Princeton

university BulletinVolume 101, Number 3 Nov. 14, 2011

in Human Values, encourages broad- ranging conversations that stem from Examining ideas of a life worth living readings of novels and philosophy. Each class starts with a presenta- tion by a student who summarizes and k a R i n D i e n S t wanted to discuss how individuality chose the seminar because I never took might be defi ned, and how it “has been any philosophy classes in high school, analyzes that week’s texts, after which s they embark on their Princeton associated with a gamut of personal and I wanted to start my college expe- the group is invited to offer further careers, 15 freshmen are grap- qualities, both positive and negative, rience on a new note,” she said. comments. pling with a question that will such as creativity, originality, noncon- To engage with such a thought- On a recent evening, the discussion A centered on Aristotle’s notion of ethics be central to their lives: What is the formity and selfi shness.” provoking subject, the course, which meaning of a good life? For Gabriella Ravida, the class is is designated as the Kurt and Bea- The question is just one of many allowing her to do something new. “I trice Gutmann Freshman Seminar Continued on page 7 raised in the freshman seminar “Individuality as an Ideal,” which is being taught this fall by Kwame Anthony Appiah, the Laurance S. Rockefeller University Professor of Philosophy and the University Center for Human Values. Appiah is a world-renowned moral and political philosopher who has taught at Princeton since 2002. “Individuality is a great example of a topic that is both intellectually challenging and profoundly relevant to thinking about how one lives one’s own life,” Appiah said. He added, “It’s a perfect introduc- tion to a liberal education ... which is an education that prepares you for a life as a free individual, in charge of interpreting your situation and marshaling the resources that you’ve

gotten from your genome, your family, inquiry AND discovery your school, your society, to manage MORE FRESHMAN SEMINAR STORIES: PAgES 6-7 the one life you have.” Jameson John by Photo Ankit Buddhiraju said he was in the freshman seminar “individuality as an ideal,” Professor Kwame Anthony Appiah (rear, center) assigns students readings of fi ction and drawn to the seminar because he philosophy to help them explore ideas about how to create a life worth living.

At Princeton and in fi ction, Eugenides dives into classroom

Je n n i F e R G R e e n S t e i n a lt m a n n triangle in which they become entan- clinical depression, a post-collegiate Eugenides, a professor of creative gled. Set in the early 1980s, the novel trip to Calcutta and the pain that often writing in the Lewis Center for the n his new novel “The Marriage is a coming-of-age tale that follows the accompanies love. The title makes Arts, arrived at Princeton in 2007 to Plot,” Princeton creative writing characters — the lovely, bookish Mad- reference to the narrative structure of assume his fi rst full-time faculty posi- i professor Jeffrey Eugenides takes eleine; her boyfriend, depressed genius the 19th-century novels Madeleine is tion. He briefl y taught at Princeton the reader into a college classroom Leonard Bankhead; and the lovelorn, studying, in which the central con- from 1999 to 2000 before moving to where English major Madeleine Hanna spiritual seeker Mitchell Grammaticus cern of the plot is a woman’s marriage Berlin, where he wrote full time. is trying to carve out a life for herself — as they navigate college semiotics, prospects. Teaching, for him, “is mainly in which literature is a guiding force. remembering what it was like when I Eugenides, who himself was once a was sitting in the chair across from my student with similar aspirations, hopes creative writing teacher,” said Eugen- to help Princeton undergraduates also ides, who earned a master’s degree engage deeply with writing in his own in English and creative writing from classroom. Teaching, he says, is one of Stanford University. “I try to have my the toughest challenges he faces. students realize that all the mistakes Teaching “is in a way the most they’re making are mistakes that diffi cult thing I do,” Eugenides said. I’ve made and sometimes continue to “I have a much easier time standing make.” up in front of 500 people and giving Megan Hogan, who is working with a lecture or reading my work than Eugenides on her senior thesis, said, meeting the 10 faces around a “He encourages you to take risks, seminar table and trying to say to approach subjects and styles and something that’s useful to them. themes you always wanted to write It’s a hard task, and one I certainly about but didn’t think you could.” haven’t mastered.” Hogan described him as “unfailingly Eugenides is, however, a master enthusiastic” and “incredibly honest

of the modern novel, having written Wojciechowski Frank by Photo about your work.” the critically acclaimed “The Virgin Taking Eugenides’ class her sopho- Princeton creative writing professor Jeffrey Eugenides Suicides” and “Middlesex,” winner of more year “defi nitely changed how takes readers into the classroom in his new novel, “The the 2003 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction. I write,” Hogan said. “My prose is Marriage Plot,” about three college students on the cusp of His new novel, “The Marriage Plot,” much more descriptive and confi dent graduation. in his own classroom at Princeton, Eugenides opens on graduation day at Brown now, and I venture further into my (center) talks to students about his creative process. This University — Eugenides’ alma mater characters’ heads. Even after stories of semester, Eugenides is teaching “introductory Fiction” — and tells the story of three students and traveling on a 17-city book tour for his new novel.

on the cusp of graduation and the love Continued on page 8 Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Eugenides Jeffrey of courtesy Photo

Holiday outreach initiatives planned 2 What’s Progress on Seven new faculty members appointed 3 sustainability goals inside? Wilentz to speak on political partisanship 5 continues 4 Princeton 2 university Bulletin Nov. 14, 2011 Holiday outreach initiatives planned Spotlight

