Princeton University

Eliot Chen '20 has been named a Knight-Hennessy Scholar: https://bit.ly/4vtDnGb

The fellowship program provides up to three years of funding toward a graduate degree at Stanford University. Scholars also engage in experiences that “prepare them to be visionary, courageous and collaborative leaders capable of taking on the world’s most difficult challenges,” according to the Knight-Hennessy Scholars announcement.

Chen will pursue a master’s degree in international policy at the Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences.

Every spring, a group of Princetonians travel to France on what’s known as a "Leavenworth-style Staff Ride" — an immersive program that bolsters leadership and military strategy skills while studying historic battlefields and campaigns. This year's theme was "From the Beaches of Normandy to the Gates of Paris."

The week-long trip is coordinated through a partnership between Princeton Army ROTC and Princeton's history department. This year's cohort included eight Princeton Tiger Battalion Army ROTC cadets, eight civilian students (three of which are veterans), two history faculty members, and two Army ROTC Cadre.

"Traveling with ROTC was very rewarding!" said U.S. Army veteran Susan McLernon '27, a history major and member of Rockefeller College, Princeton University. "I was able to make great friendships and deepen the connections between the veteran and ROTC communities."

Every day had a different focus like The Night of Nights, Omaha Beach, and Operation Cobra. At each stop (or "stand") historical and military experts gave a presentation. Then, a member of the Princeton contingent would provide a briefing about the Allied and Axis leaders in charge at the time and their applications or misapplications of the principles of war and tenets of operations.

"The beaches were very beautiful," said McLernon ‘27, "but it was very solemn ... It was an honor to stand where my fellow Army members had been."

In addition to battle sites, memorials, and museums, the group laid a wreath at the grave of Princeton alumnus 1st Lt. Jerry Schaefer ‘40, 320th Field Artillery, 82nd Airborne Division, who was killed in action at Sainte-Mère-Église, a commune in Normandy that was one of the first towns liberated during the invasion.

For McLernon, the trip had a personal connection.

"My favorite part, and probably the most meaningful for me, was getting to put my grandfather’s name on the wall at Le Roosevelt Café on Utah Beach. He landed there during World War II, and being offered the opportunity to remember his brave deeds was very special."

: “My life is inextricably tied to the field of medicine. Growing up in Tallahassee, my family was burdened by medical debt after my mother underwent surgery for a brain tumor. A few years later, my father passed away from a heart attack while running in a race with my sister. We experienced loss again when my brother passed away following a car accident just months before I left for Princeton. But during every crisis, medical professionals at the hospital gave me hope and strength — whether by reassuring a crying child scared that his mother might not survive surgery or giving a grieving high schooler a vial containing an EKG printout of the last minute his brother was alive. I came to Princeton knowing that I wanted to become a physician and be in service to others when they need it most. I also hope to become an advocate for those who lack the support my family had. Princeton’s commitment to students from all backgrounds was a key factor in why I applied. By matching with Princeton through QuestBridge, I felt relieved that I’d be able to attend college without added financial stress for my mom. The Freshman Scholars Institute also helped prepare me for navigating Princeton's rigorous academic environment, and it’s where I made friends I’ll cherish for life. An important part of my support network is my fiancée, Maria Zhang, who attends the University of Florida. We met in elementary school and will be married at the end of June. She's why I pursued a minor in Chinese — I wanted to be able to communicate with her family in their language. I met her extended family during an internship at the Zhejiang University School of Medicine through Princeton’s Global Health Program. I am also grateful for the support my mother and sister have given me, and they continue to inspire me every day. One of the most meaningful moments of Commencement weekend came when my mother said that watching me with my friends during Senior Step Sing reminded her of the way my father was with his friends. I know my father and brother live on through me and those who knew them best.” — Connor McCord ’26; portrait by Sonya Isenberg '20

Malyssa Grace Eddy '26 and Kevin Paul McAllister '26 are Princeton's first students to be commissioned as officers in the United States Space Force, under the U.S. Department of the Air Force.

Eddy graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and obtained minors in Robotics and Optimization and Quantitative Decision Science. After Princeton, she will pursue a master’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology through the Space Force’s Advanced Academic Degree program. Malyssa is from Tucson, Arizona. She served this year as the Cadet Wing Director of Staff and Director of Resource Management for AFROTC Detachment 485. Her senior thesis focused on the design and development of a compliant robotic hand, a 3D-printed, tendon-driven system designed to replicate the motion of a human hand.

McAllister graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering in Computer Science and obtained a minor in Statistics and Machine Learning and a certificate in Planets and Life. After Princeton, he will pursue a master’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology through the Space Force’s Advanced Academic Degree program. Kevin is from Ellicott City, Maryland. He served this year as the Cadet Wing Inspector General and Director of Intelligence. His independent work focused on space debris detection using computer vision.

Read the full story about this year's commissioning: https://bit.ly/3RZ1DBF

As is tradition after Commencement ceremonies are completed, students walk out of FitzRandolph Gate — 4️⃣ years after they entered it as first-year students. 🧡🖤

Deputy Dean of Libraries Jon Stroop, who has served in leadership roles at Princeton University Library for 20 years, will become the next dean of libraries and Robert H. Taylor 1930 University Librarian. His appointment is effective August 1: https://bit.ly/3PBS8I3

If elephants disappear, many dung beetle species could also go extinct: https://bit.ly/3RTfj11