News Releases
Geological record shows air up there came from below
Posted May 23, 2012; 01:00 p.m.
The influence of the ground beneath us on the air around us could be greater than scientists had previously thought, according to new Princeton University research that links the long-ago proliferation of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere to a sudden change in the inner workings of our planet.
Princeton University Commencement to be held June 5
Posted May 22, 2012; 10:00 a.m.
Members of the news media who wish to attend any of Princeton University's 2012 graduation ceremonies Sunday through Tuesday, June 3-5, must contact the University's Office of Communications no later than 3 p.m. Friday, May 25, to request credentials.
University reimburses Department of Energy extended assignment funds
Posted May 21, 2012; 11:00 a.m.
Princeton University has agreed to reimburse $1 million to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) following a report by the DOE inspector general (IG) on a program at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) under which employees were assigned to work for extended periods of time at other U.S. laboratories engaged in fusion energy research. The University manages PPPL under a contract with the DOE.
Graduate School applications reach record high
Posted May 11, 2012; 10:51 a.m.
Princeton University's Graduate School offered admission to 1,226 of the record 12,077 applicants who applied for the 2012-13 academic year, with the school's global reputation and strong financial aid program contributing to a continued increase in applications, particularly among international students.
Expectation of extraterrestrial life built more on optimism than evidence, study finds
Posted April 26, 2012; 09:00 a.m.
Princeton University researchers have found that the expectation that life — from bacteria to sentient beings — has or will develop on other planets as on Earth might be based more on optimism than scientific evidence.
Yeast cell reaction to Zoloft suggests alternative cause, drug target for depression
Posted April 24, 2012; 10:00 a.m.
Princeton University researchers have observed a self-degradation response to the antidepressant Zoloft in yeast cells that could help provide new answers to lingering questions among scientists about how antidepressants work, as well as support the idea that depression is not solely linked to the neurotransmitter serotonin.
University will use Coursera to explore online class materials
Posted April 18, 2012; 09:00 a.m.
As part of efforts to employ technology to enhance the Princeton academic experience and enable faculty to extend their teaching beyond the physical borders of the campus, the University will explore the development of online class materials via the new educational platform Coursera. According to Coursera, Princeton will join Stanford University, the University of Michigan and the University of Pennsylvania in developing Web-based course materials from a variety of academic fields.
A.J. Stewart Smith to be named VP for PPPL, search for new dean for research to begin
Posted April 17, 2012; 03:00 p.m.
A.J. Stewart Smith, who has served as Princeton University's first dean for research since 2006, will assume a newly created position as vice president for the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) to serve as the University's primary liaison with DOE. Smith is expected to begin his new role on Jan. 1, 2013. A national search for his successor as dean for research will begin immediately.
UPDATE: Princeton's Tracy K. Smith wins Pulitzer Prize for poetry
Posted April 16, 2012; 07:45 p.m.
Princeton University professor Tracy K. Smith has been awarded the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for poetry for her collection "Life on Mars."
Princeton investigation finds no evidence to back animal research allegations
Posted April 4, 2012; 03:00 p.m.
An internal investigation by Princeton University has found no evidence to support allegations about noncompliance in animal care at the University that were made by an animal rights group last September. The inquiry by a subcommittee of the University's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) was launched in response to the allegations, which were based on an anonymous statement.
Study reveals impact of socioeconomic factors on the racial gap in life expectancy
Posted April 4, 2012; 01:30 p.m.
A Princeton University report reveals that disparities in socioeconomic characteristics can account for 80 percent of the life-expectancy divide between black and white men, and for 70 percent of the imbalance between black and white women. The study is one of the first to put a number on how much of the divide can be attributed to racial differences in factors such as income, education and marital status.
Princeton, Max Planck Society launch new research center for plasma physics
Posted March 30, 2012; 10:04 a.m.
Princeton University and the Max Planck Society of Germany have joined forces in a scientific collaboration that is designed to accelerate progress in cutting-edge research ranging from harnessing nuclear fusion to understanding solar storms.
Princeton offers admission to 7.86 percent of applicants
Posted March 29, 2012; 12:00 p.m.
Princeton University has offered admission to 2,095 students, or 7.86 percent of the near-record 26,664 applicants for the Class of 2016, in what is expected to be the most selective admission process in the University's history. This compares with Princeton's final admission rate of a record-low 8.5 percent for last year’s class.
Zaera-Polo named dean of Princeton's School of Architecture
Posted March 27, 2012; 04:00 p.m.
Alejandro Zaera-Polo, an internationally renowned architect and scholar, has been selected as the next dean of Princeton University's School of Architecture.
Detection of cosmic effect may bring universe's formation into sharper focus
Posted March 20, 2012; 08:00 a.m.
A project initiated at Princeton made the first observation of a cosmic effect theorized 40 years ago that could provide astronomers with a more precise tool for understanding the forces behind the universe's formation and growth, including the enigmatic phenomena of dark energy and dark matter.
Princeton scientists identify neural activity sequences that help form memory, decision-making
Posted March 14, 2012; 02:00 p.m.
Princeton University researchers have used a novel virtual reality and brain imaging system to detect a form of neural activity underlying how the brain forms short-term memories that are used in making decisions.
'Universal' vaccines could finally allow for wide-scale flu prevention
Posted February 27, 2012; 09:00 a.m.
Princeton University-based researchers have found that an emerging class of long-lasting flu vaccines called "universal" vaccines could for the first time allow for the effective, wide-scale prevention of flu by limiting the virus' ability to spread and mutate. A computational model the team developed showed that the vaccines could achieve unprecedented control of the flu virus both seasonally and during outbreaks of highly contagious new strains.
Renowned Princeton biologist Malcolm Steinberg dies
Posted February 22, 2012; 06:00 p.m.
Princeton University professor emeritus Malcolm Steinberg, a molecular biologist well known for his influential hypothesis about how cells in an embryo assemble, and a personable colleague who loved discussing science and ideas, died Feb. 7 at his home in Princeton. He was 81.
'Storm of the century' may become 'storm of the decade'
Posted February 21, 2012; 12:30 p.m.
Researchers from Princeton University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology report that projected increases in sea level and storm intensity brought on by climate change would make devastating storm surges — the deadly and destructive mass of water pushed inland by large storms — more frequent in low-lying coastal areas. Regions such as the New York City metropolitan area that currently experience a disastrous flood every century could instead become submerged every one or two decades.
Princeton University to host panel on Syria Feb. 7
Posted January 30, 2012; 10:09 a.m.
Richard Murphy, former U.S. ambassador to Syria, will speak on the latest developments in Syria at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7, in Dodds Auditorium, Robertson Hall, at Princeton University. The event, "Up to the Minute: The Latest Political Developments in Syria," is free and open to the public, and presented by the Workshop on Arab Political Development.
Princeton receives near-record applications
Posted January 30, 2012; 10:00 a.m.
Princeton University has received 26,663 applications for admission to the Class of 2016, with many of them also applying for the University’s no-loan financial aid program.
Princeton trustees approve operating budget, bolster financial aid
Posted January 28, 2012; 12:00 p.m.
Princeton University trustees Jan. 28 approved a 5.6 percent increase in undergraduate financial aid in adopting an operating budget for 2012-13 that includes a 4.5 percent increase in tuition, to $38,650.
Survey suggests family history of psychiatric disorders shapes intellectual interests
Posted January 26, 2012; 05:00 p.m.
Survey results published by Princeton University researchers in the journal PLoS ONE suggest that a family history of psychiatric conditions such as autism and depression could influence the subjects a person finds engaging. Although preliminary, the findings provide a new look at the oft-studied link between psychiatric conditions and aptitude in the arts or sciences.
Princeton University Art Museum, Italy reach new antiquities agreement
Posted January 25, 2012; 01:00 p.m.
The Princeton University Art Museum and Italian cultural authorities have completed the transfer of ownership of six works of art in the museum's collections.
