Today’s Briefing:
Professor Jacques Fresco dies at 93
On Dec. 5, 2021, Jacques Fresco, a long-time professor in the Department of Molecular Biology, died from complications due to heart disease at the age of 93. Having served as a member of the faculty from 1960 to 2013, Fresco was also a seminal figure in the study of nucleic acids and biochemistry. In 1960, he and a student “proposed the now generally accepted conformation of RNA,” according to Tomas Lindahl, a former researcher in Fresco’s lab who went on to win a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2015.
During his lifetime, Fresco published over 170 papers investigating topics as varied as the properties of nucleic acids to the genetic basis of sickle cell anemia and the mechanisms that cause certain DNA base pair mutations. Colleagues, friends, and family alike remember Fresco for his lively spirit and devout commitment to mentoring his students.
“He was really an engaging, warm, urbane, person who was always very happy to talk about his research, talk about current events, talk about literature. They don’t really make them as well-rounded as Jacques Fresco anymore,” said Senior Research Scholar and Professor in Molecular Biology Daniel Notterman.
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University to increase graduate student stipend and fellowship rates
According to a statement released by the Office of Communications on Jan. 25, the University will significantly increase graduate student stipend and fellowship rates during the upcoming 2022-23 academic year by an average of 25% to about $40,000 for doctoral candidates.
The increase was recommended by the Priorities Committee and approved by the Board of Trustees in a meeting that occurred last week. The University ensures that all graduate students committed to all years of regular program enrollment receive funding, which serves to cover tuition fees and provide students with a means to afford basic living expenses.
“This is of course great news as the cost of living in Princeton is very high, and the additional support will definitely help grad students cover our expenses,” Tim Alberdingk Thijm GS said in an email to the ‘Prince.’ “I think the timing of the decision is also very notable: Columbia's student worker union just won a tentative agreement only two weeks ago and boosted their own stipends into the 40k range, plus all the other union activity at Harvard, NYU, and MIT in the last year.”
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Mark Schlissel ’79 fired as University of Michigan President
University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel ’79 was fired on Jan. 15 by the university’s Board of Regents after an investigation found that he had used his university email address to engage in an inappropriate relationship with a female subordinate. The board determined that, between 2019 and 2021, Schlissel had exchanged emails with the employee in a manner “inconsistent with promoting the dignity and reputation of the University of Michigan.”
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Princeton Town Council meeting
During the Jan. 25 Princeton Town Council meeting, officials disbanded the Site Plan Review Advisory Board (SPRAB), a team of professional designers that reviews construction proposals to inform the decisions of the Planning Board, due to concerns about conflicts of interest. Also, members of the public brought up concerns related to Accessory Dwelling Units and an upcoming ordinance requiring business assessments, among other topics.
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Three University Professors receive NEH grants
Three University professors have been awarded National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) research grants for their innovative humanities projects. Associate Professor of Spanish and Portuguese Christina Lee, Professor of History Ekaterina Pravilova, and Associate Professor of History Wendy Warren have received $480,000, $60,000, and $55,000, respectively, to pursue their projects and help broaden the scope of accessibility to important research in the humanities.
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