Features | Princeton Magazine

Ten Questions for Education Reformer Wendy Kopp

(And how Princeton played a role in Teach for America and Teach for All)

Photos Courtesy of Teach For All

Wendy Kopp, founder of the successful education access nonprofit organizations Teach For America, and more recently, Teach For All, was inspired by her time at Princeton University — as a 1989 graduate of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. She realized she had access to a good public and college education, but not everyone did. Since then, she has worked tirelessly to make a quality education accessible to all. more

Girls Who Code

Laying the Groundwork for Future Female Tech Leaders

By Taylor Smith

Photos courtesy of Girls Who Code

Girls Who Code was founded by Reshma Saujani six years ago with the aim of closing the gender gap in computing classes in schools across the nation. Girls Who Code is now 90,000 strong in all 50 states, building the largest pipeline of future female engineers in the United States. Its Clubs Program, Campus Program, and Summer Immersion Program help to create accessible pathways for Girls Who Code alumni to enter into university and workforce computing programs. The organization also offers continued learning opportunities for Girls Who Code alumni to enhance their professional computer science skills. more

The Earth is Calling

Though not a memorial, Maya Lin’s newest works pay homage to Einstein and the Dinky

By Ilene Dube | Photography courtesy of Princeton University Art Museum

At the heart of the Lewis Center for the Arts complex on the Princeton University campus — just south of Ai Weiwei’s Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads and Cargot Brasserie, the restaurant in the repurposed cargo shed of the old Dinky train — the earth undulates in wave-like craters.

Site plan courtesy of Maya Lin Studio

Like quirky hillocks with straight edges, they beckon a visitor of any age to climb to the top and roll down sideways, just as a child might. And I can’t help thinking that’s just what the earthwork’s artist, Maya Lin, hopes we’ll take away — not her name and bio as one of the most important artists working today, but rather a place to honor and connect with earth and grass. more

Foundation For Life

Foundation Academies Charter School Provides an Education Alternative in Trenton

Photos courtesy of Foundation Academies Charter School

By Anne Levin

Every spring since 2007, Foundation Academies in Trenton holds a lottery to determine which children will attend the following fall. It is an emotional evening — at once joyous and mournful.

“It is one of the most gratifying, but also the saddest nights of the year,” says Graig Weiss, CEO of the charter school that teaches children from kindergarten through 12th grades. “We now have more than 800 kids on the waiting list. People go away either crying or screaming with joy.”

It’s Cider Time!

Photo courtesy of Melick’s Hard Cider

Hard Cider is making a comeback in New Jersey and New York

By Laurie Pellichero

Hard cider has been enjoyed in the United States for hundreds of years, with its history dating back to the first English settlers. The colonists used apple seeds brought from England to cultivate orchards, and cider soon became a staple of every American table. It was consumed morning, noon, and night, and seen as a more sanitary substitute for water.

New Jersey cider was especially popular. Rumor has it that George Washington even called Newark cider “the champagne of ciders.”

Q&A with Cindy Willett, Physics and Math Teacher at The Wilberforce School

Interview by Taylor Smith | Photographs courtesy of The Wilberforce School

Describe your work and educational background before your entrance into teaching.

Immediately after receiving my undergraduate degree in computer science, I started working on ground system processing and satellite computer designs for the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) in Colorado in the late 1980s. While working on various space-related projects, I fell in love with designing satellites, but I wanted to work on remote sensing systems in the earth sciences. After working in defense contracting for five years, I moved to England to study ocean physics and satellite oceanography at the University of Southampton. After many adventures on the English Channel, I came back to complete my PhD under Dr. George Born at the Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research (CCAR), using satellites to study ocean physics funded by NASA. Ironically, after graduating, I went back to work on a Navy satellite that uses radar altimetry to measure the ocean’s sea surface height. Finally, when The Wilberforce School started their high school in 2014, they needed someone who could teach physics and had experience using MATLAB (Matrix Laboratory Programing). My daughter was attending the Wilberforce lower school at the time, which is how they knew of me, and they asked if I would consider teaching at the high school since I had studied physics (oceanic and atmospheric), and I had experience with MATLAB. more

Q&A with Dr. Ronah Harris, AP Psychology and US Computer Science Teacher, Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart

Interview by Taylor Smith | Photographs courtesy of Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart

Describe your educational background and what led you to Stuart Country Day School?

I have my doctorate in technology and learning, from Teachers College, Columbia University. Here at Stuart, I am able to apply my educational background and my academic research, which included topics on how we use technology to expand our creativity, and innovative thinking, into the work I do here at Stuart supporting high school students. The girls at Stuart are college bound, and in addition to learning context, the skills I integrate into my courses are grounding students with learning theories, ideas about how to make products, and the design thinking process. more

Q&A with Alicia Testa, US Computer Science Teacher and Coordinator of STEM and Stuart Institute of Finance and Economics (SIFE)

Interview by Taylor Smith | Photographs courtesy of Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart

Describe your role at Stuart and give an example of some of the classes that you typically teach.