Hurricane Katrina survivors struggle with mental health years later, study says
Posted January 24, 2012; 09:47 a.m.
Survivors of Hurricane Katrina have struggled with poor mental health for years after the storm, according to a new study of low-income mothers in the New Orleans area. The study's lead author, Christina Paxson of Princeton University, and her collaborators were able to collect data on the participants before Katrina and nearly five years after the August 2005 storm, finding a persistence of poor mental health and gaining insights into how different types of hurricane-related stressors affect mental health.
Princeton University to celebrate King's legacy
Posted January 9, 2012; 10:00 a.m.
Princeton University will commemorate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with its annual King Day celebration Monday, Jan. 16, in Richardson Auditorium of Alexander Hall. Doors open at 1 p.m. The keynote address will be delivered by civil rights leader and educator Bob Moses, a visiting fellow in Princeton's Center for African American Studies.
Princeton offers early action admission to 726 students for Class of 2016
Posted December 15, 2011; 03:00 p.m.
Princeton University has offered admission to 726 students from a pool of 3,443 candidates who applied through single-choice early action for the Class of 2016.
Less knowledge, more power: Uninformed can be vital to democracy, study finds
Posted December 15, 2011; 02:00 p.m.
A Princeton University-based research team reports in Science that uninformed individuals — as in those with no prior knowledge or strong feelings on a situation's outcome — can actually be vital to achieving a democratic consensus. These individuals tend to side with and embolden the numerical majority and dilute the influence of powerful minority factions who would otherwise dominate everyone else. This finding — based on group decision-making experiments on fish, as well as mathematical models and computer simulations — challenges the common notion that an outspoken minority can manipulate uncommitted voters and can ultimately provide insights into humans' political behavior.
Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos donate $15 million to create center in Princeton Neuroscience Institute
Posted December 13, 2011; 12:00 p.m.
Princeton University alumnus Jeff Bezos, the founder and chief executive officer of Amazon.com, and alumna MacKenzie Bezos, are donating $15 million to the University to create a center in the Princeton Neuroscience Institute. The gift will establish the Bezos Center for Neural Circuit Dynamics, which will be led by institute co-director David Tank.
Nighttime images help track disease from the sky
Posted December 8, 2011; 02:00 p.m.
Princeton University-led researchers report in the journal Science that satellite images of nighttime lights normally used to spot where people live can help keep tabs on the diseases festering among them, too.
Princeton's new computing research center builds research capacity
Posted November 30, 2011; 12:00 p.m.
After several years of planning and more than a year of construction, Princeton University's High-Performance Computing Research Center opened its doors this week. Situated on the Forrestal campus, the facility gives researchers on campus new capacity to tackle some of the world's most complex scientific challenges.
Princeton technique puts chemistry breakthroughs on the fast track
Posted November 28, 2011; 11:00 a.m.
Scientists can now take that "a-ha" moment to go with a method Princeton University researchers developed — and successfully tested — to accomplish "accelerated serendipity" and speed up the chances of an unexpected yet groundbreaking chemical discovery.
Three Princeton seniors, two alumni awarded Marshall Scholarships
Posted November 23, 2011; 01:45 p.m.
Three Princeton University seniors — Christina Chang, Kyle Edwards and Emily Rutherford — and two alumni, Samuel Dorison and Alice Easton, are five of 36 American college students who have been awarded 2012 Marshall Scholarships.
Blocked holes can enhance rather than stop light going through, engineers find
Posted November 22, 2011; 10:00 a.m.
Conventional wisdom would say that blocking a hole would prevent light from going through it, but Princeton University engineers have discovered the opposite to be true. A research team has found that placing a metal cap over a small hole in a metal film does not stop the light at all, but rather enhances its transmission.
Three seniors, one alumnus awarded Rhodes Scholarships
Posted November 21, 2011; 08:00 a.m.
Three Princeton seniors — Elizabeth Butterworth, Miriam Rosenbaum and Astrid Stuth — and one Class of 2011 graduate, Mohit Agrawal, have been awarded Rhodes Scholarships for graduate study at the University of Oxford.
Media Advisory: Princeton's Oppenheimer offers comments on IPCC’s special report on extreme events and disasters and new focus on human toll of climate change
Posted November 18, 2011; 06:00 p.m.
The significant feature of the special report, "Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation," released Nov. 18 by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is its focus on governmental responses to climate disasters including those related to climate change, according to Michael Oppenheimer, a Princeton University professor and a coordinating lead author of the report.
Massive volcanoes, meteorite impacts delivered one-two death punch to dinosaurs
Posted November 17, 2011; 09:00 a.m.
A cosmic one-two punch of colossal volcanic eruptions and meteorite strikes likely caused the mass-extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous period that is famous for killing the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, according to two Princeton University reports that reject the prevailing theory that the extinction was caused by a single large meteorite.
Erratic, extreme day-to-day weather puts climate change in new light
Posted November 15, 2011; 03:00 p.m.
Princeton University researchers report the first climate study to focus on variations in daily weather conditions, which found that day-to-day weather has grown increasingly erratic and extreme, with significant fluctuations in sunshine and rainfall affecting more than a third of the planet. These swings could have consequences for ecosystem stability and the control of pests and diseases; industries such as agriculture and solar-energy production; and could affect what scientists can expect to see as the Earth's climate changes.
Exhibit features watercolors by Gwen John
Posted November 15, 2011; 11:00 a.m.
A group of recently rediscovered watercolors by British painter Gwen John (1876–1939) are on exhibit in the 18th-Century Window of the Main Gallery at Firestone Library from Monday, Nov. 21, through Dec. 31, 2011.
'She Flourishes' exhibit showcases history of women at Princeton
Posted November 10, 2011; 10:00 a.m.
The Mudd Manuscript Library is hosting the exhibit, "She Flourishes: Chapters in the History of Princeton Women," which documents the struggles and accomplishments of women scholars, students, staff and other women associated with the institution. The exhibit includes a video compilation of archival footage. The exhibit is open to the public Monday, Nov. 14, 2011, through Friday, August 31, 2012.
Princeton University to draw science and technology leaders from New Jersey colleges and universities for first Einstein's Alley event
Posted November 10, 2011; 09:00 a.m.
Princeton University will host the first in a series of events scheduled to promote the Einstein's Alley initiative to foster technology- and science-based economic growth in Central New Jersey at the recently dedicated Frick Chemistry Building on the University campus at 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 14.
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and legal historian to lead Nov. 10 Roe v. Wade panel discussion
Posted November 1, 2011; 09:55 a.m.
Linda Greenhouse and Reva Siegel, co-authors of "Before Roe v. Wade: Voices That Shaped the Abortion Debate Before the Supreme Court's Ruling" (2010), will participate in a panel discussion at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10, in Dodds Auditorium, Robert...
Savannas, forests in a battle of the biomes, Princeton researchers find
Posted October 31, 2011; 02:00 p.m.
Climate change, land use and other human-driven factors could pit savannas and forests against each other by altering the elements found by Princeton University researchers to stabilize the two. Without this harmony, the habitats, or biomes, could increasingly encroach on one other to the detriment of the people and animals that rely on them.
Impact study: Princeton model shows fallout of a giant meteorite strike
Posted October 19, 2011; 01:00 p.m.
Princeton University researchers have developed a new model that can not only more accurately simulate the seismic fallout from a large meteorite striking the Earth, but also help reveal new information about the surface and interior of planets based on past collisions.
Gift from Ford family to support Princeton athletics program
Posted October 18, 2011; 10:00 a.m.
A gift from William Clay Ford Jr., a member of Princeton's Class of 1979, and Lisa Vanderzee Ford, of the Class of 1982, will create the Bill and Lisa Ford Family Directorship of Athletics at Princeton University. In addition to endowing the directorship, the gift will provide funding for Princeton's athletic director to invest in programs to enhance the student-athlete experience.
