 2010; 10:00 a.m.
Bernd Kuhn, an associate research scholar in the laboratory of molecular biologist Sam Wang, used two-photon microscopy to make this three-dimensional reconstruction of a living mouse brain. An engineered virus was used to make the neurons express a calcium-sensitive fluorescent protein. Since calcium levels rise inside neurons when they fire, changes in brightness of the glowing cells can be used to report whether neurons are active. Read more.
Virus 'explorers' probe inner workings of the brain
Posted June 28, 2010; 10:00 a.m.
Imagine an exceedingly complex circuit board. Wires often split -- seemingly at random -- and connect in strange and unexpected ways. This is how Princeton University researchers developing a new method for studying brain connectivity see the brain.
George honored with religious freedom medal
Posted June 25, 2010; 04:45 p.m.
Princeton legal philosopher and constitutional scholar Robert George has been awarded the Canterbury Medal for outstanding achievement in the field of global religious freedom.
Summer theater season offers drama and laughs through Aug. 15
Posted June 24, 2010; 12:00 p.m.
Princeton Summer Theater opens its 2010 season with a production of Wendy Wasserstein's "The Heidi Chronicles," the Pulitzer Prize-winning play about one woman's journey through love and loss and a generation's coming of age.
Memorial service for Lewis planned for June 27
Posted June 21, 2010; 01:30 p.m.
A memorial service for John Lewis, professor of economics and international affairs emeritus, is set for 2 p.m. Sunday, June 27, at Prospect House on the Princeton campus.
Em[Power] plans an escape from severe poverty
Posted June 21, 2010; 12:00 p.m.
A Pakistani garbage dump seems like an unlikely place to find a solution to extreme poverty. But then again, the group of students from Princeton and Rutgers universities who plan to convert garbage into hope is an unlikely team.
Discovery of subatomic particles could answer deep questions in geology
Posted June 21, 2010; 10:00 a.m.
An international team including scientists from Princeton University has detected subatomic particles deep within the Earth's interior. The discovery could help geologists understand how reactions taking place in the planet's interior affect events on the surface such as earthquakes and volcanoes. Someday, scientists may know enough about the sources and flow of heat in the Earth to predict events like the recent volcanic eruption in Iceland.
Targeting inequality: Rouse aims for social justice in study of medicine, education
Posted June 17, 2010; 12:00 p.m.
A professor of anthropology and African American studies who has taught at Princeton since 2000, Carolyn Rouse takes a wide-ranging approach to studying the production of inequality and why people accept the systems that uphold it.
Ten Princetonians win ACLS fellowships
Posted June 16, 2010; 03:55 p.m.
Two members of the Princeton faculty and eight graduate students have been awarded fellowships from the American Council of Learned Societies, which funds humanistic research.
Cohen awarded prize for promoting interfaith understanding
Posted June 16, 2010; 03:27 p.m.
Mark R. Cohen, Princeton's Khedouri A. Zilkha Professor of Jewish Civilization in the Near East, has been awarded the first Goldziher Prize, which recognizes work promoting understanding across religious faiths.
Outreach programs encourage summer learning at Princeton
Posted June 14, 2010; 03:41 p.m.
Students of all ages and teachers from New Jersey and beyond will be engaged in a summer of learning on the Princeton campus, taking part in outreach programs on subjects ranging from fusion energy to playwriting. Princeton students, faculty and staff will lead various programs designed to help elementary, secondary and college students build their academic skills and provide cutting-edge lessons that teachers can take back to their own classrooms.
Science neighborhood construction progresses this summer
Posted June 14, 2010; 03:15 p.m.
The University's science neighborhood along Washington Road will continue to develop amid a series of construction projects taking place on campus this summer. As the Chemistry building and Streicker Bridge move closer to opening, work also has begun on the Neuroscience and Psychology buildings and on renovations of Jadwin Hall.
From cash flow to rhyme flow: Music scholar Manabe takes eclectic path to Princeton
Posted June 14, 2010; 12:00 p.m.
Noriko Manabe's path to teaching music at Princeton is as unconventional and eclectic as the musical cultures and styles she studies. Manabe came to academia from the investment and consulting fields, where she was a leading analyst of the technology and media industries in Japan.
Video: Taiko drumming seminar
Posted June 14, 2010; 12:00 p.m.
Princeton ethnomusicologist Noriko Manabe and her students participated in a workshop with taiko drummer Kaoru Watanabe. Read more.
Bartels named fellow of American Academy of Political and Social Science
Posted June 14, 2010; 09:35 a.m.
Princeton faculty member Larry Bartels has been inducted into the American Academy of Political and Social Science as the Robert A. Dahl Fellow.
Students see Cuba with new eyes during semester abroad
Posted June 11, 2010; 09:28 a.m.
Nine Princeton students spent the spring 2010 semester studying and living in a society that largely has been off-limits to Americans for the past 50 years. In Princeton's first semester-long program in Cuba, students explored the island's demography, arts and culture, with the country's politics serving as a backdrop to their educational and personal encounters. The students, all juniors and majors in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, took four courses and participated in a task force.
Tilghman honored with international science prize
Posted June 10, 2010; 06:39 p.m.
Princeton President Shirley M. Tilghman, a world-renowned scholar and leader in the field of molecular biology, has been honored with the Henry G. Friesen International Prize in Health Research.
Dual focus on the environment: Mauzerall connects climate change, pollution in search for solutions
Posted June 10, 2010; 12:00 p.m.