embers of the University the YWCA Princeton St. Nicholas Center; 26 College Road; 180, 262, community will have the Project. For more information, go to 294 and 306 Alexander Road; and the M opportunity to share the holiday www.princeton.edu/odus. 100 level of Frist. The following items spirit through a series of community Organizers of a “Holiday Hoops” are especially needed: canned protein service initiatives and special events food drive will provide a $4 voucher (tuna, sardines, salmon and chicken); planned for December and January. off the price of a game-day ticket with canned fruit (in light syrup or juice); A “Heros for Heroes” campaign will the donation of a nonperishable food canned vegetables; rice; pasta; pasta enable campus community members to item when the Princeton men’s basket- sauce; Parmalat or other shelf-stable send special greetings to soldiers who ball team takes on Lafayette at 7 p.m. milk; cereals, oatmeal and pancake mix will be away from home this holiday Wednesday, Nov. 30, at Jadwin Gym- (nonsugar); peanut butter; jelly; dish season. Holiday cards or letters can nasium. In addition, free admission is and laundry detergent; soaps and body be sent individually or by a team. The available to those who bring two non- wash; deodorant; shampoo; condi- team or individual who delivers the perishable food items to the Princeton tioner; and feminine products. most cards and letters to the Frist women’s basketball game vs. Delaware University community members Campus Center by 2 p.m. Friday, at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1, at Jadwin also may support the Send Hunger Dec. 2, will receive lunch from Hoagie Gym. All donations go to support the Packing Program, which provides Haven (up to $100 in value). Cards Friends of Mercer Street Food Bank. school-aged children in need with and stationery will be available at the Through Friday, Dec. 16, donations nutritionally sound, easy-to-open meals 100 level of Frist between 11 a.m. and of nonperishable food items and per- to get them through the weekend. Items 2 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, sonal hygiene products for the Mercer needed include shelf-stable 2 percent Nov. 30-Dec. 2. Each card and letter Street Friends Food Bank will be reduced-fat milk in an eight-ounce, collected will be included in a care collected at several campus sites: New single-serving size; cereal (individual Applewhite Denise by Photo package that will be sent to soldiers South; C230 Engineering Quadrangle; bowls or boxes); ready-to-eat tuna with overseas by the nonprofit organization Jadwin Gym; Helm Building; MacMil- or without crackers; microwaveable Name: Evangeline Kubu Operation Gratitude. lan Building; Robertson Hall; West entrees or bowls; peanut butter in jars Position: Manager of communications A holiday “A Cappella Jam and Toy College; Lewis Thomas Lab; 9 Nassau or individual cups; grape jelly in plastic and outreach for the Office of Career Drive” performance featuring several Hall; 200 Elm Drive; 185 Nassau St.; containers; yogurt smoothie drinks in Services. Creating branding and student a cappella groups will be 22 Chambers St.; Princeton Plasma shelf-stable brick packs; granola bars; public relations initiatives to raise the held at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9, on Physics Laboratory; 701 Carnegie and shelf-stable pudding cups. visibility of the office. Executing strat- the Green. The event Center; Lewis Library; two locations Additionally, campus and local egies to engage internal and external is free and open to the public, and at 171 Broadmead (University Now nonprofit groups are participating in audiences, including students, parents, attendees are encouraged to bring a Nursery School and Office of Infor- initiatives to collect donations includ- faculty, staff, alumni, employers and new, unwrapped toy to be donated to mation Technology); McCosh Health ing books, games, gift certificates, media. Managing the office’s social food, personal care items, toys, winter media presence, and its print and jackets and sleepwear. Participat- online publications. ing organizations are Anchor House/ Angel’s Wings, the Crisis Ministry of Quote: “What I enjoy most is using a Princeton and Trenton, Community blend of high-tech and ‘high-touch’ House/Princeton Young Achievers, communications efforts to tell the story Health Care Ministry of Princeton, of Career Services in a way that can be HomeFront, Princeton Nursery School, understood, remembered and valued by the YWCA Princeton St. Nicholas all of our constituents. I especially love Project and Womanspace. For more myth-busting and sharing information information about these organizations about the work we do. People are often and donations needed, visit the Com- surprised to learn that we offer more munity and Regional Affairs website than 250 career education programs, at www.princeton.edu/community or and that we begin meeting with stu- contact Erin Metro at 609-258-5144 or dents as early as freshman year to help [email protected]. them to discover, explore and pursue In addition, community members their career interests throughout their can start saving men’s and women’s four years at Princeton.” business attire for the annual gently Other interests: Spending time with used clothing drive planned for Janu- her husband Jim, 19-year-old daugh- ary. Details will be announced at a ter Stephanie and 15-year-old son later date. Anthony. Volunteering and managing The outreach initiatives are spon- publicity for St. Anna Greek Orthodox sored by the Office of Community and Photo by Denise Applewhite Denise by Photo Church in Flemington and its “Big, Regional Affairs, the Graduate School, Fat Greek Festival,” which draws Under the terms of a memorandum of understanding with Princeton Borough and Princeton the Department of Athletics, the 5,000 to 7,000 visitors. Recently com- Township, now is operating the waiting room in the Dinky commuter rail Department of Facilities, the Office of pleted a mini-MBA certificate program the Dean of Undergraduate Students, in social media marketing at Rutgers station from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. on weekdays. Above, leaders of Princeton Borough and Township and . University. and Transit come together with University officials at the Dinky station on Nov. 1 to mark the beginning of University operations of the waiting room. Pictured, from left in the front row, are University Vice President and Secretary Robert Durkee, Borough Mayor Mildred Trotman, Township Mayor Chad Goerner, Township Deputy Mayor Sue Nemeth, and Township Memorial service to be held for Schwartz Committeeman Bernie Miller. In the back row are University Vice President for Facilities Michael McKay, University Director of Community and Regional Affairs Kristin Appelget, Borough Council memorial service for Stuart 58 Prospect Ave. The service is open A Schwartz, a professor of electrical to members of the campus community. Member Roger Martindell, Borough Council President Kevin Wilkes, and New Jersey Transit engineering emeritus who died Aug. An obituary on Schwartz is available Regional Manager of Government and Community Relations Thomas Clark. 27, will be held at 4:30 p.m. Thurs- at www.princeton.edu/main/news/ day, Nov. 17, at the Fields Center at archive/S31/49/72I66.

Princeton The Princeton University Bulletin (© 2011 The Trustees of Princeton University) is published monthly from September through university Bulletin June to coincide with the academic year. The Bulletin is published by the Office of Communications, 22 Chambers St., Suite 201, Princeton, NJ 08542. A total of 10 issues will be published between September 2011 and June 2012. A publication www.princeton.edu/bulletin schedule can be found at www.princeton.edu/bulletin or by calling 609-258-3601. Permission is given to adapt, reprint or excerpt material from the Bulletin for use in other media. Periodicals postage paid at Princeton, N.J. (USPS-445-080). Deadline Postmaster: Send address changes to Princeton University Bulletin, Office of Communications, Princeton University, Managing editor 22 Chambers St., Suite 201, Princeton, NJ 08542. In general, the copy deadline for Eric Quiñones each issue is the Friday 10 days Lead designer Subscriptions in advance of the Monday cover Maggie Westergaard The Bulletin is distributed free to faculty, staff and students. University employees can manage their delivery options at www.princeton.edu/main/link/options. Others may subscribe to the Bulletin for $10 for the 2011-12 academic year. Send date. The deadline for the next issue, Contributing writers a check to Office of Communications, Princeton University, 22 Chambers St., Suite 201, Princeton, NJ 08542. Questions which covers Dec. 12-Jan. 15, is Friday, Jennifer Greenstein Altmann; can be directed to 609-258-3601 or [email protected]. Dec. 2. A complete publication Karin Dienst; Nick DiUlio; schedule can be found at Ushma Patel; Ruth Stevens www.princeton.edu/bulletin. The Princeton University Bulletin is printed on paper made with 30 percent post-consumer waste fiber. Photographers Call 609-258-3601 with questions. Denise Applewhite; Nick Barberio; Nondiscrimination statement In compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VI of the Civil To submit events for consideration John Jameson Rights Act of 1964, and other federal, state and local laws, Princeton University does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability, or veteran status in any phase of its employment for “Nassau notes,” go to Subscription manager process, in any phase of its admission or financial aid programs, or other aspects of its educational programs or activities. The vice www.princeton.edu/main/news/ Elizabeth Patten provost for institutional equity and diversity is the individual designated by the University to coordinate its efforts to comply with share/submitevents. Title IX, Section 504 and other equal opportunity and affirmative action regulations and laws. Questions or concerns regarding Title IX, Section 504 or other aspects of Princeton’s equal opportunity or affirmative action programs should be directed to the Office of the Vice Provost for Institutional Equity and Diversity, Princeton University, 205 , Princeton, NJ 08544 or 609-258-6110. Princeton Nov. 14, 2011 university Bulletin 3