Princeton's Sims wins Nobel in economics with visiting professor Sargent
Posted October 10, 2011; 08:15 p.m.
A 40-year path of friendly arguments and groundbreaking studies of how governments weigh policies to deal with economic troubles has led a pair of prominent economists to share the 2011 Nobel Prize in their field. Princeton University professor Christopher Sims was honored along with Thomas Sargent, a New York University economist and visiting professor this semester at Princeton, for developing tools to analyze the economic causes and effects of monetary policy. Their work has revolutionized the field of macroeconomics and how it is applied by central banks and governments around the world.
1:10 P.M. OCT. 10 UPDATE - Princeton's Sims wins Nobel in economics with visiting professor Sargent
Posted October 10, 2011; 01:10 p.m.
Princeton University professor Christopher Sims has been awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize in economics along with Thomas Sargent, a New York University economist who is a visiting professor at Princeton, for developing tools to analyze the effect of monetary policy on the economy.
Media advisory: RSVP by Oct. 4 for Princeton Justice Stevens event
Posted September 29, 2011; 10:54 a.m.
The Honorable John Paul Stevens, retired associate justice of the United States Supreme Court, will appear at Princeton University at 4:30 p.m., Monday, Oct. 10, in Richardson Auditorium of Alexander Hall on the University campus. Members of the news media who plan to attend should email Martin Mbugua (mmbugua@princeton.edu) no later than 5 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 4, to ensure that we reserve tickets and seats.
Gift from alumnus Griswold and family endows Center for Economic Policy Studies at Princeton
Posted September 26, 2011; 10:00 a.m.
Investment banking executive Benjamin H. Griswold IV, a member of Princeton's Class of 1962, and his family have made a substantial gift to endow the Center for Economic Policy Studies at Princeton University. The center, which supports economic policy-related research in the Department of Economics and fosters communication among experts in the academic, business and government communities, has been renamed the Benjamin H. Griswold III, Class of 1933, Center for Economic Policy Studies, in honor of Griswold's father, a member of Princeton's Class of 1933.
More than a sign of sleepiness, yawning may cool the brain
Posted September 19, 2011; 12:00 p.m.
A Princeton-led study is the first involving humans to show that yawning frequency varies with the season, a dispartity that indicates that yawning could serve as a method for regulating brain temperature.
Black hole, star collisions may illuminate universe's dark side
Posted September 19, 2011; 11:00 a.m.
Princeton and New York University research reported in the journal Physical Review Letters this month presents a ready-made method for detecting the collision of stars with an elusive type of black hole that is on the short list of objects believed to make up dark matter, the invisible substance thought to constitute much of the universe. Such a discovery could serve as observable proof of dark matter and provide a much deeper understanding of the universe's inner workings.
Gene flux can foretell survival for trauma patients, Princeton study finds
Posted September 13, 2011; 05:00 p.m.
Princeton research reported in the Sept. 13 issue of the journal PLoS Medicine shows for the first time that people recovering from a serious injury -- regardless of age, gender or previous health -- exhibit similar gene activity as their condition changes, which doctors can use to predict and prepare for a patient's deterioration.
Word association: Princeton study matches brain scans with complex thought
Posted August 31, 2011; 09:00 a.m.
Princeton researchers have for the first time matched images of brain activity with categories of words related to the concepts a person is thinking about. Reported in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, the results could lead to a better understanding of how people consider meaning and context when reading or thinking.
In the early life of an embryo, a monster lurks
Posted August 22, 2011; 11:00 a.m.
Research based at Princeton University has revealed that newly fertilized cells only narrowly avoid degenerating into fatal chaos. At the same time, scientists have discovered that embryos have acquired a mechanism to contain this dangerous instability, a finding that could help biologists unravel other mysteries about the first hours of life.
High social rank comes at a price, researchers find
Posted July 14, 2011; 02:00 p.m.
Being at the very top of a social hierarchy may be more costly than previously thought, according to a new study of wild baboons led by a Princeton University ecologist. A new study has found that in wild baboon populations, the highest-ranking, or alpha, males have higher stress-hormone levels than the highly ranked males below them, known as beta males -- even during periods of stability.
Princeton's Annual Giving campaign raises $50 million
Posted July 6, 2011; 04:10 p.m.
Princeton University's 2010-11 Annual Giving campaign raised $50,010,045 -- the second highest total in Annual Giving history -- with 61.3 percent of undergraduate alumni participating. The results are notable for their strength and breadth across all of Princeton's constituencies: undergraduate alumni, graduate alumni, parents and friends.
Sovereign Bank gift will support international initiatives at Princeton
Posted July 6, 2011; 08:00 a.m.
Sovereign Bank, part of Banco Santander, has signed a three-year funding agreement with Princeton University to support international scholarly initiatives. The gift from Sovereign Bank will support existing programs that enable Princeton faculty and students to engage in a variety of educational experiences with institutions and scholars from around the globe.
Princeton researchers solve problem filling space -- without cubes
Posted June 27, 2011; 12:00 a.m.
Princeton University chemist Salvatore Torquato and colleagues have solved a conundrum that has baffled mathematical minds since ancient times -- how to fill three-dimensional space with multi-sided objects other than cubes without having any gaps. The discovery could lead to scientists finding new materials and could lead to advances in communications systems and computer security.
Outreach programs encourage summer learning at Princeton
Posted June 20, 2011; 04:30 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 American history and playwriting to clean energy and DNA.
Shostack gives $10 million to endow Project X fund, giving freedom to 'tinkerers'
Posted June 16, 2011; 10:10 a.m.
Seeking to provide "tinkerers" with freedom to explore hunches and passions, businesswoman and philanthropist Lynn Shostack has given $10 million to permanently endow the Project X innovation fund in Princeton University's School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Work of artist George Segal featured in exhibit at Firestone Library
Posted June 15, 2011; 10:19 a.m.
The exhibition "George Segal: Sculptor as Photographer" will open on Monday, July 25, at the Milberg Gallery, Firestone Library on the Princeton University campus. The show focuses on the late American artist George Segal, who spent most of his creative life in nearby North Brunswick, N.J., and draws on materials that the George and Helen Segal Foundation donated to the Princeton University Library in 2009.
Renowned psychologist Bart Hoebel - who studied addiction, behavior - dies
Posted June 14, 2011; 09:43 a.m.
Bart Hoebel, a Princeton professor of psychology and the Princeton Neuroscience Institute who became internationally known for his research on food addiction, died of cancer Saturday, June 11, in Princeton. He was 76.
Researchers find new 'molecular motors' that bacteria use to transport proteins
Posted June 13, 2011; 02:00 p.m.
Joshua Shaevitz, an assistant professor from the Department of Physics and the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics at Princeton University, along with Mingzhai Sun, a postdoctoral associate at Princeton, and scientists from the Université Aix-Marseille in France, have discovered a new type of molecular machine used by bacteria for intracellular protein transport and gliding motility.
Princeton University holds 264th Commencement
Posted May 31, 2011; 01:37 p.m.
Princeton University awarded degrees to 1,202 undergraduates in the class of 2011, four from other classes and 815 graduate students at its 264th Commencement Tuesday, May 31.
Princeton awards six honorary degrees
Posted May 31, 2011; 01:30 p.m.
Princeton University awarded honorary degrees during Commencement exercises Tuesday, May 31, to six distinguished individuals for their contributions to athletics, human rights, clinical research, education, the humanities, the arts and the law: Henry "Hank" Aaron, baseball Hall-of-Famer; Geoffrey Canada, champion for children in Harlem; Susan Desmond-Hellmann, clinical researcher and chancellor of the University of California-San Francisco; Charles Gillispie, Princeton's Dayton Stockton Professor of History Emeritus; Judith Jamison, dancer and choreographer and artistic director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; and Princeton alumnus Robert Rawson Jr., legal expert and long-serving member of the University's Board of Trustees.
Four faculty members recognized for outstanding teaching
Posted May 31, 2011; 01:24 p.m.
