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O'Brien '65 returns as president, role model to former alma mater

O'Brien '65 returns as president, role model to former alma mater

John O'Brien '65's life has come full circle. Forty-two years after graduating from the Milton Hershey School in Pennsylvania, he has returned to the school to take the helm as president.Founded in 1909 by Milton Hershey, of Hershey's Chocolate fame, the boarding school provides needy children with free education from preschool through high school.O'Brien entered the school, which was then an orphanage for boys, when he was three and stayed there through twelfth grade."I had not been outside of the Hershey area too much when I went to look at schools," O'Brien said of his college search, during which he was recruited for his athletic and academic skills."Princeton had the most authentic people, the most real people and that is why I chose it over Harvard, Cornell and the other schools I was accepted to," he said.

NEWS | 01/08/2004

Browning named master of Wilson

Linguistics professor Marguerite Browning has been chosen to succeed Professor Miguel Centeno as master of Wilson College.

NEWS | 01/08/2004

The Saddam Predicament: University community members weigh the issues

On Dec. 14, 2003, one thing became quite clear in the normally uncertain land of Iraq: "We got him."Speaking of the capture of Saddam Hussein in a small hole by a farmhouse, Paul Bremer, the U.S.

NEWS | 01/08/2004

Mad cow scare unlikely to affect dining services, clubs

Though a mad cow disease scare in Washington State has caused Japan and Russia to suspend importation of U.S.

NEWS | 01/08/2004

Wright '62 leaves University 30 years later than planned

If Shirley Tilghman were in your introductory French class, you would most likely notice. But when Tom Wright '62 took Spanish 101 last fall, instructor Alberto Galindo had no idea he was teaching the University's vice president and secretary."Someone had told me he worked in the president's office, but no one told me that he was the vice president," said Galindo, who learned of Wright's position only after he searched online late in the semester.Wright is a behind-the-scenes guy ? even he downplays his role.

NEWS | 01/06/2004

Renowned scholar Ikenberry to join Wilson School

One of the nation's top international relations scholars, Georgetown University professor John Ikenberry, has agreed to join the faculty of the Wilson School, dean Anne-Marie Slaughter '80 announced Monday.The move comes as part of an ongoing effort to reinvigorate the school's international studies program, Slaughter said."Jeff Herbst, chair of the politics department, and I, are working hard to rebuild the IR [international relations] subfield," Slaughter said in an email.The hiring of Ikenberry and of Tom Christensen, an East Asia specialist lured from MIT last year, were "important steps in that direction," Slaughter said.Ikenberry did not respond to phone messages, but Slaughter said he would teach undergraduate courses on international relations, likely including the introductory survey course."I am absolutely delighted that Professor Ikenberry has accepted our offer," Slaughter said.

NEWS | 01/06/2004

University admits half of '08 early

The University accepted 581 of the 1,815 early decision applicants to the Class of 2008, Dean of Admission Janet Rapelye said.

NEWS | 01/06/2004

Winter Break plans send some to far-flung locales, others to library

As the last classes of the University's 2003 academic year wrap up today, excitement about Winter Break is building among University students, faculty and staff."I feel fantastic about Winter Break," said Matt Piazza '07.

NEWS | 12/11/2003

In memory of late friend, Summers '04 enters race

When one of her high school friends died of leukemia, Courtney Summers '04 decided to take action to help battle the disease.

NEWS | 12/11/2003

Extras needed for Dec. 18 'One Life to Live' shoot

Only a few years ago, Princeton students rubbed elbows with Russell Crowe during the filming of "A Beautiful Mind." A new generation of Princetonians has the opportunity to get some camera time, albeit on a smaller screen.

NEWS | 12/11/2003

Margolin wins top seat, Callaghan VP

Matt Margolin '05 won the USG presidential election yesterday, joined in the winner's circle by Shaun Callaghan '06 as vice president.Both Margolin and Callaghan soundly defeated their opponents, Jacqui Perlman '05 and Frances Schendle '06.

NEWS | 12/11/2003

Chapel sexton gives tour of building's gems

"Ah, yes. Bern. He's the guy with the broom upstairs," a man in the Chapel said. As predicted, that is exactly how I found Bernie LaFleur: holding a broom as he diligently swept pine needles from the carefully placed Christmas trees.

