Notebook - July 5, 2000

Hydrogen lost, hydrogen found
Scientists locate hot gas left over from the Big Bang

Billions of years ago, when the Big Bang boomed, vast amounts of hydrogen were created, and until recently scientists had not been able to find it.

Last spring, however, researchers at Princeton, using the Hubble Space Telescope, discovered the gas lurking between distant galaxies. The existence of the hydrogen had long been posited, and super-computer models developed by Princeton researcher Renyue Cen and professor Jeremiah Ostriker had predicted its location.

But it was Todd Tripp, a postdoctoral fellow and his collaborators, professor Edward Jenkins of Princeton and professor Blair Savage of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, who found it. The discovery confirms the predictions and provides more data about how the universe was formed and continues to form.

Finding the hydrogen was not as simple as pointing Hubble in the right direction. Hydrogen of intergalactic space, superheated to 360,000 degrees Fahrenheit, is invisible even to Hubble's powerful lenses. What Hubble detected was oxygen, which is easier to see under such hot conditions. Scientists know that for every atom of oxygen in space, there are more of hydrogen, so they used the oxygen to infer the amount of hydrogen.

Using Hubble's spectrograph, scientists were able to find the highly ionized oxygen, which was superimposed on light that shone from a distant quasar and was seen at ultraviolet wavelengths.-L.O.

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Faculty retirements

Six faculty members are transferring to emeritus status: Ahmet Cakmak *62 (operations research and financial engineering), James Irby (Romance languages and literatures), John Keaney (classics), Earl Miner (English and comparative litera-ture), Gananath Obeyesekere (anthropology), and P. James Peebles *62 (physics).

Cakmak came to Princeton as a graduate student in 1957 after earning his undergraduate degree in engineering in Turkey. He earned his Ph.D. in 1962 from Princeton in what was called the Department of Civil and Geological Engineering. He became an assistant professor in 1963, associate in 1969, and full professor in 1972. As a theoretician, Cakmak has made contributions to the mechanics of dissipative media, analytic methods in structural dynamics, transient flows of liquids through inhomogeneous media, seismic wave scattering and earthquake engineering. As a teacher, he was instrumental in shifting the department's educational emphasis from engineering practice to engineering science. The church of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is of particular interest to him; he contributed to efforts to protect the church and other ancient landmarks from earthquake damage and incorporated studies of the church and Byzantine architecture into freshman seminars. He plans to finish a book on Byzantine architecture.

Irby came to Princeton in 1959 as an instructor and became assistant professor in 1962, associate professor in 1967, and full professor in 1977. A founding member of the Program in Latin American Studies, he was its director from 1978 to 1981. Coeditor and translator of Jorge Luis Borges's Labyrinths: Stories and Other Writings, he has published articles on Borges, Onetti, Cortazar, Lezama Lima, and other Latin American writers. In retirement he plans to study his favorite poets, Cesar Vallejo, Gabriela Mistral, and José Lezama Lima.

Keaney joined the faculty in 1959 as an instructor, became assistant professor in 1963, associate in 1970, and full professor in 1975. Keaney has taught or taught in 40 courses, mostly undergraduate Greek language and literature, and is the author or editor of a number of books. His retirement plans include working on various Byzantine manuscripts in the Vatican Library.

Miner specializes in early modern English literature, classical Japanese literature, and comparative poetics. Miner, who studied at the University of Minnesota, was a member of the faculty of the University of California, Los Angeles, from 1955 to 1972. In 1974 he was named the Townsend Martin professor at Princeton. The author of several books, Miner received the Behrman Award for distinguished achievement in the humanities in 1993. In 1994 he received the Order of the Rising Sun from the Japanese government for his special contribution to Japanese literature. He plans to continue with his work on a new edition of Milton's Paradise Lost.

Obeyesekere came to Princeton in 1980 and has twice chaired the anthropology department. He taught many cours-es, including Buddhism and Society and Freud and Anthropology. A native of Sri Lanka, Obeyesekere taught at the University of Sri Lanka and at the University of California, San Diego before coming to Princeton. His current book will be called Imagining Karma: Ethical Transformation in Amerindian, Buddhist, and Greek Rebirth. He also plans to work on a field project in the remote areas of Sri Lanka, study-ing how hunting groups influenced Buddhist practices.