People

President Barack Obama announced “Professor Bassler would be a superb tive director. Before “Steve comes to the Lewis Center his intention to nominate Princeton addition to the National Science Board,” joining the council, with an extensive knowledge of the molecular biologist Bonnie Bassler to said A.J. Stewart Smith, Princeton’s he served as assistant arts and a strong background in com- serve as a member of the National dean for research. “Her exceptional director of the sum- munications,” said Michael Cadden, Science Board, which oversees the record of scientific accomplishment mer session at Rutgers the acting chair of the Lewis Center. National Science Foundation (NSF), and creativity, coupled with her strong University and “We are pleased to welcome him to the major source of leadership skills, make her extremely manager of marketing the Lewis Center and look forward to federal funding for qualified to direct national research communications for an working with him on promoting the scientific research. priorities and make decisions in today’s Runk architectural design Bassler, who is challenging fiscal environment.” firm. Continued on page 6 Princeton’s Squibb In addition, Bassler was among five Professor in Molecu- scientists worldwide selected to receive lar Biology, has been the 2012 For Women in Science Award a faculty member at presented by UNESCO and cosmetics By the numbers the University since Bassler company L’Oréal. The award recog- 1994. Her appoint- nizes women whose work promotes the ment to the National advancement of science. Bassler and The following figures, provided by the Fall 2011 new graduate students Office of the Registrar, reflect the makeup Science Board will require U.S. Senate her fellow honorees will receive their Number pursuing doctoral degrees 467 of Princeton’s undergraduate Class of confirmation. awards and a prize of $100,000 during 2015 and this year’s new graduate stu- Number seeking master’s degrees 156 The board consists of 24 members, a March 22 ceremony at the UNESCO dents. University enrollment statistics and including eminent scientists and headquarters in Paris. Number of visiting and other data can be found online at registrar. exchange students 17 engineers from industry and academia Bassler, who also serves as director princeton.edu. who represent a variety of fields. of Princeton’s Council on Science and Percent men 62 Board members identify issues that Technology, is best known for her efforts The Princeton class of 2015 Percent women 38 are critical to the future of the NSF, to understand quorum sensing, the pro- Percent international students 37 approve strategic budget directions, cess by which bacteria communicate. Number of students 1,303 (including readmitted students) Percent American students of color 16 and approve major new programs Steve Runk, the former executive direc- Percent men 51 and awards. The NSF is the funding tor of the New Jersey State Council on Percent in humanities 14 source for approximately 20 percent of the Arts, has been named director of Percent women 49 Percent in natural sciences 26 all federally supported basic research communications for Princeton’s Lewis Number of states represented 48 Percent in School of Architecture 4 conducted by America’s colleges and Center for the Arts. plus Washington, D.C. universities. Percent in School of Engineering Runk spent 20 years on the staff of Number of countries represented 62 Board members also serve as the New Jersey State Council on the and Applied Science 20 Percent American students of color 38 advisers to the president and the Arts, which provides financial support Percent in social sciences 20 U.S. Congress on policy matters and to artists, arts organizations and proj- Percent international students 11 educational issues related to science Percent in Woodrow Wilson School ects throughout the state. He served the Percent sons/daughters of alumni 12.3 of Public and International Affairs 16 and engineering. Each board member last three years as the council’s execu- serves a six-year term. Total undergraduate enrollment 5,173 Total graduate enrollment 2,610

Seven new faculty appointed More news on the Web

he Board of Trustees has approved ics, Peter Constantin joined the faculty, Visit the News at Princeton Web page at www.princeton.edu/main/news the appointments of seven faculty effective Nov. 1, 2011, as the William for other recent stories, including the following: members, including three full pro- R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Mathematics T • University administrators have begun implementing the new “open-access” fessors and four assistant professors. and Applied Computational Math- policy approved this fall by Princeton faculty members to expand the public’s ematics. The author of 140 papers and access to their research. The policy gives the University and faculty members Professor two books, he conducts research on rights to republish scholarly articles, making it possible for individuals without In history, David Cannadine was nonlinear partial differential equations journal subscriptions to access them. “The policy is intended to make the named the Dodge Professor of History, with applications to turbulent convec- faculty’s scholarly articles, published in journals and conference proceedings, effective Sept. 1, 2011, after serving for tion, the physics of exploding stars and available to a wider audience,” Dean of the Faculty David Dobkin said. three years as a senior research scholar other topics related to fluid dynamics. in Princeton’s Council of the Humani- Constantin arrived at Princeton • A gift from William Clay Ford Jr., a member of Princeton’s Class of 1979, and Lisa ties and as a lecturer in the history from the University of Chicago, where Vanderzee Ford, of the Class of 1982, will create the Bill and Lisa Ford Family department. His interests include the he had been a faculty member since Directorship of Athletics at Princeton. In addition to endowing the directorship, economic, social, political and cultural 1985. He holds bachelor’s and master’s the gift will provide funding for Princeton’s athletic director to invest in programs history of modern Britain and its degrees from the University of Bucha- to enhance the student-athlete experience. The Fords’ gift is part of the Univer- empire, as well as capitalism, collect- rest and a Ph.D. from the Hebrew sity’s current $1.75 billion fundraising campaign, which includes a commitment ing and philanthropy in 19th- and University of Jerusalem. to athletics as an important element of the Princeton experience. Alumni and 20th-century America, and the history friends have provided significant support for a range of varsity and recreational of history. He is the author of 12 books, Assistant professors athletic programs as part of the Aspire campaign. including “The Decline and Fall of the In economics, Myrto Kalouptsidi has British Aristocracy,” “Ornamentalism: been appointed to a term of three and • Five new postdoctoral scholars — Hannah Freed-Thall, Douglas Jones Jr., Joel How the British Saw Their Empire,” a half years, effective Feb. 1, 2012. A Lande, Ellen Lockhart and Tey Meadow — have joined Princeton’s Society of and “Mellon: An American Life.” specialist in industrial organization, Fellows in the Liberal Arts for the 2011-12 academic year. The society is an inter- Cannadine, who received a knight- she is currently an associate research disciplinary community that seeks to bring innovative approaches to scholarship hood from the British government in scholar at Princeton. A graduate of the and teaching at the University. The new fellows were selected from 890 applicants; 2009, came to Princeton after 10 years University of Athens, she holds a mas- they teach half-time in their academic department and pursue their own research. at the University of London. He also ter’s degree from Athens University of previously served on the faculty of Economics and Business and a Ph.D. • Climate change, land use and other human-driven factors could pit savannas Columbia University and the Uni- from Yale University. and forests against each other by altering the elements found by Princeton versity of Cambridge. He earned his In English, American literature researchers to stabilize the two. Without this harmony, the habitats, or biomes, bachelor’s and master’s degrees from scholar Joshua Kotin began a three- could increasingly encroach on one other to the detriment of the people and Cambridge and his Ph.D. from the year term July 1, 2011. He is a animals that rely on them. The changeover from one biome to the other — which University of Oxford. graduate of McGill University and can happen within several decades — can be extremely difficult to reverse once In chemistry, Garnet Chan will be earned his Ph.D. at the University of it has happened, according to lead author Carla Staver, a doctoral student in appointed the A. Barton Hepburn Chicago. the laboratory of co-author Simon Levin, the Moffett Professor of Biology in the Professor of Chemistry, effective In economics and the Woodrow Wil- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Jan. 1, 2012. Chan’s research is focused son School of Public and International on developing new techniques for elec- Affairs, Tom Vogl began a three-year • Actor and comedian Steve Carell will deliver the keynote address at the Uni- tronic structure theory using ideas that term July 1, 2011. Vogl’s research versity’s Class Day ceremony on Monday, June 4. Leaders of the senior class bridge quantum chemistry, condensed focuses on development economics selected Carell, known for his portrayal of Michael Scott in the NBC comedy “The matter and quantum information. and health policy. A 2005 graduate Office,” from numerous nominees suggested by their classmates. Chan earned his bachelor’s degree of Princeton, he holds a Ph.D. from and Ph.D. from the University of Harvard University. • Princeton researchers led by Blair Professor of Geology Jeroen Tromp have Cambridge. He will join the Princeton In French and Italian, Christy developed a new model that can not only more accurately simulate the seis- faculty after seven years at Cornell Wampole began a three-year term Sept. mic fallout from a large meteorite striking the Earth, but also help reveal new University. He previously served as a 1, 2011. A specialist in 19th-, 20th- information about the surface and interior of planets based on past collisions. postdoctoral fellow at the University of and 21st-century French and Italian The researchers created the first model to take into account Earth’s ellipti- California-Berkeley and as a research literature, Wampole earned bachelor’s cal shape, surface features and ocean depths in simulations of how seismic fellow at Cambridge. and master’s degrees from the Univer- waves generated by a meteorite collision would spread across and within the In mathematics and the Program in sity of North Texas and a Ph.D. from planet. Applied and Computational Mathemat- Stanford University. Princeton 4 university Bulletin Nov. 14, 2011

