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Tuesday April 3, 2018 vol. CXLII no. 35
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U. assesses nor’easter tree damage ON CAMPUS
By Albert Jiang Contributor
CHARLOTTE ADAMO :: DAILY PRINCETONIAN DESIGNER
Fifteen trees and numerous branches fell following Winter Storm Quinn and Winter Storm Toby.
on campus. This season, the trees that suffered the most damage were magnolias, especially in front of Campus Club, in addition to red maples and elms, which also experienced extensive snow accumulation, according to Devin Livi, associate director of facilities operations. Although there is no estimated cost of the damage, there were also no trees of notable or historic significance that were severely damaged during the winter storms. During each of the storms, the University’s grounds and outdoor maintenance team continuously assessed
U . A F FA I R S
U. researchers file patents for innovation By Neha Chauhan Staff Writer
At a research institution like the University, the decision to patent and market products invented by professors and graduate students can be a complicated one. Professors, graduate students, visiting lecturers, and other faculty can choose to commercialize the products of research they conduct using University resources. If they do so, they can access University resources like the Keller Center and the Office of Technology Licensing. The University also has a right to any licenses, patents, and other intellectual property (IP) rights arising from these commercial efforts. Any resulting revenues are split according to a prescribed formula between the researchers and the University. Often, a company or other commercial entity is used to market the IP, in which case it holds some of the rights and receives some of the revenues of the IP, as well. “Entrepreneurship is becoming more important on campus in general,” said OTL New Ventures Associate Anthony Williams. “A high proportion of University IP is now being licensed to startups.” This increased focus on entrepreneurship reflects national trends, he added.
Edgar Choueiri, a professor in the mechanical and aerospace engineering department and director of the University’s Electric Propulsion and Plasma Dynamics Laboratory, stated that the University “has gone from paying very little attention to paying more attention [to entrepreneurship]...compared to before, but not much more attention compared to other research universities.” One of the University’s goals, as stated on the website of the Office of the Dean for Research, is “to be one of the world’s leading research universities.” According to some markers, the University is accomplishing that goal: CollegeChoice ranks it as number seven in top research universities nationally, and U.S. News ranks Princeton as number nine on a list of “institutions from the U.S. and more than 60 other countries... ranked based on 13 indicators that measure their academic research performance and their global and regional reputations.” Much of Princeton’s research marketing is conducted through OTL, a resource for researchers seeking to market their findings. Its mission is to “[facilitate] the transformation of scientific and technological discoveries into products and services for societal benefit in a
In Opinion
See PATENT page 3
Contributing columnist Siyang Liu explains why she values her name, and columnist Rachel Kennedy encourages Princetonians to show school spirit, not only as alumni, but also while students. SEE PAGE 5 FOR CROSSWORD
conditions and prepared for cleanup efforts. Day wrote that, as with all approaching storms, University officials closely tracked the nor’easters’ developments. Full crews were on standby, ready to plow snow, clear walkways, and generally keep the campus safe. Despite the high unpredictability of these storms, Day wrote, “officials will hold a debriefing and make recommendations on improving procedures and responses to subsequent storms.” Livi is in charge of 42 fulltime employees who are responsible for pruning trees year-round, clearing catch basins prior to storms, fill-
ing sandbags, and ensuring the maintenance of equipment. Livi explained that during the storms, roadways, entrances, and walkways were kept continuously cleared for emergency vehicles and personnel. “The crews always rise to the occasion and do a tremendous job trying to quickly make the campus safe for students, faculty, and staff,” he said. In addition to Facilities, the University keeps three certified arborists and Certified Tree Experts on staff and works constantly with an outside company to assist with tree care yearround.
U . A F FA I R S
It is estimated that the entire clean-up effort required 1,800 hours of staff work, which involved cleaning up debris and removing damaged, potentially hazardous branches, according to Day. Even weeks after the storm, crews continue to survey the trees around campus for damage that was hidden until the snow melted. “Our crews work very hard to prepare and to deploy to keep the campus safe, and we’re grateful for the work they do under difficult circumstances, before, during and after the snow f lies,” Day wrote in an email statement. U . A F FA I R S
Calendar reforms discussed by faculty By Isabel Ting Assistant News Editor
PHOTO COURTESY OF COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG
Gustavo Dudamel will conduct the April 2019 concert with the Princeton University Orchestra and the Princeton Glee Club.
Dudamel to serve as Artist-in-Residence By Julia Ilhardt Contributor
On Friday, March 30, Princeton University Concerts officially announced that Gustavo Dudamel will be the Artist-in-Residence for the 2018–19 academic year. Dudamel was invited to the University as part of the celebration of the 125th anniversary of Princeton’s concert series and is the series’ first
artist-in-residence of the season. Currently, Dudamel is the music director of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela and the music and artistic director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Dudamel is one of the most prominent classical conductors in the world and has won many awards, including the 2011 Grammy See ARTIST page 3
Today on Campus Noon: Big Chief Wears a Golden Crown: Art of the New Orleans Black Masking Indians Exhibition, CoLab, 122 Alexander St.
Faculty members addressed calendar reform proposals and changes to the American Studies program in a April 2 meeting. At a March 26 meeting of the Council of the Princeton University Community, representatives from the Ad Hoc Calendar Reform Committee, the Honor System Review Committee, and Undergraduate Student Government President Rachel Yee ’19 discussed the proposed calendar reforms. The biggest proposed changes were the moving of winter exams from January to December and the inclusion of a two-week “Wintersession,” instead of the traditional Intersession. Wintersession could be utilized by students to finish junior papers and senior theses or complete short internships. The spring term would then begin and end one week earlier, and the exam period would be 11 instead of seven days. Jaren McKinnie ’21 said that he favors the reform because it grants more freedom to students’ schedules. “I think the reform is a great idea,” agreed Keely Toledo ’21. “However, I am concerned about See REFORM page 4
WEATHER
After four late-winter nor’easters in a span of three weeks, University personnel were faced with widespread damage on campus in the form of fallen trees, broken branches, and scattered debris. While it is not particularly uncommon for storms to hit the Northeast so late in the season, the quick succession of storms, as well as the combination of wet snow and gales, led to unusually hazardous conditions on campus. March saw four separate storms ravage the East Coast of the United States, including winter storms Riley and Skylar. However, the two most severe winter thunderstorms with heavy snowfall were Winter Storm Quinn, which cancelled all evening classes on March 7 and all classes before 10 a.m. on March 8, and Winter Storm Toby, which prompted a Universitywide shutdown on March 21 while students were on spring break. According to the National Weather Service, Toby and Quinn each dumped over a foot of snow onto Princeton, with peak snowfall reaching three inches per hour. In addition to the 15 trees that were brought down by the snow across campus, there were dozens of fallen branches from both coniferous and deciduous trees, according to Assistant Vice President for Communications Daniel Day. For comparison, Day said that Hurricane Sandy, which made landfall in October 2012, felled about 50 trees
HIGH
46˚
LOW
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Rain chance of rain:
90 percent