Four Princeton faculty members received President's Awards for Distinguished Teaching at Commencement ceremonies Tuesday, May 31. They are: Anne Case, the Alexander Stewart 1886 Professor of Economics and Public Affairs; Hendrik Hartog, the Class of 1921 Bicentennial Professor in the History of American Law and Liberty; Alexander Nehamas, the Edmund N. Carpenter II Class of 1943 Professor in the Humanities and professor of philosophy and comparative literature; and Daniel Oppenheimer, associate professor of psychology and public affairs.
2011 President's Commencement Address
Posted May 31, 2011; 01:14 p.m.
2011 Commencement Address delivered by President Shirley M. Tilghman
2011 Valedictory Oration
Posted May 31, 2011; 01:11 p.m.
2011 Valedictory Oration delivered by John Pardon
2011 Latin Salutatory Oration
Posted May 31, 2011; 01:09 p.m.
2011 Latin Salutatory Oration delivered by Veronica Shi
2011 Class Day Remarks
Posted May 30, 2011; 07:30 p.m.
2011 Class Day remarks by Brooke Shields
Students recognized for achievement and leadership at Class Day
Posted May 30, 2011; 07:25 a.m.
Members of Princeton's class of 2011 gathered on Cannon Green Monday, May 30, to celebrate the conclusion of their undergraduate careers in a Class Day ceremony honoring their accomplishments and service.
Princeton's class of 1976 gives dorm to Butler College
Posted May 27, 2011; 02:13 p.m.
Princeton's class of 1976 is celebrating its 35th reunion by naming a dormitory in Butler College. Class of 1976 Hall is the fifth dorm to be named in the complex, whose reconstruction completed the University's launch of its four-year residential college system. The class of 1976 is dedicating the dorm during a private ceremony during Reunions, which takes place Thursday through Sunday, May 26-29, on campus.
Princeton honors exceptional secondary school teachers
Posted May 26, 2011; 10:20 a.m.
Princeton University will honor four exceptional New Jersey secondary school teachers at its 2011 Commencement on Tuesday, May 31. This year's honorees are Kathleen Chesmel, New Egypt High School, New Egypt; Robert Downes, Mountain Lakes High School, Mountain Lakes; Rachel Grygiel, Hoboken High School, Hoboken; and Donata Nicholas, East Orange Campus High School, East Orange.
Princeton institute to support new project on politics of global climate change
Posted May 18, 2011; 02:53 p.m.
A proposal from an interdisciplinary group of Princeton faculty has been selected by the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies (PIIRS) executive committee to become the first PIIRS research community to receive funding under an initiative announced earlier this year. The research community, "Communicating Uncertainty: Science, Institutions and Ethics in the Politics of Global Climate Change," is composed of 16 faculty members representing nine departments and three programs or projects and is poised to establish Princeton University as a leader in this developing field.
Princeton University Commencement to be held May 31
Posted May 16, 2011; 06:02 p.m.
Members of the news media who wish to attend any of Princeton University's 2011 graduation ceremonies Sunday through Tuesday, May 29-31, must contact the University's Office of Communications no later than 12 p.m. Monday, May 23, to request credentials.
Report: Direct removal of carbon dioxide from air likely not viable
Posted May 9, 2011; 12:40 p.m.
Technologies for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere are unlikely to offer an economically feasible way to slow human-driven climate change for several decades, according to a report issued by the American Physical Society and led by Princeton engineer Robert Socolow. The report "Direct Air Capture of CO2 with Chemicals," was issued by a committee of 13 experts co-chaired by Socolow and Michael Desmond, a chemist at BP.
NJ Gov. Christie to speak May 20 at Princeton University
Posted May 5, 2011; 10:18 a.m.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will deliver a policy address at 5:45 p.m. Friday, May 20, in McCosh Hall, Room 50, on the Princeton University campus. The talk is free and open to the public, but tickets are required for entry. The address is sponsored by Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and Center for Economic Policy Studies.
Graduate School applications continue to rise--UPDATE
Posted May 4, 2011; 09:35 a.m.
Princeton University's Graduate School admitted 1,197 of the 11,689 applicants who applied for the 2011-12 academic year, with strong interest from international students, the school's global reputation and its robust financial aid program contributing to a continued increase in applications.
Advisory: Princeton faculty experts on Osama bin Laden's death
Posted May 2, 2011; 12:44 p.m.
The Princeton University faculty below may be resources for news media seeking expertise on issues related to terrorism, the Middle East and national security following the death of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who was killed by U.S. military forces in Pakistan on May 1, 2011, according to a White House announcement.
Empty space in jammed materials explains exotic universal structural features
Posted April 29, 2011; 01:19 p.m.
Salvatore Torquato, a professor in the Department of Chemistry and the Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials at Princeton University, in collaboration with a team of researchers has uncovered universal features in the structures of jammed materials, suggesting a unified method to analyze disparate systems. The findings have implications for research in the areas of quantum systems and cosmology. Their work appears in the April 29 online edition of Physical Review Letters.
Marsh selected as deputy dean of the college
Posted April 27, 2011; 01:00 p.m.
Clayton Marsh, University counsel since 2002, has been named deputy dean of the college at Princeton University, effective July 1. Marsh will succeed Peter Quimby, who is leaving Princeton to become the head of the Governor's Academy in Massachusetts.
Gift establishes Julis-Rabinowitz Center for Public Policy and Finance at Princeton
Posted April 11, 2011; 11:00 a.m.
Investment executive Mitch Julis, a member of Princeton's class of 1977, has made a substantial gift to create the Julis-Rabinowitz Center for Public Policy and Finance at the University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Research and teaching at the center will focus on using in-depth knowledge of financial markets to improve the design and implementation of public policies.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan to deliver policy address
Posted April 7, 2011; 11:24 a.m.
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is scheduled to deliver a speech about the importance of investing in education to enrich American society and the nation’s economy at 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 20, in Richardson Auditorium, Alexander Hall. The talk is free and open to the public, but tickets are required for entry. The event is sponsored by Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.
Legal scholar Yochai Benkler to deliver Bernstein Lecture April 12
Posted April 6, 2011; 10:00 a.m.
Princeton University will host a public appearance by Yochai Benkler, the Berkman Professor of Entrepreneurial Legal Studies at Harvard Law School, at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 12, in McCormick Hall, Room 101. Benkler will deliver the 7th Annual Donald S. Bernstein '75 Lecture, titled "Degrees of Freedom."
Princeton makes offers to 8.39 percent of applicants in record admission cycle
Posted March 30, 2011; 12:00 p.m.
Princeton University has offered admission to 2,282 students, or 8.39 percent of the record 27,189 applicants for the class of 2015 in what may be the most selective admission process in the University's history. This compares with Princeton's final admission rates of 8.8 percent for the class of 2014 and 10.1 percent for the class of 2013.
Presidential committee makes recommendations to strengthen student leadership
Posted March 21, 2011; 06:00 a.m.
A presidential committee at Princeton University has issued a report finding that, while women undergraduates are providing leadership in many organizations across campus, they have been less prominently visible in some major campus posts in the last 10 years than they were in the earlier years of coeducation.
Aging rates similar across primates, study finds
Posted March 14, 2011; 03:15 p.m.
Members of a research team that included Princeton's Jeanne Altmann, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology emeritus, led by scientists from Duke University and Iowa State University, and brought together by the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent) says the team has conducted the first-ever multi-species comparison of human aging patterns against those in wild chimps, gorillas and other primates, and their findings suggest that the human data on aging falls within the primate continuum. The findings were published in the March 11 issue of the journal Science.
Study finds that learning language goes beyond imitation
Posted March 11, 2011; 02:00 p.m.
In a language study exploring how people learn correct word use, researchers at Princeton University and the University of Illinois found that language learning goes well beyond simple imitation, and is in fact creative.
Quantum engineers remove roadblock in developing next-generation technologies
Posted March 8, 2011; 02:00 p.m.
