Tilghman selected as first female Princeton president

Shirley Tilghman was named the 19th president of Princeton University by the board of trustees in a special meeting held Saturday morning in Nassau Hall.

Tilghman will be the first woman to hold the University's highest office and the first president not to hold a degree from Princeton in more than a century.

"It is a deep honor and privilege to be able to serve the University I love so much," Tilghman said during a press conference Saturday in the Nassau Hall Faculty Room, where she was elected by acclamation less than an hour earlier. "It is time for a woman president," she continued. "And I'm just excited that I have the privilege."

Tilghman, who is currently a University molecular biology professor and the director the genomics institute, will take office June 15 — nearly eight months after President Shapiro announced his intention to resign — becoming the second woman to lead an Ivy League institution.

Tilghman joins University of Pennsylvania President Judith Rodin, and Ruth Simmons becomes Brown University's president on July 1.

Tilghman's academic field, gender and education represent a change from the previously male, Princeton-graduate presidents — though like Shapiro, she hails from Canada.

"I cannot exaggerate how excited I and the board are to have her as our next president," trustee executive committee chair Robert Rawson '66 said. "Sometimes you look far and wide, and sometimes the best solution is here at home." Rawson also led the presidential search committee.

Tilghman has been a member of the University faculty for 15 years, teaching classes from advanced biology to freshman seminars. She graduated from Queens University in Canada and received her doctorate at Temple University. Included in her educational background are memberships in several distinguished scientific and administrative panels both at the University and across the country. Yet she said she feels a strong connection to the University "almost the same way a Princeton graduate does."

"I am proud to be a Princetonian," Tilghman said. "We strive for and achieve excellence in the student body, the faculty and staff — excellence in virtually everything we do. You can't help feeling proud of being a part of a place like that."

Tilghman may not carry a class year by her name, but she does boast a P '02 as the parent of a University junior, her daughter Rebecca.

Though she has not yet announced goals or an agenda for the coming years, Tilghman said she will spend the beginning of her tenure familiarizing herself with the Princeton community. "I am going to be for the next six months in what I call 'sponge mode,' which is sucking up as much information as I can about the job — and about the parts that I have had less exposure to," she said.

Tilghman may soon face the difficult decisions leadership brings as changes sweep through the University's campus and administration, but she will have the strong support of the board of trustees.

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"We have great respect for her and know she will be able to make the tough decisions," Rawson said. "She has been here for 15 years while most of us are only here for four. She has a feeling of the campus and knows what's best for Princeton."

The 19th president of the University will preside during the implementation of a 500-student increase in the student body, the construction of a new residential college and fund raising in a more difficult economic period. "We believe Dr. Tilghman will keep us on track," Rawson said. "We have opportunities and challenges that we have to confront. Complacency is not a part of our agenda."