• From 2010 to 2011, there was a 98 Princeton reports continued progress on percent increase in the number of cam- pus community members participating in Transportation Demand Manage- sustainability goals, enters new phase of plan ment (TDM) programs implemented to reduce the number of single-occupant vehicles coming to campus. A major- Ru t h St e v e n s “We’ve been in implementation mode of 700 homes, or enough to meet 5.5 per- ity of the 700 now involved, including since 2008 and have a fairly solid cent of the total annual campus electrical graduate students — who may par- rinceton’s greenhouse gas emis- grasp of the direction we need to go needs while avoiding about 3,000 metric ticipate in the mass transit subsidy

sions have remained below 2008 on the operational end of things,” she tons of CO2 per year. program as of July 2011 — are benefit- Plevels for three years, and campus said. “We’ve had very productive col- Many of Princeton’s sustainability ing from TDM program incentives. water usage and landfill waste each laborations with faculty members and efforts are resulting in cost savings, • The total volume of cleaning chemi- have declined by 13 percent since 2006. students, but we want to try to reach according to the report. Under an cals purchased decreased by 30 percent These key achievements are noted in out and develop more relationships Energy Master Plan established in between fiscal year 2010 and 2011. the University’s third annual Sustain- across operations and academics so 2008, the University is investing $45 More than 43 percent by volume (66 ability Report, which is available at that we can accelerate this process as a million between 2009 and 2017 in other percent by dollars spent) of chemical www.princeton.edu/reports/2011/ community.” energy-savings projects in order to cleaners and soaps purchased in 2011 sustainability. achieve $8.5 million in annual savings. were Green Seal certified. This repre- According to the report, the Uni- Confronting emissions goals In 2010-11, the University spent about sents a nearly 30 percent increase in versity continued to make significant The report notes that on-campus $477,500, resulting in savings of about volume and an 11 percent increase in greenhouse gas emissions have declined progress on sustainability measures in 1,000 metric tons of CO2 and $193,000 spending over the previous year. the past year and is seeking to accel- by approximately 2.6 percent since in energy costs. Since the master plan • Pesticide use (herbicides, insec- erate efforts to bridge the areas of fiscal year 2008 — the year emissions was established, the University has ticides and fungicides) on campus operations and academics in sustain- declined for the first time since the Uni- invested $5.3 million in energy-savings has decreased from more than 5,000 ability problem-solving. versity’s energy-efficient cogeneration projects, resulting in annual savings of gallons in 2007 to about 4,000 gal- The report measures progress in three plant was installed in 1996. This drop about $1.7 million in energy costs and lons in 2009 and to slightly more than has taken place even with the addition broad categories: greenhouse gas emis- 10,000 metric tons of CO2. 1,500 gallons in 2010. Nearly 100 sions reduction; resource conservation; of more than 560,000 square feet to the The report lists several other key percent of the leaves and landscape and research, education and civic engage- University’s physical plant in the same milestones: trimmings collected on campus are ment. Improvement is determined both time period. • Water usage in the residence halls composted. Since 2008, an average by gauging results against metrics and From 2010 to 2011, emissions devi- was down by about 5 percent, or nearly annual volume of more than 4,400 cubic by assessing efforts to influence behavior ated slightly from the annual reduction 2 million gallons from fiscal year 2010 yards of “green waste” was compos- change. The University provides an ideal trend, rising by 1.5 percent to approxi- to 2011. Overall campus water usage, ted — enough leaves and trimmings to however, increased cover nearly three acres one foot thick. by about 21 percent • In the past year, more than five during the same time acres of woodlands were restored along period, likely due Washington Road and the Boathouse to a rise in demand Walk near the south edge of campus, at the central plant, and roughly four acres of green space which uses water in were reconstructed in other areas along direct proportion to campus walks and greens. In total, 215 the amount of energy new trees and 197 new shrubs were provided for heating planted. and cooling. Again, the severe weather The campus as a living laboratory and having two The progress in sustainability chemistry laborato- extends into the classroom. In 2011, ries open played a 192 undergraduates representing 19 role. Overall campus academic disciplines participated in the water usage was 13 Program in Environmental Studies, percent lower in fiscal up from 162 undergraduates in 2010. year 2011 than in fis- A total of 57 undergraduates received cal year 2006. environmental studies certificates in • Overall cam- 2011, up from 45 in 2010 and quadru- pus landfill waste ple the number in 2002. decreased by 2.5 About 20 percent of graduating percent from 2009 seniors in 2011 participated in the to 2010; the decrease Princeton Environmental Institute’s was 13 percent from undergraduate program during their 2006 to 2010. four years at Princeton, pursuing cer- • University sustain- tificates, coursework, internships and able food purchases independent research. Photo by Christopher Lillja by Photo increased from 61 Danny Growald, a 2011 alumnus The new Boathouse Walk provides a pedestrian/bicycle link between Faculty Road and South Drive. Three acres of percent of total food who majored in ecology and evolu- adjacent woodlands were restored by removing invasive species, adding new topsoil and planting 34 trees. purchases in 2010 tionary biology, earned a certificate to 66 percent in 2011, in environmental studies and was and local food pur- the undergraduate chair of Princeton environment for this work, said Executive mately 111,700 metric tons. The chases (within 250 miles) increased Students United for a Responsible Vice President Mark Burstein. increase is likely due to the opening from 52 percent in 2010 to 59 percent in Global Environment (SURGE), “One feature that sets apart the of the new Frick Chemistry Labora- 2011. In 2007, sustainable food pur- offers this account of his Princeton Sustainability Plan that Princeton tory while the old chemistry building chases were 36 percent and local food experience on the Sustainability adopted in 2008 is our decision to at 20 Washington Road, which will purchases (within 250 miles) were 27 Report website: “PEI (the Princeton mitigate our environmental impact be converted to a less energy-intensive percent of total food purchases. Environmental Institute) and the solely with campus-based investments nonlaboratory building, was still • In summer 2011, a “tray-free” dining environmental studies program took in efficiency and culture change,” operating. The rise also is attributed to policy was successfully implemented in me from the fundamentals of climate Burstein said. “We have a tremendous a significant increase in campus heat- all six residential dining halls. Tray- opportunity to use the physical campus ing and cooling demands due to more free dining (providing larger plates Continued on page 8 as a testing ground for the benefit of extreme weather (more cold or hot and glasses and eliminating trays) has students and researchers as we seek to weather for longer than average periods the potential to reduce water usage and reach the Sustainability Plan goals.” of time) over the past year. energy costs by $4,000 per year, save The Sustainability Plan has been a “Our experience this past year dem- up to 1.2 percent on food purchases, Employee obituaries campuswide effort since the beginning onstrates what a considerable challenge reduce food waste by up to 30 percent, of its development in 2007. Working it is to meet our goal of decreasing and avoid more than 23 metric tons of groups of the Princeton Sustainability carbon dioxide emissions to 1990 lev- CO2 emissions. Current employees Committee — which is composed of fac- els — 95,000 metric tons — by 2020 October: Alfonza Hale, 61 (1969-2011, ulty, staff and students — proposed the through direct local reductions with no plumbing shop). plan and now benchmark sustainability purchase of market ‘offsets’ and within performance across University opera- the constraints of our growing space Retired employees tions, teaching, research and student needs,” Burstein said. “We anticipate Employee retirements December 2010: Dorothy Quick, 89 activities. Their reports are incorpo- that campus expansion will require (1960-1986, library). rated into the online publication. even greater improvements in energy August: Ruth Paine, 95 (East Asian In the next phase, the Office of efficiency to achieve the net reductions Effective Nov. 1: in Dining Ser- studies, 1976-1990). Sustainability, which coordinates the stated in our plan.” vices, residential food service worker September: Carmelo Didonato, 82 (1966- plan’s implementation, will be collabo- One project the University began Amawatee Doobraj, after 39 years; in 1994, maintenance); Harry Loveless, 91 rating with the working groups and implementing this fall is a 5.2-megawatt geosciences, associate professional spe- (1962-1984, Mail Services); Thomas the campus community to integrate the solar collector field on 27 acres it owns in cialist Robert Mika, after 35 years; in the McFarland, 84 (1978-1989, English). plan more fully and swiftly into the life West Windsor Township. The system, library, senior bibliographic specialist October: D. Whitney Coe, 74 (1967-2003, of the University, according to Shana comprising 16,500 photovoltaic panels, is Lilia Riha, after 33 years; in University library); Elizabeth Cziffra, 73 (1987-1997, Weber, manager of the office and co- expected to generate 8 million kWh per Health Services, senior staff psycholo- library); John Lowrance, 79 (1966-1989, chair of the committee. year — enough to power the equivalent gist Roberto Schiraldi, after 10 years. plasma physics lab). Princeton Nov. 14, 2011 university Bulletin 5 nassaunotes Nov. 14-Dec. 11