Alireza Shabani, a postdoctoral research associate in chemistry at Princeton University, and an international team of scientists have removed a major obstacle in the quest to engineer quantum systems that will play a major role in the computers, communication networks and biomedical devices of the future. Through a method known as compressive sensing, the researchers say they could drastically simplify the measurement of quantum systems.
Katz, Oates awarded National Humanities Medal
Posted March 2, 2011; 02:45 p.m.
Princeton University professors Stanley Katz, a well-known scholar of American legal history and educational institutions, and Joyce Carol Oates, one of the country's most influential authors of fiction and essays, have been awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Barack Obama.
Researchers develop improved method to visualize biologic molecules, reinstate classic model
Posted March 1, 2011; 05:00 p.m.
Princeton researchers have developed a new method to better understand how an embryo's basic molecular makeup helps ensure that the embryo's development occurs reliably every time. A team led by Thomas Gregor, an assistant professor of physics and the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics at Princeton University, and Shawn Little, a visiting postdoctoral research associate in the laboratory of Professor Eric Wieschaus in the Department of Molecular Biology at Princeton, has published in the March 1 issue of the journal PLoS Biology results of research into the fruit fly Drosophila that introduces a method for making precise measurements of biologic units (so-called mRNA molecules) that play a key role in development.
Financial politics and regulatory reform is subject of March 9 lecture
Posted March 1, 2011; 02:41 p.m.
Daniel Carpenter, the Allie S. Freed Professor of Government and director of the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard University, will speak on "The Contest of Lobbies and Disciplines: Financial Politics and Regulatory Reform in the Obama Administration" at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 9, 2011, in Burr Hall, Room 216, at Princeton University.
Princeton University to hold conference on prisons and race
Posted March 1, 2011; 10:38 a.m.
The Center for African American Studies at Princeton University is hosting a conference on “Imprisonment of a Race” from 10:30 a.m. through 6:15 p.m. on Friday, March 25, in McCosh Hall, Room 10, on the Princeton University campus. The conference is free and open to the public, but online registration is required.
Exporting forms of religious governance is subject of March 8 lecture
Posted February 28, 2011; 12:11 p.m.
Elizabeth Shakman Hurd, an assistant professor of political science at Northwestern University and a 2010-11 visiting fellow at Princeton University, will speak on "The Presidency of Religious Affairs" at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 8, in Robertson Hall, Room 1, at Princeton University.
Princeton to reinstate early admission program
Posted February 24, 2011; 11:15 a.m.
Princeton University will reinstate an early admission program, beginning next year with the class that will enter Princeton in September 2012. The single-choice early action program will require applicants to apply early only to Princeton, but will not require them to decide whether to accept Princeton's offer until the end of the regular admission process.
Canadian Supreme Court justice to deliver Harlan Lecture
Posted February 24, 2011; 10:00 a.m.
Princeton University will host a public appearance by Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella of the Supreme Court of Canada at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, March 3, in Dodds Auditorium, Robertson Hall. Abella will deliver this year's John Marshall Harlan '20 Lecture in Constitutional Adjudication, titled "Global Justice: The Power and the Pity." In her remarks, Abella will explore the relationship between international law, democracy and global policy in enforcing human rights objectives, and address the question, Is international law doing its job in the area of human rights?
Gift to name Yoseloff Hall in Butler College
Posted February 23, 2011; 11:00 a.m.
A gift from Anthony A. Yoseloff, a member of Princeton's class of 1996, and his wife, Nanar, will name a dormitory in Butler College. Yoseloff Hall is the fourth named dormitory in Butler College, whose redesign was the culminating effort in the University's launch of its four-year residential college system, and an innovative example of environmentally sustainable construction.
Keynesianism during the current economic crisis is subject of lecture
Posted February 21, 2011; 12:00 a.m.
Henry Farrell, an associate professor of political science at George Washington University, will speak on "Networks and Ideational Power: The Rise and Decline of Keynesianism During the Economic Crisis" on Thursday, March 3, 2011, at 4:30 p.m. in Burr Hall, Room 216, at Princeton University.
China's revolutionary tradition is focus of lecture
Posted February 18, 2011; 12:00 a.m.
Elizabeth J. Perry, the Henry Rosovsky Professor of Government at Harvard University and the director of the Harvard-Yenching Institute, will speak on "Anyuan: Mining China's Revolutionary Tradition" on Wednesday, March 2, 2011, at 4:30 p.m., in Burr Hall, Room 216, at Princeton University.
Eva Bellin to speak on 'Jasmine Revolution' Feb. 21
Posted February 14, 2011; 02:47 p.m.
Eva Bellin, the Myra and Robert Kraft Professor of Arab Politics at Brandeis University, will speak on "People Power and the Possibilities of Democratization in the Middle East: Lessons From the Jasmine Revolution" at 4:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 21, 2011, in Burr Hall, Room 219, at Princeton University.
Political scientist Mervat Hatem to discuss Islamic feminism
Posted February 9, 2011; 04:47 p.m.
The Workshop on Arab Political Development, sponsored by the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies, will begin its spring speaker series with a talk by Mervat Hatem on "Islamic Feminism in Global and Regional Contexts" on Tuesday, Feb. 15, at 4:30 p.m. Robertson Hall, Room 2, on the Princeton University campus.
Bill Ford '79 to speak on auto industry
Posted February 8, 2011; 02:33 p.m.
Ford Motor Company Executive Chairman William Clay Ford Jr., a 1979 alumnus, will share his insights in "The Auto Industry: From Recovery to Revolution," this year's G. S. Beckwith Gilbert '63 Lecture, at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15, on the University campus.
Scientists discover mechanism involved in breast cancer's spread to bone
Posted February 3, 2011; 12:00 p.m.
In a discovery that may lead to a new treatment for breast cancer that has spread to the bone, a Princeton University research team has unraveled a mystery about how these tumors take root. What the Princeton research has uncovered is the exact mechanism that lets traveling tumor cells disrupt normal bone growth.
Princeton to install powerful solar collector field
Posted February 2, 2011; 10:00 a.m.
Princeton University will become a leader in American higher education in solar energy when it installs a 5.3-megawatt solar collector field on 27 acres it owns in West Windsor Township. The system, comprising 16,500 photovoltaic panels, is expected to be one of the largest single installations at a U.S. college or university.
Famed composer, music scholar Milton Babbitt dies
Posted January 31, 2011; 08:00 p.m.
Milton Babbitt, a famed composer and Princeton University music professor whose mathematical expertise guided his creation of complex, modernist soundscapes that influenced generations of artists and scholars, died Jan. 29 of natural causes at the University Medical Center at Princeton. He was 94.
Filmmaker Kobina Aidoo will screen and discuss his work
Posted January 27, 2011; 11:08 a.m.
Filmmaker Kobina Aidoo will screen and discuss his documentary, "The Neo-African Americans," at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 2, at the University's Fields Center located at 58 Prospect Ave. The event is free and open to the public.
Cyril Black International Book Forum to focus on the future of the dollar
Posted January 24, 2011; 10:09 a.m.
The role of the dollar and the future of global currency is the subject of the Cyril Black International Book Forum to be held from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 7, 2011, in Robertson Hall, Room 16, at Princeton University. This year’s event features Barry Eichengreen, whose latest book, "Exorbitant Privilege: The Rise and Fall of the Dollar and the Future of the International Monetary System," was released in December.
Princeton trustees approve lowest fee package increase in 45 years
Posted January 24, 2011; 10:00 a.m.
Princeton University trustees Jan. 22 approved the lowest increase in undergraduate tuition and fees in 45 years -- 1 percent -- in recognition of the challenging economic environment that continues to affect students and their families.
Princeton sets applications record for seventh year in a row
Posted January 19, 2011; 09:00 a.m.
