On February 3 at 4:30 p.m., Princeton University welcomes University of Glasgow scholar Dr. Geraldine Parsons for a lecture entitled, “The Quiet Girls of Early Ireland: Women in Medieval Irish Literature.” This lecture is free to attend and open to the public. The event will be held at the James Stewart Film Theater at 185 Nassau Street. more
Join New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) for Philip Roth Unbound, a weekend-long festival that will celebrate, challenge, and explore the life, legacy, and work of novelist and Newark native Philip Roth, on what would have been his 90th birthday weekend. more
A collaborative research group led by the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) has been awarded a $788K grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to implement restoration and protection measures for polluted lakes and ponds.
The grant is part of a $10M allocation announced by the Murphy administration to develop water quality improvement projects across New Jersey, funding for which stems from the federal government’s American Rescue Plan that was appropriated by the state legislature. more
(Photo by Andrea Kane/Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ, USA)
By Wendy Greenberg
This past September, 281 new and returning scholars and faculty gathered for a new term welcome at the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) in Princeton. Among them were a new director of Women and Mathematics; a faculty appointee who is a leading figure in the field of p-adic geometry; and members whose fields range from transcultural medieval and pre-modern African and global history to the mathematical procedure harmonic analysis. more
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, COVID-19 had significant impacts on the development, emotional and behavioral health, and social well-being of children and teens across the country. The report adds, “Building resilience in children, youth, and families can help promote equity and support recovery efforts.” more
On Sunday, January 8 at 9:45 a.m., visitors are welcome to watch a narrated reenactment of the Battle of Princeton at Princeton Battlefield State Park. Originally fought on January 3, 1777, 2023 marks the 246th anniversary of this pivotal event in American independence. more
Back by popular demand, Bucks County Playhouse will relaunch their Acting for Adults class, which will take place January 10 through February 28. The class will meet in person each Tuesday from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Tuition is $450. The class is open to anyone age 17 and older. more
On Saturday, November 12 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., the French American School of Princeton (FASP) will host a Fall Open House where interested parents and students are invited to discover what sets FASP apart from other Princeton area schools. more
Do you feel you’re lacking a little biodiversity in your own backyard? Have you recently lost an ash tree or would simply like to see more birds, butterflies, and flowers? Well, consider the Sourland Conservancy’s new Biodiversity Tree Kit.
Each kit contains one back tree, two Carolina rose bushes, deer protection, and a new perennial bed design. This design was created by Pensive Weeds, a full service floral and landscape company located in Pennington. Conservancy members will also receive three little bluestem plants. These plants are ideal for replacing mowed lawn in a sunny, well-drained spot. more
On Wednesday, October 19 at 12 p.m., Morven Museum presents an entirely virtual experience on the subject of “The Mysterious World of the Garden Grotto.” General admission is $5 and free for Morven Museum and Garden members. The Zoom webinar link will be shared via email prior to the event date. A recording will be sent to those registered following the program. Purchase tickets in advance at https://bit.ly/3e0Uayt. more
Join the Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) on Wednesday, October 26 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. for “Art of People & Stories/Gente y Cuentos.” From collecting art to tasting wine, the ART OF series aims to introduce attendees to the endless creativity and innovation in the community. Created by locals, for locals, these all-inclusive experiences require no supplies or commitment. Just bring your friends and the ACP will do the rest. more
Arts Ed NJ has been approved for a $500,000 multi-year grant from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. The grant was awarded to support its mission as a unifying organization and central resource for arts education information, policy, and advocacy in New Jersey.
“We are so proud to have continued support from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation,” said Arts Ed NJ Executive Director Wendy Liscow. “This grant is a testimony to years of hard work from all our partners across New Jersey who have fought to make New Jersey a leader in arts education.” more
Q&A with Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber
Interview by Wendy Greenberg | Photography Courtesy of Princeton University, Sameer A. Khan/Fotobuddy
In its 275th year, Princeton University has a lot to celebrate. As students return for the fall semester, two new residential colleges have opened — Yeh College and New College West — with the goal of increasing the number of undergraduates by about 10 percent. This past year ground was broken across Lake Carnegie for the Lake Campus Development, which will include graduate student housing, athletics, and recreational facilities. Add to the campus development an engineering and environmental studies complex, and a new art museum, anticipated to open in late 2024.
At the helm of all the activity is Christopher L. Eisgruber, a 1983 alumnus, who will continue in his role as the 20th president of the University for at least the next five years. On April 9, the board of trustees extended his presidency as the school looks toward the expansion of its undergraduate student body, increasing investments in emerging areas of science and innovation, gains in philanthropy, and the ambitious building program. Trustees cited “transformational gains” in student body diversity and philanthropic support, accomplishments that have enhanced the University’s teaching and research, and historic campus expansion as reasons to extend Eisgruber’s tenure.
