Volume LXXII, Number 21
West Windsor Resident Competes on Food Network Star . . . . . . . 5 PCDO Forum on Sexual Harassment . . . . . . . . . 8 Beta Bike Lanes a Volunteer Effort . . . . . . 8 Princeton Singers Celebrates 35th Anniversary . . . . . . . . 17 Collins and PU Women’s Open Crew Primed for NCAA Championships 28 PHS Boys’ Tennis Wins Sectional Crown . . . . . 31
Tom Wolfe Shares This Week’s Book Review With his Namesake, Novelist Thomas Wolfe . . . . . . 16 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Berkshire Hathaway Fox & Roach Realtors . .22, 23 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 27 Cinema . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Classified Ads . . . . . . 38 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Music/Theater . . . . . . 18 New To Us . . . . . . . 24, 25 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 36 School Matters . . . . . . 12 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6
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Increased Diversity, More Access, Inclusion Are Ongoing PU Goals
An institution steeped in tradition and still often viewed as a bastion of privilege, wealth, and exclusivity, Princeton University is working hard to transform itself to create an environment on campus that is more diverse and inclusive. Undergraduate admissions and financial aid policies have been one facet of the push towards greater socioeconomic diversity at Princeton, and 28 percent of first year students this year are first generation or low-income (FLI) students. About 60 percent of all students at Princeton receive financial aid. Earlier this month the University announced that it had offered admission to 13 transfer students as part of its renewed transfer program aimed at encouraging applicants from low-income, military, or community college backgrounds. The University received 1,429 applications for the transfer program, reinstated this year after a 27-year hiatus, as part of the board of trustees’ strategic planning framework, which identified key goals and priorities. “Experience at other universities shows that transfer programs can provide a vehicle to attract students with diverse backgrounds and experiences, such as qualified military veterans and students from low-income backgrounds, including some who might begin their careers at community colleges,” the strategic planning framework report states. Of the transfer students receiving offers of admission, eight have served or are currently serving on active duty in the military. Eight self-identified as people of color, and several of the admitted students have attended community colleges. “We are especially pleased with the quality of the admitted transfer students,” said Dean of Admission Janet Lavin Rapelye. “The committee was impressed with their intellectual curiosity, leadership, maturity, and diverse perspectives, which they will bring to our campus.” Princeton’s financial aid program comes in the form of grants, which do not need to be repaid. The average grant is $50,600 per year. No student is required to take out loans, and students can therefore graduate debt-free. Students who apply for aid with family incomes up to $160,000 typically pay no tuition. In a 60 Minutes program last month
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Wednesday, May 23, 2018
Brangwynne Wins $8M for Biomedical Research Clifford Brangwynne, associate professor in chemical and biological engineering at Princeton University, has been awarded roughly $8 million from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) over the next seven years to explore uncharted territory in biomedical research, the HHMI announced this week. From a background in materials science as an undergraduate at Carnegie Mellon University and applied physics at Harvard University, where he earned his PhD, Brangwynne has leapt into a new field of biology where he has explored a world of protein groups making transitions that could unlock the secret of turning genes on and off. “The central players in the drama of gene regulation are these floppy proteins,” Brangwynne said. “They form little dew drops that decorate the genome and control its function.” Noting the potential for manipulating these phase transitions to alter biological programs that control cell function during development, Brangwynne continued,
“There’s still some healthy skepticism, but we now have enough examples that most people agree that these phase transitions are important or even essential. They may even figure in pathologies where proteins clump up, like Alzheimer’s disease.” One of 19 new HHMI investigators, Brangwynne sees the “no strings attached” award as a huge boost to his research work. “What it really means to become an HHMI investigator is that some really impressive scientific luminaries at HHMI and their advisory board think that I am going to continue to do great research,” he said. So it’s a wonderful vote of confidence in me and my research, which emboldens me to push into totally new territory.” Brangwynne went on to explain, “Science is just like other creative fields, where we have these ‘gut feelings,’ or intuitive senses for what are the most interesting and fruitful areas to dig into. Being an HHMI investigator means that my scientific instincts are much less
“VINYL & VELVET, VINTAGE 1968”: In celebration of the Arts Council of Princeton’s 50th year, the theme of their signature spring benefit, Pinot to Picasso, was a throwback to the eclectic urban art and music scene of the late 1960s. Held Friday at the Technology Center of Princeton, the “art party” featured a salon-style exhibition, gourmet tastings from local restaurants, wines and craft beers from around the world, entertainers, and dancing. Participants share what the 1960s mean to them in this week’s Town Talk on page 6. (Photo by Erica M. Cardenas)
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resource-limited. I can take more risks and follow my nose into promising new territory.” HHMI is the nation’s largest private supporter of academic biomedical research, spending more than $650 million in the U.S. in 2017. “We selected these scientists because they know how to ask hard and interesting questions with skill and intellectual courage,” said HHMI Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer David Clapham. “We believe they have the potential to make breakthroughs over time.” Twenty-eight current or former HHMI scientists have won the Nobel Prize, Continued on Page 7
Affordable Housing Plan Presented At Meeting Of Council, Planners
At a joint meeting May 17 of Princeton Council and the Planning Board, members of the public learned how the town proposes to meet its court-ordered affordable housing obligation of 753 units by 2025. The meeting was held following repeated requests from residents, in recent months, that the process be more transparent and inclusive. The plan names 10 sites where affordable units could be constructed. Locations named for future units include the Butler Tract, where 90 of 450 units would be affordable; and a mixed use site on Lower Alexander Road, where 60 of 300 units would be affordable. Both of those properties are owned by Princeton University. Also named were the Franklin parking lot and the Maple Apartments, where 60 of the 80 units to be built would be affordable; Princeton Shopping Center, where 30 of the 150 units would be affordable; 375 Terhune Street, where 5 of 25 units to be built would be affordable; two affordable units on Lytle Street; the S-2 rezoned area, where 30 of the 150 proposed units would be affordable; group homes, where three units would qualify; and accessory apartments, with 10 affordable units. The time period included in the obligation ranges from 1999 to 2025, and officials have said that 261 units have already been built or approved. These existing units are at Copperwood, Avalon Princeton, Merwick-Stanworth, Carnevale Plaza, and two group homes for disabled adults. The town hopes to foster development Continued on Page 12
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