NEWS | 12/11/2003

FBI anti-terrorism team asks for help from Public Safety

An FBI-led anti-terrorism task force discovered blueprints of common areas of Princeton Borough and the University in an apartment in Philadelphia earlier this week, University Public Safety Crime Prevention Specialist Barry Weiser said.The FBI would not release to the University the reason for its investigation of the individual in possession of the blueprints, Weiser said.The FBI contacted University officials to determine the locations featured in the blueprints and ask whether the University was familiar with the person under investigation."[University officials] were not familiar with the individual's name in the engineering or physical planning offices," Weiser said.The University was helpful in identifying the locations shown in the blueprints, he said."[The University's Department of] State and Community Affairs said similar blueprints were used in the project to redesign downtown Princeton Borough," Weiser said.

NEWS | 12/11/2003

University names new professors

Seven new full professors, each in a different department, will be wearing the orange and black by September 2004.

NEWS | 12/10/2003

Isenberg fans frustrated over tenure process

A summer and a semester of waiting have passed for history professor Andrew Isenberg, who has yet to receive an appeal decision from the University committee that would determine if he has a future here at the University.The popular professor was denied tenure last April by the Committee of Three ? which consists of six faculty members, the senior deans and the provost ? after having received approval from the history department.To protest the decision, about 500 people signed a petition that was presented to President Tilghman.

NEWS | 12/10/2003

Appiah discusses Mill's identity theory

Weaving biography and philosophy, Kwame Anthony Appiah, the Laurance Rockefeller University Professor of Philosophy and the University Center for Human Values, discussed the intersection of ethics and identity as conceived by 19th-century English philosopher John Stuart Mill."Identity is at the heart of life," Appiah said.

NEWS | 12/10/2003

Stretchable conductors enable robotic elbows

The stuff of science fiction is fast becoming fact in a Princeton laboratory, where electrical engineering professor Sigurd Wagner and researcher Stephanie Lacour are developing a new sensitive skin that will revolutionize robotics and medical technology.This skin is made from a corrugated gold film, just 25 nanometers thick embedded in a silicone membrane, that can stretch at least 15 percent while still conducting electricity.Wagner compared the skin to an electronic surface that can "stretch like rubber."One of the primary applications for this new technology, Wagner said, is to "make a skin that is like a human skin for robots." Since the skin is elastic enough to accommodate a large range of movement and is also an electrical conductor, it will allow robots greater sensory abilities."The first step is to get robots and machines that are cautious," said Wagner.

NEWS | 12/10/2003

Campus decks the halls of Frist to celebrate the winter season

Amid the frantic studying and paper writing of the last week of the semester, students and community members came together for a unique holiday celebration in Frist Campus Center.The festivities culminated last night with a Winter Festival Cultural Show that included music, dancing and holiday food.The Religious Life Council sponsored an Interfaith Holiday Exhibit and information table featuring different religious holiday traditions."I think its really important to make sure all holidays are acknowledged," said Ellen Horrow '04, an RLC member."Members of minority religions can sometimes feel everything is about Christmas.

NEWS | 12/10/2003

Malcolm X's daughter looks at race, identity

Attallah Shabazz, daughter of Malcolm X, engaged the Princeton community yesterday in an active discussion on racial, cultural and national identity.Shabazz discussed Malcolm X's role as a public leader and father, but her talk focused mostly on personal identity and its relationship to race and culture."In this country you need to be everything you are without risk," she said.During her almost two hour talk Shabazz was animated and engaging, sometimes almost dancing behind the podium.

NEWS | 12/09/2003

Gehry-designed library to be built soon

In three years, a new science library building designed by Frank Gehry will grace Princeton's campus with bold curves and organic, non-rectangular shapes finished in titanium and glass.A $60 million gift from Peter Lewis '55 will fund the construction of the building, which is to be located at the corner of Ivy Lane and Washington Road and on the field between Fine and Peyton Halls.Lewis' 2000 donation of $55 million helped establish the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics.Robert Barnett, assistant director of Physical planning and project manager for the new building, has worked closely with his physical planning team and local construction group, Los Angeles-based firm Gehry Partners, LLP.

NEWS | 12/09/2003

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