Featured Stories Archive – May, 2011
Tilghman calls on graduates to close the educational achievement gap
By Ruth Stevens · Posted May 31, 2011; 03:15 p.m.
Calling education "our most powerful engine for social mobility," Princeton University President Shirley M. Tilghman implored this year's graduates to use their knowledge to improve the country's K-12 education system.
Seniors celebrate with laughs and honors at Class Day; Hooding held for Grad School
By Ushma Patel · Posted May 30, 2011; 08:25 p.m.
Members of the class of 2011 gathered on Princeton's Cannon Green to celebrate the accomplishments of their peers and share reflections on their Princeton experiences at the Class Day ceremony Monday, May 30.
Bloomberg urges seniors to follow a path of service
By Ian Cahir · Posted May 29, 2011; 08:00 p.m.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg urged Princeton University's graduating seniors May 29 to expand upon the accomplishments of their generation while serving those who need help most and while promoting freedom. "Always find time to give back to others," Bloomberg told the seniors assembled for Princeton's Baccalaureate ceremony. "It is the glue that binds us together as Americans -- and the fact that your generation is more active in service than any before it is an incredibly hopeful and encouraging sign for the future."
Alumni return to campus for Reunions
By Staff · Posted May 27, 2011; 06:30 p.m.
Princeton alumni, family members and friends have arrived on the Princeton campus for Reunions activities, which run through Sunday, May 29. More than 20,000 attendees are expected to participate in Reunions events, which began Thursday, May 26.
Video feature: Reunions bring back Princeton alumni through the ages
By John Jameson · Posted May 25, 2011; 12:00 p.m.
Princeton alumni have returned to campus to celebrate Commencement festivities and reunite with friends since the earliest days of the institution in the 1700s, when it was still known as the College of New Jersey. Beginning as informal gatherings of alumni, faculty and guest speakers, a milestone was reached at Princeton's 100th Commencement in 1847 that drew 700 graduates. Today, more than 20,000 alumni, family and friends participate in this annual gathering, known as Reunions.
Pardon breaks new ground on path to becoming valedictorian
By Eric Quiñones · Posted May 23, 2011; 12:00 p.m.
John Pardon's intellectual curiosity and scholarly accomplishments have carried him to the top of Princeton's class of 2011 as its valedictorian. Pardon, a mathematics major from Chapel Hill, N.C., will deliver the valedictory address at the University's Commencement ceremony Tuesday, May 31.
Class snapshot: 'Communicating Climate Change'
By Carol Peters · Posted May 19, 2011; 12:00 p.m.
In the class "Communicating Climate Change," Princeton undergraduates learn how to use multimedia to describe the climate change problem and its possible consequences to the public in ways that are simple and clear, as well as scientifically rigorous. The course is taught by Heidi Cullen, a visiting lecturer in geosciences and the Princeton Environmental Institute (PEI), and Michael Lemonick, a visiting lecturer in astrophysical sciences, freshman seminars and PEI.
Video feature: 'Social Issue Filmmaking at Princeton University'
By Nick Barberio · Posted May 16, 2011; 12:00 p.m.
This spring Princeton students got hands-on filmmaking experience with Emily Abt, a lecturer in the University Center for Human Values, and her course, "Social Issue Filmmaking." This video feature about the course includes excerpts from three students' original work.
Perspective on: The future of fusion
By Kitta MacPherson · Posted May 12, 2011; 12:00 p.m.
Stewart Prager, director of the U.S. Department of Energy's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, discusses the lab's new initiatives and the challenges involved in the effort to create fusion energy.
Colors of campus come into focus in spring
By Mahlon Lovett · Posted May 9, 2011; 12:00 p.m.
The landscape of Princeton’s campus always has been a defining element of its identity and experience. Beginning with the enclosure of the "front campus" between Nassau Hall and Nassau Street in 1756, the relationship between the architecture and the landscape has created a feeling of an intimate academy unique to this setting, with myriad pathways and courtyards. There are places to congregate, to meditate and to appreciate nature; there are places where one can simply escape from the noise of daily life.
Students gain access to high-level policymakers, leaders
By Jesse Jacobs · Posted May 5, 2011; 12:00 p.m.
Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs launched its "Leadership and Governance" program in 2009. Each academic year the program brings four to six prominent public policy practitioners to the Wilson School for up to three days, during which the visitor delivers a public lecture, meets informally with individuals or small groups of students and participates in various classroom discussions.