2022-23

Statement on the Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action
June 29, 2023

Dear Princeton community,  

Today the United States Supreme Court backed away from more than fifty years of established case law allowing colleges and universities to take race into account as one factor among many in a holistic admission process. Those precedents wisely recognized that colleges and universities must have…

Expanding Engagement With the Nation’s Armed Services
June 1, 2023

On April 12, I stood with other new members of the Education for Seapower Advisory Board (E4SAB) at the Navy Yard in Washington as Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro administered the oath of office.

Secretary Del Toro’s strategic plan articulates a commitment to “Empowering [the Navy’s] People,” including by ensuring that Naval…

Princeton Pre-read 2023: ‘How to Stand Up to a Dictator’
May 31, 2023

This year is the 10th anniversary of Princeton’s Pre-read tradition, which introduces incoming first-year students to Princeton’s intellectual life through the experience of reading and discussing a book together. The Class of 2027’s book is How to Stand Up to a Dictator by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa ’86…

Commencement 2023: Let Your Voices Rise
May 30, 2023

In a few minutes, all of you will walk out of this stadium as newly minted graduates of this University.  Before you do, however, it is my privilege to offer a few words about the path that lies ahead.

I want to begin by saying something about the honorary degrees that we conferred just a few moments ago.  Our purpose in…

A Case Study in Civil Discourse
April 28, 2023

The media landscape today is filled with commentary decrying the state of free expression on college campuses. I want to tell you about a recent episode that, in my view, better represents the quality of campus discussion at Princeton today. The faculty committee that oversees an endowed lecture named for literary critic and Palestinian…

The Meaning of ‘Merit’ in College Admissions
March 31, 2023

Princeton receives more than 35,000 applications for admission annually. “How many unsuccessful applicants,” I have asked Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Karen Richardson, “are so good that you could substitute one of them for an admitted student without any loss of quality to the entering class?”

Around 18,000, she tells me.…

Statement at the Service of Remembrance Ceremony
Feb. 28, 2023

It is customary at the Service of Remembrance, a Princeton tradition since 1919, for the University president to dedicate the Memorial Wreath at the end of the ceremony.

This year, I have also asked for the privilege of saying a few words at this point in the program.

Since last May, our campus has lost six young people…

President's Annual "State of the University Letter" 2023: The Liberal Arts University and the Challenges of Technology
Feb. 16, 2023

Three years after the novel coronavirus appeared on the scene, Princeton’s residential, scholarly community is nearly, if not fully, restored to its pre-pandemic state. Our campus again pulses with vital energy, personal interaction, and creative inspiration.

Classes are meeting without the restrictions needed last year. Workshops,…

Philadelphia Inquirer Q&A on Affirmative Action and More
Feb. 8, 2023

I had the privilege of sitting down recently with the Philadelphia Inquirer for a wide-ranging conversation about how Princeton is preparing for the coming Supreme Court decision on affirmative action. 

Reporter Sue Snyder and I discussed why diversity is essential for the pursuit of excellence in higher education, how…

A Burst of Momentum for Fusion Energy
Feb. 7, 2023

"A Burst of Momentum for Fusion Energy" was first published in the February issue of the Princeton Alumni Weekly.

For more than 70 years, Princeton University has been a major center of fusion energy research, pursuing one of the grandest challenges…