In her research and teaching, Princeton Professor Denise Mauzerall employs both scientific and regulatory perspectives in analyzing the effects of air pollution on climate change, human health and agricultural production. She has emerged as a leader in efforts to track the flow of pollution through atmospheric models, helping to identify where reductions of harmful emissions would have the largest benefit.
Summer concerts offered at Richardson
Posted June 9, 2010; 06:17 p.m.
Princeton University Summer Concerts will present four free concerts this summer starting at 8 p.m. at Richardson Auditorium, Alexander Hall, from Thursday, July 1, through Tuesday, July 27.
Carillon concerts planned through Sept. 5
Posted June 9, 2010; 06:09 p.m.
The University's 18th annual Summer Carillon Series, featuring carillonneurs from around the United States and abroad, will be held at 1 p.m. each Sunday from June 27 through Sept. 5 at Cleveland Tower on the Graduate College campus.
Summer theater season runs June 17-Aug. 15
Posted June 9, 2010; 06:01 p.m.
The Princeton Summer Theater's lineup of productions -- ranging from Henry James adaptations to new interpretations of children's classics -- will run Thursdays through Sundays, June 17 through Aug. 15, at the Hamilton Murray Theater on campus.
Frist hosts summer concert series
Posted June 9, 2010; 05:57 p.m.
The Frist Campus Center will present seven concerts this summer at 4:30 p.m. Wednesdays from June 16 through July 28 on its South Patio.
Students win Fulbrights to study or teach abroad
Posted June 9, 2010; 11:22 a.m.
Eleven members of Princeton's graduating class of 2010, five graduate students and five other recent alumni have been awarded Fulbright grants to study and teach abroad for the 2010-11 academic year.
Eight named to Board of Trustees
Posted June 8, 2010; 12:40 p.m.
Princeton University has named eight new members of its Board of Trustees, effective July 1.
New Global Collaborative Research Fund projects selected
Posted June 8, 2010; 09:36 a.m.
Three teams of Princeton scholars have been selected by the University's Council for International Teaching and Research to receive research network grants for new studies of migrant children, the global economic crisis and the international language of photography.
Slideshow: Celebrating a beginning
Posted June 7, 2010; 12:00 p.m.
Graduation activities marked the conclusion of students' time at Princeton, but also the dawn of an opportunity for members of the class of 2010. Activities highlighted in this slideshow began Thursday, May 27, when alumni returned for Reunions, and concluded Tuesday, June 1, with Commencement.
Vehicle entrance to close at 4 p.m. weekdays
Posted June 4, 2010; 07:32 p.m.
Beginning Monday, June 7, the gate at Princeton University's Nassau Street entrance to campus will be closed to vehicle traffic two hours earlier during the week, remaining open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Video: Commencement 2010
Posted June 1, 2010; 06:45 p.m.
Princeton hosted a series of events and ceremonies highlighting the achievements of the Class of 2010, concluding with the University's 263rd Commencement. Read more
Tilghman to graduates: Find common purpose to achieve change
Posted June 1, 2010; 02:40 p.m.
In today's environment of easy access to politically charged sound bites, Princeton President Shirley M. Tilghman urged graduates in her annual Commencement address June 1 to find common ground with others for the civil discourse needed to bring about change.
Princeton University holds 263rd Commencement
Posted June 1, 2010; 01:17 p.m.
Princeton University awarded degrees to 1,166 undergraduates in the class of 2010, nine from other classes and 804 graduate students at its 263rd Commencement Tuesday, June 1.
Princeton awards five honorary degrees
Posted June 1, 2010; 01:12 p.m.
Princeton University awarded honorary degrees during Commencement exercises Tuesday, June 1, to five distinguished individuals for their contributions to the humanities, law, medical and scientific research and human rights: Drew Gilpin Faust, a historian and the president of Harvard University; Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a U.S. Supreme Court justice and trailblazer for women's rights; Olufunmilayo Olopade, a medical researcher who focuses on cancer risk assessment; Albie Sachs, a champion of human rights in South Africa; and Edward Taylor, Princeton's A. Barton Hepburn Professor of Organic Chemistry Emeritus.
Four faculty members recognized for outstanding teaching
Posted June 1, 2010; 01:08 p.m.
Four Princeton faculty members received President's Awards for Distinguished Teaching at Commencement ceremonies Tuesday, June 1. They are: Erhan Çinlar, the Norman J. Sollenberger Professor in Engineering and professor of operations research and financial engineering; Arcadio Díaz-Quiñones, the Emory L. Ford Professor of Spanish; P. Adams Sitney, professor of visual arts in the Lewis Center for the Arts; and Jeffrey Stout, professor of religion.
2010 President's Commencement Remarks
Posted June 1, 2010; 12:57 p.m.
2010 Commencement Address delivered by President Shirley M. Tilghman
2010 Valedictory Oration
Posted June 1, 2010; 12:54 p.m.
2010 Valedictory Oration delivered by David Karp
2010 Latin Salutatory Oration
Posted June 1, 2010; 12:52 p.m.
2010 Latin Salutatory Oration delivered by Marguerite Colson
UPDATE 6:30 a.m.: Commencement to be held outdoors
Posted June 1, 2010; 06:06 a.m.
Princeton's 263rd Commencement ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. today in front of Nassau Hall as originally scheduled, as severe weather is not expected to have an impact on the ceremony.