Princeton University for the seventh consecutive year has set a record for students applying for admission, receiving 27,115 applications for the class of 2015. Over the past seven years, the University's applicant pool has increased 98 percent.
Robert Judson Clark, father of Arts and Crafts revival, dies
Posted January 12, 2011; 06:16 p.m.
Robert Judson Clark, a Princeton professor emeritus of art and archaeology who was considered the father of the Arts and Crafts revival, died Tuesday, Jan. 4, at home in Lafayette, Calif., after a lengthy illness. He was 73.
University to celebrate King's legacy
Posted January 10, 2011; 01:35 p.m.
Princeton University will commemorate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with its annual King Day celebration Monday, Jan. 17, in Richardson Auditorium of Alexander Hall. Doors open at 1 p.m. The keynote address will be delivered by Van Jones, an environmental activist, social entrepreneur and former White House adviser who is a visiting fellow at Princeton.
Princeton scientists construct synthetic proteins that sustain life
Posted January 6, 2011; 11:45 a.m.
In a groundbreaking achievement that could help scientists "build" new biological systems, Princeton University scientists have constructed for the first time artificial proteins that enable the growth of living cells.
Inaugural Schmidt Fund awards enable innovative explorations in sensors and electronics
Posted December 17, 2010; 03:00 p.m.
A project that could enable the development of revolutionary electronics and a separate project that could dramatically improve diabetes monitoring and treatment are the first two research efforts to be supported at Princeton University from the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Transformative Technology Fund. Google CEO and Princeton alumnus Eric Schmidt and his wife, Wendy, created the $25 million endowment fund at Princeton in 2009.
Valerie Smith named Princeton's dean of the college
Posted December 14, 2010; 04:00 p.m.
Valerie Smith, a distinguished scholar of literature who led a major expansion of Princeton's interdisciplinary Center for African American Studies, has been named the University's next dean of the college.
Sociologist Keller, Princeton's first tenured female faculty member, dies
Posted December 14, 2010; 02:37 p.m.
Sociologist Suzanne Keller, who conducted pioneering research on elite life and on community in America, and was the first woman to earn a tenured faculty position at Princeton University, died of a stroke Dec. 9 at Mercy Hospital in Miami. She was ...
Scientists find gene linked to congenital heart defect
Posted December 5, 2010; 01:00 p.m.
A gene that can cause congenital heart defects has been identified by a team of scientists, including a group from Princeton University. The discovery could lead to new treatments for those affected by the conditions brought on by the birth defect.
Noted literary theorist and blogger Stanley Fish to deliver public lecture
Posted December 3, 2010; 10:00 a.m.
Stanley Fish, the well-known literary theorist whose theories of interpretation became standard fare in law schools, will deliver a public lecture at Princeton University on at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9, in Lewis Library, Room 120. He will be speaking about his new book "The Fugitive in Flight: Faith, Liberalism and Law in a Classic TV Show" (University of Pennsylvania Press, November 2010).
Princeton's phone app provides mobile resource
Posted December 1, 2010; 01:07 p.m.
Students and visitors to Princeton's campus looking for everything from course schedules to University news and events can finally say there's an app for that. Princeton's Office of Information Technology (OIT) has launched iPrinceton, a free smartphone mobile application that comprises a diverse suite of 10 interactive features
Nelson wins Marshall Scholarship
Posted November 30, 2010; 10:30 a.m.
Princeton alumnus John Nelson is one of 31 American college students awarded 2011 Marshall Scholarships. The Marshall Scholarship covers the cost of living and studying at a British university of the recipient's choice for two or three years.
University programs participate in launch of Trenton Mural Arts Project
Posted November 19, 2010; 11:00 a.m.
The University's Center for African American Studies, Lewis Center for the Arts and Pace Center for Civic Engagement have been collaborating with the city of Trenton and several community groups to help launch the Trenton Mural Arts Project, a volunteer-based organization that hopes to establish a vibrant mural arts program in the city.
Carbon Mitigation Initiative receives $11 million through extended partnership with BP
Posted November 18, 2010; 09:00 a.m.
In a continuing research partnership to identify ways to tackle the world's climate problem, Princeton’s Carbon Mitigation Initiative (CMI) has received a commitment of $11 million from BP as part of an extension of their partnership first announced in October 2008.
Linking geometric problems to physics could open door to new solutions
Posted November 16, 2010; 03:13 p.m.
A Princeton scientist with an interdisciplinary bent has taken two well-known problems in mathematics and reformulated them as a physics question, offering new tools to solve challenges relevant to a host of subjects ranging from improving data compression to detecting gravitational waves.
Princeton continues significant progress toward sustainability goals
Posted November 15, 2010; 10:00 a.m.
For the second consecutive year since adopting a Sustainability Plan, Princeton University's on-campus greenhouse gas emissions have decreased. Last year, emissions declined for the first time since the University's energy-efficient cogeneration plant was installed in 1996 by a modest amount at nearly 1 percent. Emissions are now down by 2.5 percent since 2008, despite the addition of more than 360,000 square feet of building space.
Houck, Shaevitz receive presidential awards
Posted November 8, 2010; 02:32 p.m.
U.S. President Barack Obama has named Princeton's Andrew Houck and Joshua Shaevitz as recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the federal government on young professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers.
New study finds common brain organization among disparate mammals
Posted November 8, 2010; 11:36 a.m.
Matthias Kaschube, a lecturer in physics and the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics at Princeton University, has published in the Nov. 4 online edition of Science Express results of research into the factors determining development of the brain's neural circuits.
Exhibition shows 'Fauntleroy' manuscript, complete again after nearly 100 years
Posted November 3, 2010; 11:23 a.m.
Author Frances Hodgson Burnett's full manuscript of "Little Lord Fauntleroy" -- reunited for the first time in nearly a century -- will be part of an exhibition opening Monday, Nov. 15, in the Main Gallery at Princeton University's Firestone Library.
Diwali festival will be celebrated in University Chapel
Posted November 2, 2010; 02:17 p.m.
The Hindu festival of Diwali will be marked with a celebration and worship service at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13, in the Princeton University Chapel. The event is free and open to the public.
Rebecca D. Cox '89 to speak about students' college success Nov. 18
Posted November 1, 2010; 10:49 a.m.
The McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning will present a lecture by Professor Rebecca D. Cox '89 at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18, in the Frist Campus Center, Room 302, on the campus of Princeton University. The subject of Cox's talk will be her book "The College Fear Factor: How Students and Professors Misunderstand Each Other," which centers on a discussion about how the traditional college culture can actually pose obstacles to students' success and suggests strategies for effectively explaining academic expectations.
Wild Scottish sheep could help explain differences in immunity
Posted October 28, 2010; 02:00 p.m.
Strong immunity may play a key role in determining long life, but may do so at the expense of reduced fertility, a Princeton University study has concluded.
University to showcase green initiatives at Sustainability Open House
Posted October 22, 2010; 02:35 p.m.
The latest campus and local community green initiatives will be showcased at Princeton University's Sustainability Open House from 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16, in Chancellor Green.
Genetics work could lead to advances in fertility for women
Posted October 22, 2010; 10:11 a.m.
Princeton scientists have identified genes responsible for controlling reproductive life span in worms and found they may control genes regulating similar functions in humans.
Wake-up call: Researchers find sleepy fibroblasts are surprisingly lively
Posted October 19, 2010; 05:00 p.m.
After years of research, a team of Princeton University scientists has discovered that cells known as fibroblasts when in "sleep" mode are working much harder than previously thought to fend off destructive chemicals. The findings of a new study suggest that other cells may be similarly misunderstood and more important to the human body's longevity than scientists have realized.
William Powers '79 to speak on capital markets
Posted October 14, 2010; 11:23 a.m.
Investor and philanthropist William C. Powers, a 1979 Princeton University alumnus, will share his insights in "A Tiger's Journey Through the Capital Markets 1983-2010," this year's G. S. Beckwith Gilbert '63 Lecture, at 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 21, on the University campus.
