In Short: Sociology Grad Applications On Hold; McCarter Layoffs

Princeton’s sociology department announced it would not accept GRADUATE SCHOOL APPLICATIONS during the 2021 admissions cycle and extended guaranteed funding for current graduate students. As of June 2, the department was the only graduate program to announce admission changes in response to COVID-19. University spokesman Ben Chang told The Daily Princetonian that “many other departments may be accepting fewer applicants than usual” in the coming year. 

According to an announcement on the sociology department’s website, the decisions were made “to ensure that the department has resources to adequately support its students during the COVID-19 pandemic.” Funding that would have been applied to new students will be distributed among the 66 current graduate students, who could receive an additional year of support.

Former Princeton president and professor of molecular biology and public affairs Shirley M. Tilghman was named co-chair of New Jersey’s RESTART AND RECOVERY COMMISSION, Gov. Phil Murphy announced April 28. The 21-person commission includes Lisa P. Jackson *86, vice president of environment, policy, and social initiatives at Apple and former administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Charles Lowrey ’79, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial; and former Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, an economics professor at the University from 1985 to 2005. 

MCCARTER THEATRE CENTER selected Sarah Rasmussen as its new artistic director, effective Aug. 1, succeeding Emily Mann, who stepped down after 30 years in the role. Rasmussen was the artistic director of the Jungle Theater in Minneapolis. The transition comes at a challenging time for McCarter, which suspended performances in March and laid off most of its full-time and seasonal staff in mid-May. 

Eleven professors are transferring to EMERITUS STATUS after a combined total of more than 400 years on the faculty:

CHRISTOPHER ACHEN, politics, 16 years

JAY BENZIGER, chemical and biological engineering, 41 years

EMILY CARTER, mechanical and aerospace engineering and applied and computational mathematics, 15 years

JOANNE GOWA *74 *80, politics, 30 years

ROBERT GUNNING *55, mathematics, 63 years

DEBORAH EPSTEIN NORD, English, 30 years

WILLARD J. PETERSON, East Asian studies and history, 49 years

WARREN POWELL ’77, operations research and financial engineering, 39 years

ROBERT STENGEL *68, mechanical and aerospace engineering, 43 years

EZRA SULEIMAN, politics, 41 years

SHIRLEY M. TILGHMAN, molecular biology and public affairs, 34 years.