Peebles, Albert Einstein professor of science, is a theoretical cosmologist who has played a central role in the understanding of the evolution and structure of the universe. His studies of the evolution of matter in the earliest moments of the universe were critical in the establishment of the Big Bang theory as a widely accepted model. Among many other contributors, he cofounded the concept of an energy field that has since been dubbed quintessence. Peebles came to Princeton as a graduate student and earned his doctorate in 1962. He was a postdoctoral fellow for three years before joining the faculty. He received tenure in 1968. In addition to his many influential papers, Peebles has published four books and earned numerous prizes.

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Backhoes and bulldozers
New construction and renovations continue

 

As many alumni no doubt noticed at Reunions, the campus is awash in scaffolding, construction fences, sand piles, and other obstacles, as new buildings go up and old ones get refurbished.

The largest building and the one guaranteed to have a profound effect on campus life is the $50,000,000 Frist Campus Center. Still under construction this summer, it is expected to be fully operational in September. The formal dedication is planned for October 20, coinciding with the weekend of the Harvard football game.

The $25,000,000 Wallace Social Sciences building, next to Corwin, was opened this summer. It houses the sociology department, some of the Woodrow Wilson School, and the Office of Population Research.

Still under major construction is the Friend Center for Engineering Education, located along William Street next to the Computer Science building.

Nearing completion for fall occupancy are the renovated boathouse and the Shea Rowing Center and alterations to the Joseph Henry House, where the Humanities Council and the Society of Fellows in the Humanities will be located.

Other projects that have begun include the renovation of Dial Lodge to accommodate the Bendheim Center for Finance and renovations to the University Chapel.

Dorm renovations continue, with Blair expected to be ready this fall. (Patton was first and was in use this past academic year.) Little's renovation began in June. Dorm renovations include reconfiguring some of the bed spaces, replacing all systems-plumbing, heating, electrical, computer wiring-and adding sprinklers. Jon Hlafter '61 *63, director of physical planning, said that the university has been renovating about 150 bed spaces a year, but is going to accelerate that program by adding another "swing" dorm. Living-space construction and renovation is expected to settle down in about five years, after the new upperclass dorm is built, all the older dorms have been renewed, and the sixth residential college is complete.

Rafael Viñoly, who designed the football stadium, is the architect for the $45,000,000 Genomics Institute, which will start going up early next year on the ellipse planned for the north side of Poe and Pardee Fields. Scully Hall, the newest dorm, which opened in 1998, stands next to the Genomics building site.

Arguably, though, the most important construction is the new $10,000,000 parking garage south of New South, which will be complete at the end of the year; it will hold 740 cars, mostly for employees, but will be available to visitors for special occasions.

Projects that are slated but are in preliminary stages include the $11,000,000 McCarter Theatre addition and the $13,000,000 Marquand Art Library expansion.-L.O.

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Gerhard Andlinger '52 gives $25 million to university

In a move that sends Princeton's anniversary campaign over the $1 billion mark, Gerhard R. Andlinger '52, an investment banker, has given $25 million for new campus projects. Andlinger is the chairman and founder of Andlinger & Company, Inc., a private investment firm.

Andlinger, who grew up in Austria, in 1948 won an essay contest sponsored by the New York Herald Tribune and came to America. A year and a half later, he arrived at Princeton with a scholarship and $8 in cash. He earned an M.B.A. at Harvard and after serving in the U.S. Army began working at the consulting firm McKinsey & Co. He founded his company in 1977.

This is not Andlinger's first major gift to Princeton. In 1991 he established the Gerhard R. Andlinger '52 Professorship of Social Sciences, held by professor Robert J. Wuthnow.

Two of Andlinger's five children attended Princeton, Merrick '80 and Nicole '91.

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To our readers

This is the last issue of our publication year. Our next issue will be dated September 13.

PAW will continue to publish 17 issues each academic year and to record news of the alumni and to review without partiality the achievements and problems of the administration, faculty, and student body of the university.

Have a wonderful summer.