My role of STEM/SIFE coordinator allows me to collaborate with teachers to infuse STEM, finance, and economics into the curriculum. As one of the three technology innovation specialists at Stuart, I work with the Upper School to integrate technology. Also, I teach computer science in the Upper School. My classes include Robotics, Design of Emerging Technologies, and AP Computer Science Principles. Design of Emerging Technologies is a project-based class where students utilize design thinking to build their own creation using programming, a microcontroller, and sensors. Students have created touch panels that work with LED boards, balls that record their velocity, virtual reality applications, and even built a piano staircase.

Q&A with Ryan Lilienthal, Middle School Art Teacher, Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart

Interview by Taylor Smith | Photographs courtesy of Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart

What subject matter do you teach at Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart and what initially attracted you to the school?

I teach Middle School art at Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart, which includes grades 5 through 8. I first learned about Princeton Academy as the parent of a prospective student over nine years ago. My wife and I were looking for a school that prioritized individualized attention while embracing each student as part of a community. We were particularly concerned about our middle son, who didn’t receive teacher attention as a quiet and well-behaved student. As parents of boys, we wondered whether an all-boys environment would resonate with our son’s personality. So, we took the plunge. more

Q&A with Jason Park, Department Chair, 5th-12th Grade Science, Princeton Day School

Photos courtesy of Michael Branscom

What fueled your passion to rework the science curriculum at Princeton Day School?

While chair of the science department at a New Jersey boarding school, I connected with the highly regarded interim head of the science department at PDS, Dr. Leon (Lee) Rosenberg, to talk about what our science departments were doing and see if we could start a larger conversation about the future of science education in our respective schools. more

Q&A with Chantra Reinman, Assistant Head of School and Director of The Lewis Clinic, The Lewis School of Princeton

Interview by Laurie Pellichero | Photos courtesy of The Lewis School

Describe the mission and campus of The Lewis School of Princeton.

Like the town of Princeton, The Lewis School is both traditional and progressive. We are housed in a 100-year-old mansion, but our learning canvas is the town. We’ve visited Princeton Plasma Physics Lab to advance our STEM program, and we’ve hosted artistic events at various locations in Princeton. We use the YMCA for our physical education classes and Princeton University gym for our athletics programs. We also use the many cafes and ice cream parlors for special celebrations in our Lewis Community! more

Q&A with Christy Welborne, Director of Admission & Enrollment at Chapin School

Interview by Taylor Smith | Photographs courtesy of Chapin School

What is the history of the Chapin School and where is it located?

Chapin School was founded by Francis Chapin, a woman dedicated to educating children. In the beginning, she taught reading in her home at 23 Chambers Street, Princeton. Francis Chapin’s contribution as an educator in the Princeton community grew, and so did school enrollment. In 1958, Chapin School moved to its current location at 4101 Princeton Pike. This location offered Chapin students exceptional options for learning then and it continues to do so today. Chapin proudly fulfills its mission to provide a richly-textured education that inspires academic achievement and builds strength of character.

Novel Approaches to the College Search

By Stuart Mitchner

I never had to deal with the college search process. The Indiana University campus was five blocks away, and since my father was on the faculty, the cost was minimal. I’ve never regretted staying at home. Besides making some lifelong friends, I wrote a novel, having figured out a plot in a sophomore geology class taught by a man whose amusingly morbid mannerisms influenced my depiction of a predatory professor at a fictional Eastern college. So even though I didn’t go away to school myself, my main character did, and came home to Indiana disillusioned about love and life. When the book was published the summer before my senior year, several reviewers gave me credit for at least not imitating J.D. Salinger, while others took the patronizing tone of the notice in the New York Times snidely titled “College Capers.” The Saturday Review quoted Picasso to the effect that “it takes a very long time to become young.”

Building a Championship Culture

By Donald Gilpin | Photos by Ben Solomon/Rutgers Athletics

Rutgers is embarking on its fifth year in the Big Ten Conference, and Athletic Director Pat Hobbs, in his third season with the Scarlet Knights, has a clearly defined goal in sight: the creation of a championship culture. Hobbs refers to his “five-year turnaround plan,” which he adopted when he arrived in November 2015, and he looks forward to exciting developments on the field, in the classroom, and in the institution as a whole as Rutgers’ impact on the Big Ten and the Big Ten’s impact on Rutgers continue to grow in the coming years. “One of the reasons I was attracted to the job was because Rutgers is now part of the Big Ten Conference,” says Hobbs, who had previously served as law school dean and athletic director at Seton Hall University.