'Holocaust in Poland' conference at Princeton, Oct. 29-30
Posted October 13, 2010; 05:21 p.m.
A two-day conference, "The Holocaust in Poland: New Findings and New Interpretations," will be held Friday and Saturday Oct. 29-30 at Princeton University's Burr Hall, Room 219.
'Law@Princeton' conference recognizes LAPA'S 10th anniversary, Oct. 21-23
Posted October 13, 2010; 05:07 p.m.
The Program in Law and Public Affairs at Princeton University will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a major public conference titled "Law@Princeton." Beginning with a keynote address by Provost Christopher Eisgruber on at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 21 in McCormick Hall, Room 101, the conference will continue all day Friday and much of Saturday, Oct. 22 and 23, in Robertson Hall. It will include 12 panel discussions featuring more than 50 distinguished scholars from around the world who have been fellows at LAPA since its founding.
Princeton Distinguished Visitor Vargas Llosa wins Nobel in literature -- UPDATED 11:06 A.M.
Posted October 7, 2010; 07:47 a.m.
Acclaimed Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa, who is spending this semester as the 2010 Distinguished Visitor in Princeton University's Program in Latin American Studies, has been awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in literature. He also is a visiting lecturer in Princeton's Program in Creative Writing and the Lewis Center for the Arts.
Activist and scholar Ibrahim to discuss Arab dissidents Oct. 12
Posted October 6, 2010; 11:03 a.m.
Saad Eddin Ibrahim, an internationally renowned political activist and scholar, will speak at Princeton University at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 12, 2010, in Robertson Hall, Room 1. The lecture, "The Angst of Arab Dissidents," is the inaugural event of the University's Workshop in Arab Political Development, directed by Amaney Jamal.
Social entrepreneur Strickland to speak at Princeton Oct. 12
Posted October 6, 2010; 10:51 a.m.
Bill Strickland, social entrepreneur and a 1996 winner of the MacArthur Fellowship, will give a lecture titled "Make the Impossible Possible" at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 12, in Friend Center, Room 101.
Alice Waters to speak at Princeton Oct. 14
Posted October 6, 2010; 10:32 a.m.
Alice Waters, champion of sustainability and locally-grown fresh ingredients, will speak at Princeton University as the Belknap Visitor in the Humanities at 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 14, 2010, in McCosh Hall, Room 50. This event is free and open to the public.
Activist and scholar Ibrahim to discuss Arab dissidents Oct. 12
Posted October 6, 2010; 12:00 a.m.
Saad Eddin Ibrahim, an internationally renowned political activist and scholar, will speak at Princeton University at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 12, 2010, in Robertson Hall, Room 1. The lecture, "The Angst of Arab Dissidents," is the inaugural event of the University's Workshop in Arab Political Development, directed by Amaney Jamal.
Best-selling author Mark Mathabane to speak Oct. 8
Posted September 29, 2010; 09:42 a.m.
South African writer Mark Mathabane, author of the best-selling autobiography "Kaffir Boy," will discuss his new novel, "The Proud Liberal," at 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 8, at the Carl A. Fields Center for Equality and Cultural Understanding, 58 Prospect Ave, on the Princeton University campus. The event is free and open to the public.
Princeton Ph.D. programs get high marks in national assessment
Posted September 28, 2010; 01:17 p.m.
The majority of Princeton University's Ph.D. programs evaluated in a national assessment of research colleges and universities released Sept. 28 ranked among the best in the country. Princeton was one of 212 research institutions that contributed data to the National Research Council (NRC) for its report, "An Assessment of Doctoral Programs in the United States," which was developed as a new national resource on graduate education.
Authors of 'Second Sex' translation to speak Oct. 6
Posted September 28, 2010; 11:28 a.m.
Constance Borde and Sheila Malovany-Chevallier, translators of the new and unabridged version of Simone de Beauvoir's "The Second Sex," will speak at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 6, in Burr Hall, Room 219, on the Princeton University campus. The event is free and open to the public.
Conference to feature dialogue on abortion
Posted September 22, 2010; 05:11 p.m.
An unprecedented meeting for 450 people involved on all sides of the abortion debate will take place Friday and Saturday, Oct. 15-16, where ideas will be exchanged with 45 top scholars, lawyers and abortion policy experts and vigorous but civil discussion and debate will be engaged on the current controversies in abortion.
Video simulations of real earthquakes made available to worldwide network
Posted September 22, 2010; 01:36 p.m.
A Princeton University-led research team has developed the capability to produce realistic movies of earthquakes based on complex computer simulations that can be made available worldwide within hours of a disastrous upheaval.
3-D computer simulations help envision supernovae explosions
Posted September 16, 2010; 12:00 p.m.
A Princeton-led team has found a way to make computer simulations of supernovae exploding in three dimensions, which may lead to new scientific insights.
Former White House advisor Van Jones will speak at Princeton, Sept. 27
Posted September 15, 2010; 10:58 a.m.
Former White House advisor Van Jones will give a lecture titled "Beyond Green Jobs: The Next American Economy and The Politics of Hope" at 4:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 27, in McCosh Hall, Room 50, on the Princeton University campus. The talk is free and open to the public.
Preparations begin for construction of graduate student housing at Hibben-Magie
Posted September 15, 2010; 10:00 a.m.
Princeton University has selected American Campus Communities (ACC) to assist with preparations associated with the redevelopment of the Hibben-Magie site for graduate student housing.
Emily Carter, prominent scientist and engineer, selected to lead Andlinger Center
Posted September 13, 2010; 10:00 a.m.
Emily Carter, a Princeton professor of engineering and applied mathematics, and eminent physical chemist, has been appointed the founding director of the University's Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment.
Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke to give lecture Sept. 24--UPDATED
Posted September 10, 2010; 02:28 p.m.
Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke will give a public lecture at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24, in Alexander Hall's Richardson Auditorium on the Princeton University campus. The event is free, but tickets are required for entry. UPDATE: Advance tickets are no longer available following the first two days of ticket distribution. There will be open admission for any unfilled seats shortly before the event begins on Sept. 24. Individuals without tickets who wish to attend the lecture are encouraged to wait in line outside Richardson Auditorium beginning at 3:30 p.m. for open admission.
Malkiel to step down as dean of the college
Posted September 8, 2010; 04:00 p.m.
Nancy Weiss Malkiel, the longest-serving dean of the college and the second longest-serving dean in Princeton's history, will step down from that position at the end of this academic year.
Princeton NCAA violation arises from alumnus' aid to family friend
Posted September 8, 2010; 03:00 p.m.
Princeton University officials had mixed reactions to a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) ruling on Sept. 8 of a "major violation" in the case of an alumnus who helped pay the educational expenses of a family friend on the women's tennis team. The officials expressed appreciation for the NCAA's recognition of the limited nature of the case and the University's efforts to uncover and report the violation, which resulted in only minimal penalties. But the University believes that because of the isolated and inadvertent nature of the infraction, it should have been considered a secondary rather than a major violation.
Elements of new Frick lab join to create 'best infrastructure' for chemistry
Posted September 8, 2010; 12:00 p.m.
Gazing skyward from the first floor of the four-story atrium, visitors to Princeton University's newly completed Frick Chemistry Laboratory observe reflections of light playing with shadow.
Sculpture in chemistry lab bonds science and art
Posted September 2, 2010; 12:00 p.m.
Kendall Buster has delved into art and science over the course of her career. The work she created for Princeton University's new Frick Chemistry Laboratory has emerged from both of her worlds.
Money worth looking at! Exhibit of paper money at Princeton University
Posted August 24, 2010; 12:00 p.m.
Paper money will become works of art in the Princeton University Library exhibit "Money on Paper: Bank Notes and Related Graphic Arts from the Collections of Vsevolod Onyshkevych and Princeton University," starting Monday, Aug. 30. Currency from the University's Numismatic Collection will be on view in the Leonard Milberg Gallery for the Graphic Arts at Firestone Library on the Princeton campus.