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Four appointed to tenured faculty

The Board of Trustees at its May 29 meeting appointed two members to the faculty: John Borneman, a professor of anthropology at Cornell, and economist Paul Krugman (see paw May 17). In addition, the board promoted two to the tenured position of associate professor: William Gleason in English and Molly Greene *93 in Near Eastern studies.

Borneman, who earned his Ph.D. at Harvard, studies culture and international order, authority and identification, narrative theory and ethnographic method, and political and legal anthropology. He is currently working on a study of race, architecture, and American literature.

Gleason (right) earned his doctorate at the University of California, Los Angeles, and was appointed to the faculty at Princeton in 1993. He has taught Culture and Society in the United States, Major American Writers, and The Literary Tradition from the 18th Century to the Present.

In 1993 Greene (right) earned her Ph.D. at Princeton and taught as a preceptor and instructor before becoming assistant professor. She most recently taught The Mediterranean: 16th to 20th Century. She is working on a study of the relationship between religion and commerce in the early modern Mediterranean, centered on the island of Malta in the 17th century.

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in brief

When people in the history department publish a book, they tape the book's dust jacket to the door of the faculty lounge. This year, it was apparent the department was headed for a banner year when it became difficult to find space for all the jackets that needed posting. In a typical year, six or seven book jackets share the space; this year there were 19. And what does a department do to celebrate the historic occasion? Have professor Tony Grafton organize a party at Micawber Books, on Nassau Street.

Kathryn Humphreys '81 appeared on the popular game show Who Wants To Be a Millionaire on May 30 and won $64,000. When paw asked if she would give any money to Princeton as a result of her winnings, Humphreys, a director of corporate and foundation relations in the university's development office, said, "I always give to Annual Giving."

Samantha Gingold '03, Alison Franklin '03, and a third student who used the name Sylvana Bonifacia, a name that does not appear in university records, were arrested on May 18 after a traffic stop by a local police officer. Gingold was charged with careless driving, exhibiting another person's driver's license, consumption of an alcoholic beverage in a motor vehicle, and possession of an alcoholic beverage while underage. She was also charged with hindering apprehension because she used the name of another person throughout the investigation. Bonifacia and Franklin, passengers in the car, were charged with consumption of an alcoholic beverage in a motor vehicle and possession of an alcoholic beverage while under age.

Andrew Cohen '00 was arrested May 16 at the Institute for Advanced Study and was charged with being under the influence of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of a controlled dangerous substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Three professors were elected to the National Academy of Sciences this year: Francis A. Dahlen, Jr., professor of geosciences; Simon A. Levin, professor of biology, and Alejandro Portes, professor of sociology.

An ongoing issue in the Princeton area relates to the possible construction of a highway, called the Millstone Bypass, that would run 2.3 miles from Princeton Junction along the Millstone River, cut through university land, and connect up with Washington Road near Lake Carnegie. Aside from possible environmental damage, the roadway would require cutting numerous elms lining Washington Road. For Reunions weekend, bypass opponents leaned mock headstones against the elms, alerting passersby that should the bypass go through as planned, the magnificent entrance to the university under the spreading arms of the elms would be gone. The most recent development is that the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation has granted Princeton Borough and Township consulting-party status with the Federal Highway Administration. For the time being, environmental studies are continuing.

The library has a new acquisition: The 185-year-old pamphlet "Questions and Counsel for the Students of Nassau-Hall (At Princeton in New Jersey) Who Hope that a Work of Saving Grace Has Been Wrought Upon Their Hearts." The pamphlet's publication coincided with a short-lived religious revival on campus. Among other admonishments, students are advised to "flee youthful lusts."

The nine-year-old Princeton in Beijing program came under attack this spring by the Chinese government for publishing course materials that government officials and some Chinese academics considered politically sensitive or that made China look bad. Professor C. P. Chou, director of Princeton in Beijing, rather than risk the existence of the program, complied with the government and supplied new materials. In The New York Times, Chou said, "The changes they wanted were extensive and not negotiable. It was basically a threat."

Anastacia Rohrman '99, who last year accepted salutatorian Tim Schmidt '99's very public marriage proposal during commencement exercises, is working at International Fuel Cells, in South Windsor, Connecticut, as an engineer; Schmidt is a law student at Yale. The couple plan to marry at the end of August in Minnesota and will settle midway between Hartford and New Haven.

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