upcoming Wilentz to present President’s Calendarlinks

Lecture: “Nano and Microscale Lecture on political partisanship For broader listings of Transport in Thermoelectric Energy campus public events: Conversion” Ali Shakouri, Purdue University rinceton historian Sean Wilentz the longstanding “illusion of post- 4 p.m. Nov. 15 will speak on “The Long and partisanship” that has marked the Public Events Calendar Friend Center, Room 006 P Tragical History of Post- American political scene. www.princeton.edu/events Partisanship” at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Wilentz is an authority on U.S. social Information on tickets is available at Lecture: “The Nationalist-Islamist Split Dec. 1, in the Friend Center, Room 101. and political history. His books include the website below: Among Palestinians and Its Impact on The talk is the second installment of “The Rise of American Democracy: Palestinian-Israeli Relations” the 2011-12 President’s Lecture Series. Jefferson to Lincoln” and “The Age of University Ticketing Kahlil Shikaki, Palestinian Center for Policy Wilentz, Princeton’s George Henry Reagan: A History, 1974-2008.” www.princeton.edu/utickets and Survey Research Davis 1886 Professor of American The lecture by Wilentz will be 609-258-9220 4:30 p.m. Nov. 15 History, has been a faculty member at webcast; viewing information will East Pyne Hall, Room 010 the University since 1979. His lecture be available at www.princeton.edu/ For listings by selected University sponsors: Lecture: “Figuring the Renaissance: will trace the history of “the American webmedia. Art Museum Leonardo, Duer, Michelangelo and Their dream of politics without conflict,” Susan Stewart, Princeton’s Avalon www.princetonartmuseum.org Critics” which is as old as the United States Foundation University Professor in 609-258-3788 David Rosand, Columbia University itself, according to Wilentz. From the Humanities, will deliver the final Athletics 5 p.m. Nov. 16 George Washington’s presidency and talk in this year’s President’s Lec- www.goprincetontigers.com McCormick Hall, Room 101 the eras of the Federalist and Whig ture Series at a future date. For more 609-258-3568 parties, to the Confederacy and the information, visit www.princeton.edu/ Center for African American Studies Lecture: “A Primer on Patents” present day, Wilentz will examine president/presidents_lecture_series. www.princeton.edu/africanamericanstudies/ Manny Schecter, IBM events 5:30 p.m. Nov. 16 609-258-4270 Friend Center, Room 101 Council of the Humanities humanities.princeton.edu/calendar Theater performance: “27” 609-258-4717 Princeton Chinese Theatre Frist Campus Center 8 p.m. Nov. 17 www.princeton.edu/frist Frist Campus Center Theater 609-258-1766 Lewis Center for the Arts Concert: “The Unspoken Word” www.princeton.edu/arts/events/calendar Princeton University Chamber Choir 609-258-1500 3 p.m. Nov. 20 Library Fine Hall, Taplin Auditorium www.princeton.edu/~rbsc/exhibitions 609-258-3181 Lecture: “Leadership Dialogue McCarter Theatre With Chris Cerf, New Jersey Acting www.mccarter.org Commissioner of Education” 609-258-2787 4:30 p.m. Nov. 28 Music Department Fields Center, Room 104 www.princeton.edu/music 609-258-4241 Lecture: “Reporting South Asia” Office of Information Technology Steve Coll, journalist www.princeton.edu/academicservices/ 4:30 p.m. Dec. 1 609-258-2949 Burr Hall, Room 219 Public Lecture Series lectures.princeton.edu Conference: “Historians’ Biographies President’s Lecture Series and Historians’ Works: Can We www.princeton.edu/president/ Understand History Without presidents_lecture_series Understanding the Historian?” 609-258-6100 1:30 p.m. Dec. 2 Princeton Institute for International and Burr Hall, Room 219 Regional Studies www.princeton.edu/piirs/news-events/ Senior thesis production: “Eden” events Elizabeth Swanson, director 609-258-4851 8 p.m. Dec. 11-13 Princeton University Concerts Whitman College, Class of 1970 Theater www.princeton.edu/puconcerts 609-258-2800 Richardson Auditorium www.princeton.edu/richaud 609-258-5000 School of Architecture soa.princeton.edu 609-258-3741 School of Engineering and Applied Science www.princeton.edu/engineering/events 609-258-4554 Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs wws.princeton.edu/events 609-258-2943

For additional events sponsored by specific departments, programs and offices: University “A to Z” search page www.princeton.edu/main/tools/az Poster design by Mahlon Lovett; image courtesy of the William H. Walker Cartoon Collection, Mudd Manuscript Library For audience members needing assistance: Office of Disability Services www.princeton.edu/ods 609-258-8840 At left, students from Princeton’s Program in Visual Arts cut the ribbon to mark the reopening of the Lucas Gallery at the Lewis Center for the Arts at 185 Nassau St. The gallery, which reopened To offer submissions for “Nassau notes,” Oct. 25 following an extensive renovation, is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Upcoming use the online form: www.princeton.edu/main/news/share/ exhibitions will feature student work in painting and ceramics (Nov. 21-27), and sculpture, graphic submitevents

Photo by M. Teresa Simao design, video and photography (Dec. 6-16). For more information, visit www.princeton.edu/arts. Princeton 6 university Bulletin Nov. 14, 2011

