Tilghman takes the reins as president

Shirley M. Caldwell Tilghman officially took the reins as Princeton University's 19th president today (June 15). She succeeds Harold T. Shapiro, who retired from the presidency following more than 13 years of service.

A member of the Princeton University faculty since 1986, Tilghman is an exceptional teacher and a world-renowned scholar and leader in the field of molecular biology. She was elected president at a special meeting May 5 of the Board of Trustees.

Tilghman joined the Princeton faculty as the Howard A. Prior Professor of the Life Sciences. In 1998 she took on additional responsibilities as the founding director of Princeton's multi-disciplinary Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics.

To read the full news release announcing Tilghman's appointment, click here .

To view the May 5 press conference, click here .

Contact: Marilyn Marks (609) 258-3601