The challenges are formidable, and the past two and a half years, on the field and off, have been difficult. In addition to overall winning percentages at just around .250 (about three losses for each win) in conference play since 2014, Hobbs also inherited a program afflicted by various scandals entangling two previous athletic directors, football players dismissed from the team for alleged criminal conduct, a suspended head coach, and more.

Destination: New Brunswick

By William Uhl

View of New Brunswick across the Raritan River, Shutterstock.com.

Nestled by the Raritan River in New Brunswick, Rutgers University is home to a diverse range of history and traditions. An intercollegiate rivalry with Princeton University, a real-life armored and mounted Scarlet Knight, and a romantic ritual connected to the legendary Passion Puddle are all classic traditions — and so is eating a Fat Sandwich, a sub roll packed with enough French fries, chicken fingers, and mozzarella sticks to earn the name. That mix of thoughtfulness and playfulness is everywhere in New Brunswick, and you can find plenty of both in just a day’s travel.

IN NEED OF SOME TLC: Drumthwacket, the New Jersey governor’s mansion, is being spruced up under the direction of First Lady Tammy Murphy and the Drumthwacket Foundation. From new parking areas to kitchen improvements, some changes are underway. (Photo by Virginia Hall)

By Anne Levin

With its six white columns and sprawling wings on either side, Drumthwacket is among Princeton’s most visually striking buildings. But the official residence of the governor of New Jersey, last occupied from 2002 to 2004 by former Gov. James McGreevey and family, is in need of some major TLC. more

After Rocky Start to Penn Men’s Track Career PHS Alum Roth Primed for Sophomore Year

ON TRACK: Alex Roth is competing for the University of Pennsylvania men’s track team in a meet last March at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. Former Princeton High standout Roth ended his freshman campaign by taking ninth in the 10,000-meter run at the Ivy League Outdoor Heptagonal Championships this past May. Last week, he returned to Penn to begin preseason practice for his sophomore cross country season. (Photo Provided by Penn Athletics)

By Bill Alden

Alex Roth enjoyed a dominant senior season in 2016-17, setting the pace for the Princeton High boys’ cross country and track programs.

In the fall, Roth placed first in the county cross country meet, fourth at the Central Jersey Group 4 sectional meet, and second at the state Group 4 meet as the Little Tigers finished first in the team standings at each competition. He ended the historic campaign by helping PHS win the Meet of Champions (MOC) for the first time in school history as he placed third individually. more

TCNJ Wins NSF Grant to Create a New High-Speed Network to Support Data-intensive Science Research and Education

The National Science Foundation’s Campus Cyberinfrastructure program has awarded TCNJ a $500,000 competitive grant for a collaborative project led by the Division of Information Technology and the School of Science.

This grant will fund strategic enhancements to TCNJ’s network infrastructure to enable and expand the innovative and diverse scientific research occurring at the College. Specifically, the grant will allow TCNJ to implement a new high-speed science network and a friction-free “DMZ” (or “DeMilitarized Zone”), which will allow for faster transmission of data and enhanced network security. more

IAS Professor Venkatesh Wins Fields Medal For “Profound Contributions” in Mathematics

“FAR-REACHING CONJECTURES”: Akshay Venkatesh, recent appointee to the Institute for Advanced Study faculty and Princeton University alumnus, has been awarded the 2018 Fields Medal, widely considered as the Nobel Prize for mathematicians. (Photo by Dan Komoda, Institute for Advanced Study)

By Donald Gilpin

Akshay Venkatesh, recently appointed to the permanent faculty of the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), has been awarded the Fields Medal, widely considered as comparable to the Nobel Prize for mathematicians.

The 36-year-old Venkatesh, who earned his PhD in mathematics at Princeton University in 2002, has worked as a math professor at Stanford University since 2008 and served as a distinguished visiting professor at IAS’s School of Mathematics during the past year. more

Taking 2nd in Single Sculls at U-23 Worlds, PU Crew Star Kallfelz Continues Rapid Rise

SILVER STREAK: Emily Kallfelz competes in a race in the Princeton University women’s open varsity eight this spring. Last weekend, rising senior Kallfelz took second in the single sculls at the U-23 World Championships in Poznan, Poland.(Photo provided courtesy of Princeton’s Office of Athletic Communications)

By Bill Alden

Emily Kallfelz enjoyed success in rowing before she ever got on the water.

Making her debut as a high school junior in the sport by competing in the 2014 Crash-B, an indoor rowing event based on ergometer times, Kallfelz placed eighth.

“I did a bunch of sports beforehand, soccer, swimming, sailing, and I did some triathlons when I was younger,” said Kallfelz, a native of Jamestown R.I., who was a multi-sport star at St. George’s School. more