Chin, who is a federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, will receive the Woodrow Wilson Award, the highest honor for an undergraduate alumnus. Fuchs, a molecular genetics and cell biology professor at Rockefeller University, will accept the James Madison Medal, the highest distinction for a graduate alumnus.
“I was deeply honored,” Chin said Wednesday evening about his initial reaction to hearing the news a few weeks ago. “I don’t know why the University picked me, but I certainly tried hard to reach the right goals over the course of 16 years [as a federal judge].”
Before being nominated to his current position on the appeals court by President Barack Obama in October 2009, Chin was a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, a post that President Bill Clinton nominated him for. During his time on the district court, he presided over many notable cases. In a prominent case in 2009, Chin sentenced former investor Bernard Madoff to 150 years in prison for orchestrating a massive, long-term Ponzi scheme. Chin is the only Asian-American serving in the federal appellate court system.
Outside of the court, Chin is actively involved in many other organizations, including the Asian American Bar Association of New York, Care for the Homeless, and the Prospect Park Environmental Center. As an alumnus, he regularly conducts student interviews for potential applicants and participated in the University’s program for Constitution Day in September.
“I came to this country as a young child. My parents worked hard. My grandparents worked hard. I always try to remember my roots and give back to my community,” Chin said of his dedication to public service.
Wilson School Dean Christina Paxson said in a University statement that Chin’s life “exemplifies the very best of public service.”
“It is not just that he is a remarkably talented judge,” she said. “In addition, he has taught law students, conducted extensive pro bono work and supported numerous nonprofit organizations that provide services to low-income communities.”
At Princeton, Chin majored in psychology and was managing editor for The Daily Princetonian. He went on to earn his J.D. from Fordham Law School in 1978.
Fuchs said Wednesday that she was “absolutely thrilled” when she learned of her award about a month ago.
“It is always special when it comes from one’s alma mater. I was a graduate student for five years and really got to love the University,” she said.
Fuchs earned her Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University. Since then, she has conducted groundbreaking research in the fields of stem cell research and skin biology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Chicago and Rockefeller University, where she currently runs a lab. She is known for developing a novel technique called reverse genetics, an alternative method of studying the relationships between mutated genes and the diseases they cause.
“The classical approach of geneticists at the time was to choose a disease and work their way down to the defective gene. In our case, we focused on the protein — keratins — and worked our way up to the genetic basis of the disease,” Fuchs said of her research on skin diseases. Her work has helped revolutionize the science of modern dermatology.
Bruce Alberts, a former faculty member who taught Fuchs as a graduate student, said in the University statement that Fuchs’ research “exemplifies the very highest quality of what is referred to as translational research, and I view her as a model scientist for others to follow.”
Fuchs has received wide recognition for her research. Since 1988, she has been an investigator at the prestigious Howard Hughes Medical Institute. She was awarded the National Medal of Science by Obama in 2009 and has served as president of the International Society for Stem Cell Research. Other honors include the L’Oreal-UNESCO Award in the Life Sciences, given to high-achieving women in science.
“The education and training of my graduate students and post docs is every bit as fascinating as my research,” Fuchs said on her commitment to education and science.
She said her other interests include attending ballet and opera performances and visiting New York’s many museums.
In addition to being presented with their awards, Fuchs and Chin will speak of their experiences after Princeton in Richardson Auditorium on Alumni Day.
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