Eisgruber received his A.B. in physics from Princeton in 1983, graduating magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He then earned an M.Litt. in politics at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, and a J.D. cum laude at the University of Chicago Law School, where he served as editor-in-chief of the law review. After clerking for U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Patrick Higginbotham and U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, Eisgruber taught at New York University’s School of Law for 11 years.
Joining the Princeton University faculty in 2001 as the director of the Program in Law and Public Affairs, he served as the Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Public Affairs in the School of Public and International Affairs and the University Center for Human Values. He directed Princeton’s Program in Law and Public Affairs from 2001 to 2004 before being named provost in 2004. He has served as president since July 2013. more
By Taylor Smith
Julia Breen Wall
Discuss your own background and beliefs in the benefits of an all-girls education. How has this impacted your personal and professional career?
I have lived and breathed students, schools, and school leadership my whole life. As the daughter of two school principals, our family’s social life was going to school games, plays, and community events. I have always felt at home in the adaptive rhythm and joyful energy of a school; there is so much magic that is created within its walls. It is a breathing organism in every sense of the word.
I came to first understand the mission of girls’ education through the lens of my teaching experience. Teaching English to a classroom of girls in a community intentionally designed with their empowerment at the center articulated so clearly the benefits of that affinity space — where all doors remain open, where girls fill all leadership seats, and where girls are the center of the story. I was hooked! My mission as an educator was clear: to build and support schools that lift up high-achieving girls and young women who will fulfill their potential and lead our world into the future. And I have never looked back.
In what ways does faculty excellence play a role in creating a positive environment for young women to learn and grow?
The faculty of a school are its heart center. The research is clear: students who feel connected to their teachers are more likely to be engaged. Now, this requires a teacher to know each student, and to identify her own personal gifts and talents. One of the things that most excites me about leading Stuart’s faculty is that our small size allows time and space to know every girl and to support her journey. In getting to know our faculty, this aspect is one of their favorite qualities of working here.
In my mind, a true mark of faculty excellence is a deep and demonstrated commitment to professional development. We live in a rapidly changing world, and our investment in curricular and program innovation is fueled by significant investment in our faculty’s continued education. This ensures that the entire school community is continuously learning. I can’t think of a better way to model learning and leadership for our students than a teacher learning and adapting alongside their students, even (and especially!) when it feels risky, uncharted, and difficult. more
Join author Clifford Zink on Saturday, October 8 at 10 a.m. for a walking tour outside Princeton University’s storied and majestic eating clubs. Learn about the architecture, origins, and development of the 16 Classical and Gothic-style clubhouses, which date from 1895 to 1928. There will be an opportunity to visit inside one of the eating clubs; masks will be required during this portion of the tour. Copies of Zink’s 2017 book, The Princeton Eating Clubs, will be available for sale at a discounted price at the tour. more
Standing on the plot of land once owned by Joseph Bonaparte — former King of Naples and Spain and brother of Napoleon – garden steward Lara Periard shares her enthusiasm for developing the Point Breeze Historic Garden.
“This project is unique for several reasons,” Periard says. “Unlike a standard vegetable garden or farm, its purpose is to represent the history of the land, as well as to grow food for donation to the community. We are growing historic crops, primarily what would’ve been grown by Bonaparte’s gardener at the time.” more
Join The Watershed Institute for the 47th Annual Watershed FEST on October 1 at 6:30 p.m. FEST is the largest fundraising event of the year and supports The Watershed Institute’s mission of keeping water clean, safe, and healthy. Last year’s FEST was an evening to remember, and the organization is hoping to beat last year’s amount of $140,000 raised. All funds support The Watershed Institute’s conservation, advocacy, education, and scientific research efforts. more
Open to the Stuart School community and the public, Toddler Time at Stuart (ToTS) is a free program that will have newborns and toddlers smiling and clamoring for more.
Your tots will enjoy a 45-minute session centered around different themes depending on the month. So, invite your friends, neighbors, family, and anyone else who may have a newborn or toddler in need of a little interactive fun! more
On Saturday, September 24, join Monmouth Museum staff and New Jersey DEP’s lead environmental educator, Marc Rogoff, on a fossil frolic through Big Brook, one of the premier late Cretaceous fossil localities in the eastern United States. The Cretaceous period was a time when dinosaurs roamed the Earth and New Jersey was submerged beneath a shallow inland sea. more
On Sunday, September 11 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., join Morven Museum for a special event entitled, “9/11 Day of Remembrance: The History of the American Flag.” This only in-person patriotic presentation is a way to honor and pay tribute to those who lost their lives on this date 21 years ago. Admission is free and all are welcome. more