Possible discovery of earliest animal life pushes back fossil record
Posted August 17, 2010; 01:00 p.m.
In findings that push back the clock on the scientific world's thinking about when animal life appeared on Earth, Princeton scientists may have discovered the oldest fossils of animal bodies, suggesting that primitive sponge-like creatures were living in ocean reefs about 650 million years ago. The shelly fossils, found beneath a 635 million-year-old glacial deposit in South Australia, represent the earliest evidence of animal body forms in the current fossil record by at least 70 million years.
Princeton-led team comes up with new insights on malaria cycle
Posted August 5, 2010; 04:25 p.m.
Manuel Llinás, an assistant professor of molecular biology and the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics at Princeton University, and members of his laboratory have published results of new research into the metabolism of the malarial parasite, published on Thursday, Aug. 5 in Nature.
Princeton-led team finds new building block in cells
Posted August 5, 2010; 01:00 p.m.
Zemer Gitai, an assistant professor of molecular biology at Princeton University, members of his laboratory, and scientists from the California Institute of Technology have published results in Nature Cell Biology of new research into how a metabolic enzyme in bacteria forms cytoplasmic filaments that affect bacterial cell shape. The study was published online July 18.
Robert Tucker, renowned Soviet expert and Stalin biographer, dies
Posted August 3, 2010; 09:53 a.m.
Robert Tucker, a Princeton University professor emeritus of politics who was an authority on the Soviet Union, Josef Stalin and Marxism, died July 29 of pneumonia at his home in Princeton, N.J. He was 92.
Princeton study links climate change, crop yields and cross-border migration
Posted July 26, 2010; 06:33 p.m.
Climate change is expected to cause mass human migration, including immigration across international borders, according to a new study by three Princeton University professors and researchers. The researchers -- all from the University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs -- examined the linkages between variations in climate, agricultural yields and people's migration responses.
Redundant genetic instructions in 'junk DNA' support healthy development
Posted July 22, 2010; 09:00 a.m.
Seemingly redundant portions of the fruit fly genome may not be so redundant after all. New findings from a Princeton-led team of researchers suggest that repeated instructional regions in the flies' DNA may contribute to normal development under less-than-ideal growth conditions by making sure that genes are turned on and off at the appropriate times. If similar regions are found in humans, they may hold important clues to understanding developmental disorders.
Princeton scientists find unusual electrons that go with the flow
Posted July 14, 2010; 01:00 p.m.
On a quest to discover new states of matter, a team of Princeton University scientists has found that electrons on the surface of specific materials act like miniature superheroes, relentlessly dodging the cliff-like obstacles of imperfect microsurfaces, sometimes moving straight through barriers.
Norman Ryder, renowned demographer and leader in fertility studies, dies
Posted July 12, 2010; 01:30 p.m.
Norman Ryder, a professor emeritus of sociology at Princeton University who conducted pioneering studies of fertility in the United States, died of a brain hemorrhage June 30 at the University Medical Center at Princeton. He was 86.
Marvin Bressler, sociologist, education pioneer and mentor, dies
Posted July 9, 2010; 12:42 p.m.
Marvin Bressler, a sociologist specializing in higher education who helped shape undergraduate life at Princeton since the 1960s, died July 7 of complications of heart failure at the Stonebridge at Montgomery retirement community in Skillman, N.J. He was 87.
Princeton's Annual Giving campaign raises $48.6 million
Posted July 7, 2010; 04:06 p.m.
Princeton University's 2009-10 Annual Giving campaign raised $48,582,819 -- the third highest total in its history -- with 60.8 percent of undergraduate alumni participating. The results are notable for their strength and breadth across all of Princeton’s constituencies: undergraduate alumni, graduate alumni, parents and friends.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Global glaciation snowballed into giant change in carbon cycle
Posted April 30, 2010; 03:03 p.m.
For insight into what can happen when the Earth's carbon cycle is altered -- a cause and consequence of climate change -- scientists can look to an event that occurred some 720 million years ago.
Professor Cornel West to receive social justice award
Posted April 27, 2010; 08:21 a.m.
Princeton Professor Cornel West will receive the inaugural Fields Memorial Award for Social Justice at a reception at 4 p.m. Wednesday, May 5, at 58 Prospect Ave., Room 104, on the Princeton University campus. The event is open to the public, but requires an RSVP.
'Beyond Obama' panel to discuss black political leadership in America
Posted April 22, 2010; 11:32 p.m.
A panel discussion titled "Beyond Obama: Rethinking Black Political Leadership in America" is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 29, at 58 Prospect Ave., Room 105, on the Princeton University campus. The event is free and open to the public.
Leading constitutional scholar Walter Murphy dies at age 80
Posted April 22, 2010; 12:25 p.m.
Walter F. Murphy, a groundbreaking constitutional scholar at Princeton University, died April 20 in Charleston, S.C., of cancer. He was 80.
Noted constitutional scholar, blogger Jack Balkin to speak
Posted April 19, 2010; 12:00 p.m.
Jack Balkin, creator of the well-known blog Balkinization (http://balkin.blogspot.com/), will speak on “Fidelity and Flux: How We Build Our Constitution” at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 28, in Dodds Auditorium, Robertson Hall, on the Princeton University campus.
Genetic patterns rise from huge yeast samples
Posted April 14, 2010; 01:00 p.m.
Princeton University scientists have developed a new way to identify the hidden genetic material responsible for complex traits, a breakthrough they believe ultimately could lead to a deeper understanding of how multiple genes interact to produce everything from blue eyes to blood pressure problems.
University of Pennsylvania President Gutmann to speak about leadership - UPDATED
Posted April 14, 2010; 12:30 p.m.
The location of this event has changed from McCosh Hall, Room 50.
Amy Gutmann, president of the University of Pennsylvania and former Princeton provost, will present a lecture titled "Leading Universities in the 21st Century: Chances and Challenges" at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 29, in Thomas Laboratory, Room 3, on the Princeton University campus. The event is free and open to the public.
Birds of a feather don't always respond together to infection
Posted April 13, 2010; 12:00 p.m.
A Princeton University-led research team is the first to have documented that different populations of the same animal species respond differently with fever when fighting infection in the wild.
Founder of Slow Food movement Carlo Petrini will give lecture--CANCELED
Posted April 13, 2010; 11:47 a.m.
The founder and president of the Slow Food movement, Carlo Petrini, will give a lecture on his new book "Terra Madre - Forging a New Global Network of Sustainable Food Communities," at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 21, in McCosh Hall, Room 50, on the Princeton University campus. The talk is free and open to the public.
Princeton University Library acquires rare Ottoman atlas
Posted April 13, 2010; 10:12 a.m.
Princeton University Library's Department of Rare Books and Special Collections has acquired a rare Ottoman atlas, Cedid Atlas Tercümesi (New Atlas Translation), as part of its Historic Maps Collection.
Symposium focuses on Latinos in the United States
Posted April 8, 2010; 11:21 a.m.
A symposium to initiate discussion about the state of the Latino community in America will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 10, at the Friend Center on the Princeton University campus. The event is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required.
Cartoonist Henry Martin donates art, books
Posted April 7, 2010; 12:00 p.m.
The cartoonist Henry Martin, a 1948 graduate of Princeton University, has donated nearly 700 original drawings along with some of his humor books to the Princeton University Library. Martin worked as a cartoonist and illustrator for more than 50 years, publishing in The New Yorker, Punch, Ladies' Home Journal, The Saturday Evening Post, the Princeton Alumni Weekly and many other magazines.
Art and science collaboration produces work-in-progress on climate change
Posted April 6, 2010; 11:27 a.m.
In a collaboration melding art with science, climate researchers and other members of the Princeton University community have joined forces with The Civilians, an acclaimed investigative theater company, to help create a work-in-progress about global climate change that will be unveiled on campus Saturday, April 17.