Academic journeys begin with freshman seminars

Inquiry and Discovery

rinceton’s newest undergraduates are setting out on a path of inquiry and Pdiscovery this fall through the University’s freshman seminar program. Freshman seminars enable students to build strong relationships with faculty members and classmates in a close-knit intellectual setting. Many students cite the freshman seminar as one of the highlights of their time at Princeton. Among other subjects, freshmen this fall are exploring forces that shape facial perception, issues related to global environmental change, experiences with sound and music, and notions of individuality. A total of 480 freshmen are enrolled this semester in 35 seminars, each of which is hosted by a resi- dential college. Class discussions often continue in informal settings both on and off campus, through meals, guest lectures, field trips and other activities. This issue of the Bulletin includes features on three freshman seminars offered at Princeton this semester. In addition, to watch a video about the freshman seminar “Silence, Noise, Sound and Music: Everyday Experience and/as Art” led by Professor of Music Barbara White (pictured at far right),

visit www.princeton.edu/main/news/featured. Video still by Evelyn Tu

Tackling tough questions about global environmental change

Ni c k D iUl i o linking each of these issues and to China’s “one-child policy” and showed from a wide array of perspectives, challenge students to consider possible the students how to calculate the even- rather than just the hardcore science.” azing up at a projected map solutions. tual age distribution that will result. Students also are required to displaying the changing dietary “One of the things the students are When Chinese government officials compose biweekly essays address- G habits of people from countries starting to understand is the intercon- “started calculating the data, they ing myriad environmental and policy around the world, students in Profes- nectedness of all these issues,” said realized that age distribution will be quandaries. At the close of the global sor Eric Wood’s and research scholar Wood, an affiliated faculty member in heavily weighted toward older people, food unit, the essay question asked: Justin Sheffield’s freshman seminar the Princeton Environmental Insti- and that could create economic disas- “How do we feed the world’s popula- faced a difficult question. tute whose research focuses include ter,” Sheffield said. “In the next 10 tion in the future in a sustainable, “Why do you think we’re seeing climate, terrestrial hydrology, remote years, the number of Chinese people equitable manner, and what are the a global transition to a meat-based sensing and water resources. “We between the ages of 18 and 26 will fall challenges in trying to do so?” diet?” Sheffield asked the 14 freshmen want students to realize that these by close to 50 percent, a statistic that is While he admitted they are often gathered for the session of “Global aren’t one-dimensional problems. You woven into the fabric of global environ- very challenging, freshman Ray Chao Environmental Change: Science, can’t think of energy, food security or mental issues.” likes these essays. Technology and Policy.” The seminar, land degradation in isolation. It was Freshman Olivia Howard said she “We’re encouraged to create our which is being offered for the first time our hope in designing this seminar was drawn to the seminar not only own solutions and ideas,” Chao said. this fall, addresses the issue of climate that students would come to under- because of her deep concern for the “It requires a lot of creativity, and it’s and sustainability through the lens of stand the complexity of it all.” Earth’s future, but also because she was exciting to take what we’re learning to many disciplines. To accomplish this, students are looking for a course that would inte- come up with something new.” One student posited that the shift assigned reading material that includes grate many disciplines into the topic of When he was a senior in high school, in diet may indicate that consumption contemporary literature concerning global warming and sustainability. Chao made a short documentary explor- of meat connotes high social status causes and effects of global environ- “I’m attracted to interdisciplin- ing the intersection of environmental in some cultures. Another student mental change and sustainability. ary and conversational approaches to awareness and public policy. Now suggested that the increasingly global- Wood and Sheffield also provide sev- global problems, and I think that’s a considering a major in the Woodrow ized economy could be a factor in the eral questions for students to consider really important aspect of studying Wilson School of Public and Interna- transition — or, perhaps, that more between class sessions, which guide this issue,” said Howard, who is lean- tional Affairs, Chao said the seminar and more people simply like the taste the following week’s discussions. ing toward a major in sociology with offers him a fusion of those two interests. of meat. In late September, they assigned a certificate in environmental studies. “Every week it’s something com- With each question posed during the reading material on the impact of “This seminar looks at these problems pletely different but also similar,” Chao three-hour session, Wood and Sheffield said. “There are so many different extend the initial query into a further issues, but they are all connected into exploration of complex issues. one huge issue of climate change. It’s “OK, well, this creates an interesting so multifaceted, and the connections dilemma,” said Wood, the Susan Dod run so deep.” Brown Professor of Civil and Envi- Wood and Sheffield said they hope ronmental Engineering at Princeton to continue teaching the seminar, and director of the Program in Envi- which is designated as the Donald ronmental Engineering and Water P. Wilson ’33 and Edna M. Wilson Resources. “If the world switches to Freshman Seminar, for a number of a U.S.-style, meat-based diet, is that years to come. Not only is the topic going to be sustainable?” important but, as Wood said, “Com- It had been less than 30 minutes plicated environmental problems are since class began and already the room inherently intellectually interesting.” hummed with discussion that would “There’s an intellectual satisfaction continue until everyone was dismissed. in thinking about these issues, dis- Focusing primarily on global food crises cussing them and understanding how that afternoon, Wood and his students they all come together,” Wood said. — along with co-instructor Sheffield, a “For instance, vast parts of Africa are research scholar and lecturer in civil and being bought up to use for biofuels. environmental engineering — touched What does that mean for food security on a range of topics including the impact and water allocation? These are really of modern technology on global agricul- interesting questions. They don’t have Photo by Denise Applewhite Denise by Photo ture, the importance of food security, the easy answers, but that’s what makes causes of recent spikes in food prices, From left, “Global Environmental Change” seminar instructors Justin Sheffield and Eric Wood them so great to think about.” and the pros and cons of U.S. foreign aid join students Ray Chao, Marina Kaneko and Joan Cannon in a discussion of food crises. policies. The previous week, the students focused on the environmental causes and socioeconomic effects of natural disasters around the world. Before Jersey arts community, to say nothing to collaborate with professional artists. that, the class focused on global water People of the mid-Atlantic and national arenas, The center each year presents more than scarcity and its impact on economic Continued from page 3 will help us to get the word out about 100 public performances, concerts, exhi- development. And earlier sessions Princeton’s vibrant arts scene.” bitions and lectures, most of them free, covered the impact of rapid population The Lewis Center is made up of along with numerous opportunities for growth on global communities and the extensive array of programs and events Princeton’s programs in creative writing, students to participate in the arts. environment. The aim of the seminar, offered by our faculty, guest artists and dance, theater and visual arts, and the Runk succeeds Marguerite d’Aprile- said Wood, is to explore the threads students. His knowledge of the New Princeton Atelier, which allows students Smith, who has relocated. Princeton Nov. 14, 2011 university Bulletin 7 Exploring the science and nuance of facial perception

