Weekend conference lauds U. women in leadership roles

The University held its first ever “She Roars: Celebrating Women at Princeton” conference this weekend, bringing together undergraduate and graduate alumni 50 years after the University admitted its first female degree candidate.

The event was free to all alumni and focused on the changing roles and contributions of women on campus and in American society, as well as the challenges of the future.

President Shirley Tilghman said that the idea for the event came from the Alumni Council several years ago, reflecting an effort to engage alumni and the success of a similar event for alumni of color over the past five years.

Tilghman said she had heard that the total attendance was between 1,400 and 1,500.

“This conference massively exceeded expectations in numbers and impact,” Tilghman explained. “The women were really excited to be together.”

Tilghman said that while Reunions weekend offers alumni an opportunity to reconnect with others from their class, the women in attendance appreciated the opportunity to interact with alumnae of different generations.

She also noted that “it was an opportunity to hear about the University in 2011 and get a sense of both things that remain constant and, more importantly, ways in which the experiences of women have become more positive, particularly for women who came early in coeducation.”

The conference started on Thursday with a lecture by mechanical and aerospace engineering professor Naomi Leonard ’85, a kickoff speech by Andrea Jung ’79, chairwoman and chief executive of Avon Products, Inc., and a performance by the Princeton Tigerlilies.

The event continued with panels, dialogues and lectures on Friday, including a luncheon moderated by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lisa P. Jackson GS ’86, a panel moderated by Harvard Assistant Dean for Research Communications at the School of Public Health Robin Herman ’73 that represented women from the last four decades, and a conversation between Tilghman and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor ’76.

“One of my favorite events was the one moderated by Robin Herman, one of the early reporters on the ‘Prince,’ ” said Rebecca Wilson Armstrong ’74, who attended the conference. “She moderated a panel on women in the decades, seeing how things have changed.”

Saturday included discussions featuring a number of alumnae who have been leaders in their fields, including former eBay CEO and California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman ’77, as well as campus tours and gatherings focused on specific interests including the School of Engineering and Applied Science and the Wilson School. The day concluded with remarks by Wendy Kopp ’89, the CEO and founder of Teach for America, during a reception and gala dinner.

“The speakers were wonderful, and the panels were good,” attendee Susan Blatt Schwab ’73 said. “We love coming back to Princeton, particularly in the company of female grads.”

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Armstrong said the event also allowed alumnae to connect not only with former friends, but also with classmates whom they had never really known, as well as women who had experienced Princeton in different time periods.

“It was a chance to connect in a quieter, more thoughtful setting, allowing time for more depth than Reunions, where I haven’t really made connections,” Armstrong said.

“We felt like pioneers then, and we still do,” said Schwab, who was a member of the first class of female graduates.

Armstrong said she also enjoyed reconnecting with her thesis advisor, Dean of the College Nancy Malkiel, one of her first female role models on campus. Armstrong noted that Princeton has changed greatly since her time as a student on campus.

“Princeton is a better place, more open and accepting,” Armstrong explained.

Tilghman said she expected the event to continue in future years.

“I think there’s no question that we’ll do it again,” Tilghman said. “I think we learned that there is a huge demand out there for events like this, and we’re beginning to incorporate some of the feedback into Reunions.”