Professor Corina Tarnita on the Epstein Files: ‘I Wish I Had Never Known Him’

Newly released files show that Corina Tarnita, now a Princeton professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, exchanged emails with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein from 2008 to 2012, first as a Ph.D. student and later as a junior fellow in the Society of Fellows at Harvard. 

The emails span roughly four years and include a mix of professional and informal correspondence, including research feedback, travel references, career updates, and arrangements for two wire transfers to Romanian and Californian bank accounts. Tarnita has said the payments were meant to support two early-career mathematicians. 

The correspondence involving Tarnita appears consistent with Epstein’s pattern of forging ties with academics and scientists at elite universities, including Harvard, Yale, and Duke. 

The files do not include any materials indicating that Tarnita was aware of or participated in any crimes related to Epstein’s 2019 federal charges. Tarnita and Epstein first communicated in December 2008, six months after Epstein pleaded guilty to two state solicitation of prostitution charges including one with a minor.

Tarnita’s connection to Epstein was first reported by The Daily Princetonian. A search of the files released by the Department of Justice yields 344 results for her name. She joined Princeton as an assistant professor in ecology and evolutionary biology in 2013, was promoted to associate professor and granted tenure in 2018, and became a full professor in 2021.

Tarnita was introduced to Epstein through Martin Nowak, her Ph.D. adviser and the director of Harvard’s Program in Evolutionary Dynamics, she wrote in a statement. Tarnita communicated with Epstein while she was a graduate student and postdoc in the program between 2008 and 2010, and she remained at Harvard until 2012 as a member of the Harvard Society of Fellows.

Nowak previously led the Institute for Advanced Study’s first Initiative in Theoretical Biology until 2003 and had a close relationship with Epstein, according to court documents. A search for “Martin Nowak” yields more than 4,000 results in the Epstein files. Epstein donated an initial $6.5 million to Harvard in 2003 to establish the Program for Evolutionary Dynamics, and Nowak left the Institute for Advanced Study — another beneficiary of Epstein’s donations — to direct it.

In a December 2008 email, Tarnita wrote to Epstein that she was in Romania, asked him to review a paper he appeared to have previously edited, mentioned “the visit to Florida,” and wrote she would have results for the paper soon. ​​Tarnita, through a University spokesperson, clarified to the Prince that she attended one to two meetings at Epstein’s Florida residence alongside “senior, prominent scientists.”

In an April 2009 email, Tarnita provided wire transfer details for two Romanian women, one amounting to $10,000 and the other to $5,000.

Tarnita wrote that the wire transfers were connected to a scientific collaboration between Harvard’s Program in Evolutionary Dynamics and the University of Iași in Romania. As part of that relationship, researchers affiliated with the program visited the Romanian university to give talks, meet with faculty, and conduct experiments later published in a working paper. 

Tarnita said in the statement that Epstein had been inspired by her career trajectory to support other early-career women in mathematics. He asked her to help with such an effort in her native Romania, with him as an anonymous donor. The University of Iași put forward candidates, whom she helped “vet based on their academic promise.” Two mathematicians were ultimately selected and she helped arrange payments, she wrote.

“I never saw him behave inappropriately. Like most people who knew Epstein in his capacity as a donor to scientific research, I am revolted by his depravity and regret having met him,” she wrote.

Epstein died by suicide while in prison on Aug. 10, 2019.

The two also had informal communications. In an August 2009 email, Tarnita wrote to Epstein: “it was great to see you again and it was such a productive trip – I’ve learnt so much. We have so many new things to think of right now.” Epstein was on house arrest during this time, following his initial 2008 conviction.

In January 2011, Tarnita wished Epstein a happy birthday, and expressed her excitement to wishing him it in person soon. In April 2011, she thanked Epstein for being a great friend, saying, “talking to you always makes me feel better.” Later that year, in October 2011, Tarnita wrote to Epstein that she was happy to see him. “Like a surge of energy!” she wrote. “Great fun,” he responded.

In March 2011, Epstein referenced his crimes to Tarnita and Nowak, telling them that Newsweek was reporting an article and might ask why they continued to interact with him despite “their words — my crime.” Tarnita responded, “publicity can be terrible ... but only if you don’t have any. (Right?)”

In an email from December 2011, Tarnita apologized to Epstein for not being able to attend a trip to his island. “Dear Jeffrey, I’m so sorry I couldn’t come to the island. My parents have decided to visit at the very last minute (after unnecessarily long and complicated debates),” she wrote. She also wrote that she had no news about whether Princeton wanted to hire her, which was causing her some anxiety. “I’ll let you know as soon as I know something,” she wrote. Four days later, Tarnita emailed again with an update and wrote, “great news: Princeton officially wants me!” 

Tarnita wrote that her interactions with Epstein naturally diminished as she left Harvard and began working at Princeton. “Again, I wish I had never known him,” she wrote.

At Princeton, Epstein also repeatedly corresponded with Michael Wood, then an English professor, and met with him for dinner or tea. In June 2014, Epstein’s assistant Lesley Groff tried to arrange a meetup between Epstein and Simon Levin, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology.

Epstein also had a longtime connection with Eileen Guggenheim *82, a University trustee from 2003 to 2007. Guggenheim was the head of the New York Academy of Art (NYAA), where Epstein was a board member from 1987 to 1994, and he later attended two fundraising events, one in 2012 and one in 2014, donating $30,000.

Artist Maria Farmer claimed in 2019 that Guggenheim introduced her to Epstein and his companion, Ghislaine Maxwell, in 1995. Farmer sold a painting for $12,000 to a German buyer, but Epstein reportedly wanted to buy it for half price, and Guggenheim urged Farmer to cut him a deal. Farmer later provided the first criminal complaint about being abused by Epstein to the New York City Police Department, and to the FBI in 1996.

Guggenheim told The New York Times in 2019 that she did not recall introducing them. In May 2020, a petition calling for Guggenheim’s removal from the NYAA board circulated briefly before being withdrawn. 

The files that mention Guggenheim include a write-up of her interview with the FBI, a reference to a Page Six article, frequent correspondence about fundraising events for NYAA, and mentions that she traveled to Santa Fe, New Mexico, with six students to attend an art workshop, and that she had visited Epstein at his residence while she was there.