Us h m a Pat e l Freshman Miriam Pearsall had Different people in the class will offer agitated or motivated to find a culprit, enjoyed her psychology class in high several perspectives on the significance or they may compare the faces in the rofessor Alexander Todorov school and was drawn immediately to of any given study, and that means we lineup to each other rather than their showed the students in his fresh- the seminar topic. get to examine a hypothesis from a own memory, or expect some variation P man seminar a series of images of “I was especially attracted to the variety of angles.” between their memory and the lineup, the same blurry face — with the hint fact that face perception has such great Todorov’s lesson on eyewitnesses among other factors. that it was a non-American political relevance in understanding society and was meant to contrast sophisticated “We can use these insights for better leader — as it would appear from 200, the world as a whole,” Pearsall said. “I perception skills for familiar faces police procedures for not arresting 100 and 50 meters. At 50 meters, only love that this freshman seminar allows with the factors in play when observ- innocent people,” Todorov said, adding one student figured out who it was — me to voluntarily delve in the topic. ing unfamiliar faces. Scientists have that New Jersey is one of the states Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Then I can discuss what I’ve learned not yet discovered why and how the that changed its lineup procedures to Todorov’s next example illustrated with people who are just as interested processes for perceiving familiar and reflect research in this area and remove how facial recognition can have serious in the topic as I am.” unfamiliar faces are so different. some sources of bias. “The point is not consequences. He showed the stu- Todorov began the course, which is dents a photo of Darrell Edwards, a designated as the Shelly and Michael man who is currently fighting a 1999 Kassen ’76 Freshman Seminar in the murder conviction based in part on Life Sciences, by explaining how the eyewitness testimony. Then Todorov brain develops facial representations. demonstrated what Edwards would Students learned about unique ways have looked like to the eyewitness who the brain processes faces unlike other said she saw him the night of the mur- objects almost from birth; the fact that der from 271 feet (about 82 meters) it takes less than 50 milliseconds of away, without her prescription eye- glimpsing a face to extract informatino glasses. The shocked students laughed about its familiarity, age, sex, race and at the blurry photograph. attractiveness; and parts of the brain “The jurors didn’t have that reac- such as the fusiform face area dedi- tion. They thought it was actually cated to face processing. possible from this distance to identify The class also visited the functional a person,” Todorov said. “The fact of magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) the matter is, from this distance, you lab in Green Hall on campus where can’t identify a person. You might Todorov, with the help of a gradu- be able to identify somebody who’s a ate student, demonstrated how brain Photo by Denise Applewhite Denise by Photo highly familiar person based on their scans are done, and students received a gait and other things, but in this case primer on analyzing the scans. From left, students Abidjan Walker, Kelly Kremer and Tova Bergsten listen as Professor an unfamiliar person, the eyewitness, For Sarah Cuneo, the trip to the Alexander Todorov (right) explains how overconfidence plays a role in facial perception. didn’t know who Darrell is.” fMRI lab has been the highlight of the Todorov, an associate professor class up to this point. In the same class as the discus- to dismiss this sort of evidence but to of psychology and public affairs at “It was amazing to be able to see sion on Edwards, students picked out look at it with a critical eye.” Princeton, uses a wide array of visual for ourselves all the techniques and Michael Jordan, Bill Clinton and Jay In his own lab, Todorov studies the aids in his course “The Face: The results that we had been reading about Leno in a slide of blurry faces. Yet social perceptions of faces, and he will Forces That Shape How We Perceive for weeks — there’s definitely a huge earlier, students had performed poorly focus on related issues for the rest of Others,” which is being offered for the difference between understanding on a hypothetical lineup. When they the semester. Some discussion topics first time this fall. His 15 students are something in theory and seeing it in were asked to match the photo of a include how people perceive emotional learning about humans’ specialized practice,” Cuneo said. suspect to one of 10 mug shots, the expressions, how people form first mechanisms for processing, recogniz- The classroom discussions have also students came to a consensus on one impressions, how they assess personal- ing and socially assessing faces — as shed light on and enlivened some of man and were surprised when Todorov ity traits such as trustworthiness, and well as the biases that lead to errors in the more technical material, she said. told them that none of the 10 was the what makes a face attractive. perception. “The small size of our freshman suspect. “It’s great to explain the basic con- “My ambition is to make them seminar gives the class an incredibly “It makes sense that we would be cepts, and I also learn from teaching excited about psychology and cogni- collaborative feel; we get to really less able to identify unfamiliar faces, them,” Todorov said. “I don’t really tive science. It’s a specialized topic but engage our classmates in discussion, but I didn’t think we would be as bad want the students to be face experts, has something for everybody,” Todorov which means that we legitimately learn as we were. We were really, really but if they get excited about the right said, with applications from eyewit- from each other,” Cuneo said. “A lot of bad,” Cuneo said. way to do an experiment, how to test ness testimony to electoral outcomes what we do in class is discussion of sci- Students suggested many factors a theory, how to rule out alternative to Hollywood casting of “attractive” entific journal articles, and it’s great to and biases that could lead to a mis- explanations and get excited about performers. have an active debate about the results. identification — witnesses may be psychology, that’s great.”

erty,” called “Individuality as One of cultures, or building a stable home and elements that were, and remain, impor- Appiah the Elements of Wellbeing.” raising a family.” tant to everybody for a life worth living. Continued from page 1 The students also could think back Delighted with the juxtaposition, “Friendships, being moral, being a on the novels they had read from Appiah offered a famous example: the decent person, not causing unneces- different countries and time periods, life of the French post-impressionist sary harm to others, that’s there for and his concept of eudaemonia, which whose main characters struggle to artist Paul Gauguin, who abandoned everybody,” Appiah said. is the idea of a life well lived. shape their lives in the face of chang- his wife and children in order to move Appropriate for students new “This is hard stuff,” cautioned ing societal landscapes. The readings to Tahiti, a setting that inspired his to college and to Princeton, ques- Appiah, before asking the evening’s included Chinua Achebe’s “Things work and propelled him to fame. tions also surfaced about using the presenter, Andrew Barnett, and Fall Apart,” Tsitsi Dangarembga’s Appiah elaborated that the 20th- resources one has to advance oneself, the class to “go bravely into it.” He “Nervous Conditions,” Stendhal’s century British philosopher Bernard as well as the role of ambition in encouraged the freshmen to “keep an “The Red and the Black,” and Kazuo Williams used the example of Gauguin building a life worth living. eye on the big picture” as they gained Ishiguro’s “The Remains of the Day.” to ask the central question about which “Aristotle teaches us that high ambi- a general sense of the ancient Greek Later in the semester, the students of the choices available to the artist tions not achieved might be a great philosopher’s intellectual approach. will explore philosophical works pointed to a better life. life, but low ambitions achieved may In his presentation, Barnett empha- by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Ronald Going to Tahiti, said Appiah, “paid not be such a good life,” Appiah said. sized Aristotle’s belief that “you need Dworkin, Michel Foucault, Friedrich off,” even at the cost of Gauguin’s fam- He reminded the students, though, ethics in order to live the best life,” Nietzsche and Joseph Raz, as well as ily. “If the life in Tahiti had amounted that Mill “makes it very clear that and that “without a central good in the literary critic Lionel Trilling. to nothing, we would have had a nega- there are different strokes for different life, all other things lose meaning.” Freshman Bina Peltz said the tive assessment of his life,” he said. folks,” and that “people have the right He also stressed the importance of variety of the readings, along with “What he did was morally wrong,” but to do what they do because that is up self-examination and the utilitarian the varied backgrounds of the stu- by making the choice that enabled his to them.” understanding that to live well, one dents, provides a fertile environment artistry to flourish, Gauguin ended up It’s a message that Appiah takes to must also take action for the good of for new ideas. “The diverse experi- with a “great life, with flaws in it, but heart himself. He wants to encour- others. ences of the other students engender a that’s less important.” age these new Princeton students to The discussion expanded to the unique fusion of interpretations,” she The example of greatness spurred reach high to achieve intellectual and students seated around the long table, said, “while Professor Appiah’s vast a fresh question from a student who personal goals, but he in no way wants as they explored a variety of terms — knowledge constantly offers us a fresh asked if more should be said about the to tell them what to do. happiness, pleasure, excellence, virtue, perspective.” life worth living of a “regular person.” “It’s my job to help them deepen morality — with Appiah providing To evoke new perspectives, Appiah Returning to Aristotle, Appiah their grasp of how to manage their guiding principles and examples. asked the students if they could offer answered that while the teachings of lives for themselves,” Appiah said. The conversation drew from texts two examples of ways of living that the ancient philosopher at that time “And each time I teach about this covered earlier in the class, in particu- were worth pursuing, but that were addressed the well educated and the topic, I learn new things from them lar the 19th-century philosopher and very different from each other. aristocracy — including Alexander the as I hope they learn new things from political economist John Stuart Mill’s One student said, “Traveling the Great, who was tutored by Aristotle — me. It’s a great privilege to have these third chapter of his essay “On Lib- world and experiencing different he did provide numerous examples of amazing young people in class.” Princeton 8 university Bulletin Nov. 14, 2011

