President Tilghman was named to the board of trustees of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a prestigious research institution based in Washington, D.C., at the Endowment's meeting on Jan. 31. She will work alongside Bill Bradley '65 and other figures in politics, business and academia at the internationally focused organization.
"We were impressed by Ms. Tilghman's background and leadership," said Carmen MacDougall, the Endowment's vice president for communication. "She had expressed interest [in becoming part of the board], and after discussion, we approached her about joining our leadership team."
Though Tilghman was asked to join the board last fall, official confirmation of her position did not come until the Jan. 31 meeting.
The Carnegie Endowment is "a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing cooperation between nations and promoting active international engagement by the United States," according to its website. Founded in 1910, the Endowment concentrates on the relations among governments, business, international organizations and civil society.
"I hope to learn a great deal [serving on the board]," Tilghman said. "As many people know, one of my highest priorities is the internationalization of Princeton, and this is a tremendous opportunity to learn about critical issues facing the international arena."
"I'll probably gain more from being on the board than they'll gain from me," she added.
But current board members have high expectations for Tilghman's future contributions to the Endowment.
"Shirley will bring a marvelous breadth of perspective to the Endowment's work, as well as a strong interest in international relations," said W. Taylor Reveley III '65, a member of the Endowment's board of trustees and dean of the College of William and Mary's law school, in an email.
Reveley, who chairs the board's nominating committee, said he had been closely involved in the process leading to Tilghman's election.
"It's going to be wonderful to have her in our midst," he added.
Board member Donald Kennedy, an environmental scientist and president emeritus of Stanford University, agreed.
Though he does not personally know Tilghman, Kennedy said in an email that he "has known of her distinguished work as a biologist for some time" and is "absolutely delighted to hear of her election to the Carnegie Endowment board."
"Under [current Endowment president] Jessica Mathews' direction, CEIP has undertaken more in the science policy area, and President Tilghman's experience and skills will add greatly to the Endowment's capacity," Kennedy said.
Tilghman, a molecular biologist, obtained her Ph.D. in biochemistry and has pioneered research in the field of genomics. She was formerly the Howard A. Prior Professor of the Life Sciences at the University and continues to teach undergraduate biology courses.
MacDougall said that Tilghman's role as the University's president also strengthens her position as a board member.
"We appreciate her general experience as the president of a university as well as her personal experience," she said, noting that former University president Robert Goheen previously served on the Endowment's board of trustees.
"[Tilghman] seemed exceptional to us," MacDougall added. "We're delighted to have her join the board."
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