Academics

Future of African studies program driven by student engagement

Seven of the eight Ivy League institutions boast robust African Studies departments, in which undergraduate students can major. Within the Orange Bubble, such a department does not yet exist, but students and faculty are seeking to rectify this disparity.

Fried ’20, Brown ’20 awarded 2020 Marshall Scholarships

Mudd Library to close for renovations through 2021

The Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library, a division of Princeton University Library’s Department of Special Collections, will close for renovations in March 2020. Digitization services will cease in February 2020 in preparation for the renovation, which is predicted to last through January 2021.

Alagappan ’20, Malhotra ’20 win 2020 Rhodes Scholarship

Serena Alagappan ’20 and Ananya Malhotra ’20 have been selected as two of the 32 U.S. students who have been awarded a Rhodes Scholarship. The scholarship will provide all expenses for two or three years of postgraduate study at the University of Oxford.

Mathematics professor Aleksandr Logunov wins Packard Fellowship

Mathematics professor Aleksandr Logunov was awarded the Packard Fellowship for his work on nodal geometry.

Psychology professor Sabine Kastner receives Award for Education in Neuroscience

Sabine Kaster’s journal, Frontiers for Young Minds, was co-founded with Berkeley professor Robert Knight and features articles about novel developments in various fields of natural science. The articles are written for students ages 8-15 and are also edited by students within this age group.

University’s new supercomputer, Traverse, to aid plasma physics and fusion research

The addition joins six other computing clusters: Tiger, Dell, and Perseus, which are the largest and reserved primarily for faculty, as well as Nobel, Adroit, and Tigressdata, which are available to students. 

U. Professor Peter Jaffé discovers microbe capable of decontaminating water supply

U. Professor Peter Jaffé and Associate Research Scholar Shan Huang’s work on PFA-degrading microbes could change the course of American public health.

Literary scholar Jeffrey Miller ’06 named 2019 MacArthur Fellow

Literary scholar and University alum Jeffrey Miller ’06 was named a MacArthur Fellow on Sept. 25 for his analyses of the writing process during the Reformation and the Renaissance. The award is informally known as the “Genius Grant.”

Creative Writing Program begins 80th year with a reading by celebrated authors

On Wednesday, Sept. 25, the Program in Creative Writing started off this year’s Althea Ward Clark Reading Series and the celebration of the 80th year of the program with a reading featuring distinguished authors Maxine Hong Kingston, Yusef Komunyakaa, and David Treuer ’92.

Celebrated author, professor Jhumpa Lahiri named Director of Program in Creative Writing

The Lewis Center for the Arts recently named Professor Jhumpa Lahiri Director of the University’s Program in Creative Writing.

U.S. News ranks U. No. 1 in America

The rankings are based on six factors: student outcomes, faculty resources, expert opinion, financial resources, student excellence, and alumni giving.

New environmental studies facilities to accompany U.’s renovation of Guyot for COS

The Guyot renovation, the result of a gift from Eric Schmidt ’76 and his wife, Wendy, will consolidate the data sciences faculty into one hall but displace the University’s environmental science programs — making the possibility of additional science facilities imminent.

CNBC’s list of “colleges that pay off the most” lists U. second among private institutions

The University was listed as second among private colleges and universities on CNBC Make It’s list of “the top 50 U.S. Colleges that pay off the most,” behind only Stanford University. The University was the only school in the state of New Jersey on the list, which included a total of 25 public and 25 private colleges. 

Grace Sommers '20 awarded Barry M. Goldwater scholarship

The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship is an annual award established by the United States Congress in recognition of outstanding undergraduate scholarship in mathematics, the natural sciences, or engineering.

U. awards seniors Blackburn ’19, Ficarelli ’19, and James '19 Labouisse prize fellowship

The award provides $30,000 to each recipient to pursue projects focused in civic engagement.

View from the back row: community auditors reflect on classroom experiences

Auditors, mostly retirees from the greater Princeton area, do not complete any assignments and literally take the back seat during lectures, usually remaining unknown to University students. The Daily Princetonian spoke to some auditors to learn about their experiences.

Proposed changes to distribution requirements would add new category, give students more flexibility

The proposed Culture and Difference distribution would require students to take a course that exposes them to diverse identities.

Molecular biology professor inducted into American Association for Cancer Research Academy

Wieschaus’ best-known work studied on the development of embryos in fruit flies. His findings have also been influential in cancer research.

Nathan Poland ’20 awarded 2019 Truman Scholarship

Nathan Poland ’20 was awarded the 2019 Truman Scholarship. The national award was given to 62 college juniors for leadership potential and commitment to public service. It grants up to $30,000 toward graduate school.