April 16-23, 2019: Alumni Win Pulitzers; Nobel Laureates Drop In on ‘The Big Bang Theory’

Nobel laureates Frances Arnold ’79, second from left, and Kip Thorne *65, far right, made cameos on a recent episode of The Big Bang Theory on CBS. After filming, Arnold took to Twitter to share her excitement before adding, “Sadly my career in TV will be short — show is ending. Not my fault!” 

Two alumni journalists won Pulitzer Prizes on April 15: Washington Post book critic Carlos Lozada *97, for criticism; and author Eliza Griswold ’95, for her nonfiction book Amity and Prosperity: One Family and the Fracturing of America. — The Washington Post | The New York Times

Detailed laser scans and panoramic photos created by the late Andrew Tallon ’91, an architectural historian, could help preservationists rebuild parts of Notre-Dame Cathedral that were destroyed by fire last week. — The Atlantic

Sara Whiting *90 was named the next dean of Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. — Architectural Record

“I think everyone has a ‘free solo.’ We all are familiar with the pursuit of excellence, and the idea of putting in the work to pursue some audacious dream.”

— Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi ’00, who directed the Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo with her husband, Jimmy Chin. Vasarhelyi visited Princeton for a screening last week. Read more at PAW Online.

Katrina vanden Heuvel ’81 will step down as editor of The Nation after 24 years leading the left-leaning weekly. She will remain publisher. — The New York Times
 
Media theorist Douglas Rushkoff ’83’s new book, Team Human, focuses on how digital technology is isolating and damaging to communities. — Vox
 
Online-education pioneer John Katzman ’81 has soured on the business practices of online program managers, which work with big-name universities to create highly profitable online degrees. — HuffPost Highline
 
Karen Richardson ’93, the dean of admissions at Tufts University, was selected to become the new dean of admission at Princeton, starting July 1. — Princeton University

Sen. Ted Cruz ’92 has threatened legal action against Yale Law School after an email from Dean Heather Gerken ’91 said the school would not financially support students interning at organizations that discriminate against protected classes (such as LGBT students) while hiring. — New Haven Register
 
An almost two-year Department of Justice investigation found that Alabama’s men’s prisons fail to provide “constitutionally adequate conditions,” allowing prisoners to experience “serious harm, including deadly harm, as a result,” said Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Eric Dreiband ’86. — ABC News
 
Legendary biographer Robert Caro ’57 was interviewed on the occasion of his new book, Working, a slim memoir about his writing, researching, and interviewing process. — The Wall Street Journal
 
A new team created by the FAA to assess the safety of the Boeing 737 MAX will be led by Christopher Hart ’69 *71, the former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board. — Reuters
 
Lori Weintrob ’88, director of the Wagner College Holocaust Center in New York City, joined students in hosting a recent event for local Holocaust survivors. — Staten Island Advance

Special counsel Robert Mueller ’66, former first lady Michelle Obama ’85, and journalist Maria Ressa ’86 were selected for the Time 100, a list of the world’s most influential people. — Time

Natalie Guo ’12, Harriet Kiwanuka ’15, and Jonathan Zong ’18 are among this year’s recipients of the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans, awarded to immigrants and children of immigrants who are pursuing graduate study in the United States. — Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships

Hester Blum ’95, associate professor of English at Penn State University, has been named a 2019 Guggenheim Fellow for her research on oceanic studies, 19th-century literature and culture, and environmental humanities. — Penn State News

Several Princetonians have been selected to give commencement speeches or receive honorary degrees this spring, including Alan Lightman ’70(Skidmore College), Sonia Sotomayor ’76 (Manhattan College), Nina Smiley *79 (SUNY New Paltz), Vanessa Friedman ’89 (Marist College), and Wendy Kopp ’89 (University of California, Berkeley).