Anderson '06 recovering slowly with aid of physical therapy

Two months after a spinal cord injury left him unable to move his legs, Steve Anderson '06, a Wilson School major with a passion for the environment, is slowly regaining strength.

Between visits from friends and a get-well banner from his department, Anderson is not far from the thoughts of the University community.

"It's obviously an uphill battle for Steve, but he is one of the toughest, most driven people I know," said Sandeep Murthy '06, Anderson's roommate since freshman year. "If anyone can do it, it's him."

Anderson, an OA leader, suffered spinal injuries in a water-related accident on the final day of his OA trip in September.

"He was accidentally injured while swimming in a lake with us," said Seth Ligo '08, a co-leader on the trip. "He was waist-deep in water when he did a surface dive to get himself all the way in. That's all we know."

Anderson's mother Rhonda said that he is in stable condition and continuing to show improvement. Anderson has regained minimal arm movement, but remains unable to move his legs, she said.

He is looking forward to returning to the University, she added, but it's too early to say when this might happen.

He was transferred last month from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia to the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation for further treatment, and receives physical therapy five days each week.

University faculty and students remain supportive during Anderson's absence from campus.

"Steven — Best Wishes from all your friends in Woody Woo!!!" reads an eight-foot, orange and black banner sent to Anderson two weeks ago. Dozens of WWS faculty and students signed the banner with anecdotes and get-well notes.

"He's definitely in people's minds all the time. He has many friends on campus," OA Director Rick Curtis said. He said Anderson was "in good spirits" when he visited Kessler two weeks ago.

Co-leaders Ligo and Stephanie Keene '08 plan to visit Anderson this Sunday with students from their OA group.

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Anderson's roommates also plan to visit when they feel it's the right time for Anderson and his family.

Ligo said Anderson set the tone of their trip as a senior leader. In addition to his trail skills, "he motivated Stephanie and me to help show our freshmen what a diverse place Princeton is," Ligo said.

Anderson's teachers praised his intellect and creativity.

Harold Feiveson, a senior research policy analyst at the Wilson School and Anderson's task force adviser, said Anderson played a critical rule in their spring task force addressing global warming.

"Steve was one of the two or three top students in the class," he said.

Feiveson said Anderson is engaged in environmental issues, merging his international perspective with research on local projects. Feiveson asked Anderson to serve as a senior commissioner for his task force on oil this year as an "indication of esteem and how good I'd thought he'd be," he said.

Though Anderson cannot be a commissioner due to his rehabilitation, Feiveson has already implemented some of his ideas into the task force, such as analyzing small town initiatives to reduce oil dependence.

Anderson took a road trip through the Midwest this summer for his senior thesis to learn more about small town environmental and energy initiatives.

"He really had a great time with it," Murthy said. "It blended his love for small towns, traveling off the beaten path, and studying issues that were important to him."