Writing, for Eugenides, can be a Eugenides rewarding experience or a demoral- Continued from page 1 izing one, “depending on the day,” he said. He explained that he is usually mine had been workshopped in class, pretty tight-lipped about a work- Professor Eugenides would invite me in-progress, but a few years ago he to his office hours to discuss them opened up to fellow Princeton creative some more.” writing professor Edmund White about what he was working on. The Wrestling with semiotics and storytelling new novel, then in its early stages, Writing “The Marriage Plot,” featured a family coming together for which Eugenides started a few years a debutante party, which occurred at before coming to Princeton, was a the end of the novel. When Eugen- chance to reflect on his undergraduate ides described the story to White, he days, when he flirted with being an responded, “Don’t do it. A party at actor, wore thrift-shop suits and stud- the end never works.” The conversa- ied semiotics, a critical approach to tion prompted Eugenides to take a studying literature and other cultural hard look at what he had written. forms focused on the analysis of signs, Ultimately, he put aside the debutante symbols and the things to which they story but kept the characters, trans- refer. forming the story into “The Marriage “Semiotics was all the craze in the Plot.” ’80s, especially at Brown,” he said. “I usually don’t talk about my work While Madeleine wrestles with to anyone. I’m pretty secretive about what she sees as the coldness of it,” Eugenides said. “But I was glad I semiotics, she secretly clings to her opened up to Ed, because when he said enjoyment of the romantic intrigues it, it started me thinking.” and old-fashioned storytelling in White was surprised to later learn books by Jane Austen and George how seriously Eugenides took his com- Eliot. “What exquisite guilt she felt, ments, but he is enjoying the results, wickedly enjoying narrative!” Eugen- he said. ides writes. “I’m loving ‘The Marriage Plot,’ In the novel, Eugenides draws from which is, among other things, a very his own experience traveling in India funny satire of academic life and its after college, when he volunteered fads,” White said. for a brief time at Mother Teresa’s Home for Dying Destitutes. The Encouraging students’ writing ambitions character Mitchell also visits the Eugenides made his literary debut Mother Teresa home, placing pills in 1993 with “The Virgin Suicides,” on the patients’ tongues and giving which tells the story of five sisters them head massages while pining for who commit suicide, narrated by the

Madeleine. teenage boys who are mesmerized by Photo by Nick Barberio The chapter on Mitchell’s travels in them. Much of the book was writ- A billboard for Eugenides’ new novel, “The Marriage Plot,” looms over Times Square in New India “is the shortest in the book and ten while Eugenides worked as an York City. On Oct. 30, the book debuted at No. 2 on The New York Times best-seller list. took me the longest to write,” Eugen- executive secretary at the Academy ides said. “The difficulty was to get of American Poets, which eventu- distance between my own memories ally fired him for his extracurricular fate of ‘Middlesex’ quite a bit, which I wrote my own work — I think it’s and the fiction I was trying to create.” writing. The novel was soon bought I’m grateful for, because the subject beneficial for them to see that I am He rewrote the chapter several times, by a publisher, and when it came out, matter seemed a little off-putting to often in doubt about how to proceed, eventually trimming 60 pages. Eugenides became “a literary celeb- many people.” and to share strategies I’ve used to While Eugenides dips into his life rity,” according to The New York Coming nine years after “Middle- solve problems.” experience in his fiction at times, he Times. “The Virgin Suicides” was sex,” “The Marriage Plot” was highly Susan Wheeler, the director of the says he prefers not to. “Writing auto- later made into a film by director Sofia anticipated and has been enthusiasti- Program in Creative Writing at biographically is difficult for me and Coppola. cally received. Its publisher, Farrar, Princeton, said Eugenides “encourages it causes a lot of trouble, so I try not to His next novel, “Middlesex,” pub- Straus and Giroux, announced the his students to be ambitious in their stay too close to my life, even though lished in 2002, is the story of Cal novel’s arrival with a billboard in own writing, and to have high expecta- people will always think I’m writing Stephanides, whose genetic abnormal- Times Square and ordered an initial tions of each other. The same mixture about my life.” ity is conveyed in an unforgettable first print run of 400,000 copies. On Oct. of humor, intelligence, insight and But he does rely on his own emo- line: “I was born twice: first, as a baby 30, the book debuted at No. 2 on empathy evidenced in his fiction marks tional experiences to shape his girl, on a remarkably smogless Detroit The New York Times best-seller list. him as a person.” characters. day in January of 1960; and then again, Eugenides is currently on a 17-city As “The Marriage Plot” takes flight, “All of the characters in this book as a teenage boy, in an emergency room book tour, but is still teaching “Intro- Eugenides’ students are seeing first- are like me in many ways,” he said. near Petoskey, Michigan, in August of ductory Fiction” this semester. hand how a writer takes his work to For example, Mitchell, like Eugenides, 1974.” “Middlesex,” about the life of a “My classes are full of really smart the public. Hogan marveled at having is from Detroit and is half Greek. hermaphrodite, landed a pair of coveted students who are good writers,” he a thesis adviser who has a billboard in “I usually have a strong emotional, trophies: it won the Pulitzer and was said. “Workshops depend not so Times Square and takes her out for tea intellectual connection with all the selected for Oprah’s Book Club. It has much on the teacher as the students. to discuss her thesis: “He has a larger- characters, including the female since sold 3 million copies. If the students like to talk about the than-life personality, and he buys you characters,” he said. “You can disguise Winning the Pulitzer “didn’t change work and are perceptive readers, then tea and chats with you about your life.” parts of your life, especially if you my life or make writing different,” everyone benefits from the experience. That, she said, “is quintessentially write from a different gender.” Eugenides said. “But it changed the I try to tell them stories about how Princeton.”

efforts to an audience of more than of civil and environmental engineer- Topics range from exploring the role Sustainability 500 participants at the second bien- ing, described some of the benefits for of art in communicating sustainabil- Continued from page 4 nial Sustainability Open House for students and researchers. ity and inspiring behavior change to the campus and local community. The “Using the campus as a lab cre- assessing the feasibility of local offshore event was organized by the Office of ates demonstration projects so wind power as part of the University’s science my freshman year, to cutting- Sustainability partnering with several undergraduates will have research renewable energy portfolio. edge research on biofuels in Costa other campus offices. opportunities, helping us further “The problems our planet faces Rica for my senior thesis. The blend Michael McKay, vice president for integrate research and teaching,” said are complex and intertwined, involv- of world-class professors, passionate facilities, said this type of collaboration Bou-Zeid, who recently was named ing not only science and engineering students and opportunities for hands- exemplifies what the University seeks faculty co-chair of the Prince-ton obstacles to overcome, but also requir- on learning that the programs bring in the new phase of the Sustainability Sustainability Committee. “It offers ing changes in human behavior, together is what makes Princeton Plan implementation. the researchers quick and easy access economic analyses and thoughtful pol- truly extraordinary.” “For me, one of the great things to their experiments. And it offers icy,” Emily Carter, founding director Outside the classroom, the Office about working at Princeton is that researchers the opportunity to get of the University’s Andlinger Center of Sustainability has coordinated the people here combine their passion involved at the design stage,” point- for Energy and the Environment, says bi-weekly Princeton Environmental with a commitment to action,” McKay ing to such examples as research in the introduction to the Sustainabil- Network meetings for all leaders of said. “For faculty and staff as well as devices installed during construction ity Report. environmental- and sustainability- students at Princeton, that passion and of the Butler College green roofs and “The Andlinger Center for Energy focused student clubs and organizations commitment can combine to produce Streicker Bridge over Washington and the Environment, in partner- since 2006. These groups represent amazing results, especially when the Road. ship with many entities at Princeton more than 1,000 Princeton students. work that occurs on the campus is In an effort to jumpstart more col- including the Office of Sustainabil- In fall 2010, more than 40 cam- leveraged locally.” laborations on junior papers, senior ity,” she adds, “is engaging students, pus and community groups staffed At a recent workshop to explore theses and graduate study, the Office postdoctoral fellows, staff and faculty interactive displays and demonstra- operational and academic partnerships, of Sustainability has posted a list of in moving locally and globally to a tions to showcase their sustainability Elie Bou-Zeid, an assistant professor possible research topics on its website. sustainable way of life.”