Rentzou and Finkelstein appointed heads of residential colleges

Mathey and Rockefeller Colleges are getting new heads.

On July 1, French professor Effie Rentzou and computer science professor Adam Finkelstein will begin four-year terms as heads of Mathey College and Rockefeller College, respectively. The new appointments were unveiled in a staff intranet story on April 7. 

Rentzou is replacing psychology and public affairs professor Stacey Sinclair, who has served as Mathey’s head since 2018. Finkelstein succeeds mechanical and aerospace engineering professor Clancy Rowley ’95, who has been head of Rockefeller College since 2017. 

Each of Princeton’s seven residential colleges has a faculty head. The Rules and Procedures of the Faculty state that the faculty heads cultivate a “welcoming and inclusive environment in the undergraduate residential colleges which supports and enhances the educational mission of the University.” 

Sinclair, the outgoing head of Mathey, emphasized the importance of fostering a warm and inclusive environment. Mathey “is truly your home. This is your family, and we accept you as you are,” said Sinclair in an interview with The Daily Princetonian.

Rentzou described similar aspirations for residential college culture. “I want our students to feel that they … have a home, they have a space where they are welcome, they’re protected, they can thrive,” she told the ‘Prince.’ 

In her new role, Rentzou hopes to highlight the liberal arts opportunities that Princeton offers. Her research focuses on modernism and the avant-garde, especially literature’s relationship to other arts. 

“I would love for our students at Mathey to be as much as possible exposed to the wonderful creative and healing power of art and the humanities,” she said. She hopes to carve out opportunities for students to interact with art “in a way that is casual, low stakes, but at the same time creative.”

When speaking about her goals as the incoming head of Mathey, Rentzou emphasized that she aims to foster a more casual and relaxed relationship with students. 

“I intend to be very present at the dining hall and just meet students as much as I can on a casual level — go towards students and not bring the students to me.”

Both the outgoing and incoming head shared how rewarding the position has been for them. “Being head of Mathey was a highlight of my career. I’m very grateful for the time in the community and for the time with the students and for the incredible professional staff,” said Sinclair.

Rentzou also voiced her enthusiasm about the new role. “I’m really super, super excited. I can’t wait to start.”

Outgoing Rockefeller head Rowley’s leadership philosophy also prioritizes inclusivity. 

“I wanted Rocky to continue to be a place where all students felt welcome and comfortable enough to be themselves,” Rowley wrote in a statement to the ‘Prince.’ Equally important, he noted, was ensuring that college staff had the “resources needed to effectively support students.”

Cadigan Perriello ’29, a Rockefeller resident, noted that Professor Rowley “brought a positive and happy energy to Rockefeller College” and did an “amazing job making our residential colleges feel like a community and a family.” 

Perriello is an assistant Sports editor for the ‘Prince.’

Additionally, Rowley made the Resident Graduate Student program a key focus.  “I tried to bring some more structure to the RGS program,” Rowley said, adding that he is “really pleased with how that has evolved.”

As he prepares to pass on the role, Rowley expressed full confidence in the college’s future leadership. “Professor Finkelstein doesn’t need any advice. He has been an advisor in Rocky for years, and I know he will be absolutely fantastic,” he wrote. 

Finkelstein’s perspective signals continuity in the college’s emphasis on accessibility and community. “[The role] affords an opportunity to interact with students in a different and perhaps more natural and informal way than the typical academic and classroom roles of professors and students: sharing meals, being present in the college in everyday life, and building the kind of relationships that aren’t really possible across a seminar table,” he wrote to the ‘Prince.’

Finkelstein noted that both the structured community activities and informal interactions that defined Rowley’s tenure will remain central to Rockefeller’s identity moving forward.

Rentzou and Finkelstein will conclude their four-year terms as residential college heads in July 2030. 

Ambre Van de Velde is a staff News writer for the ‘Prince.’ She is from Boston and can be reached at av8447[at]princeton.edu.

Aitana Camponovo is a staff News writer for the ‘Prince.’ She is from Washington, D.C. and can be reached at aitana[at]princeton.edu.

Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.