Nassau Notes

Blend of funk, rock, hip-hop and classical music

Daniel Bernard Roumain, also known as DBR, will present a workshop and concert on campus Friday, April 22. Often described as “Beethoven meets Lenny Kravitz,” this African-American composer/musician of Haitian descent seamlessly blends funk, rock, hip-hop and classical music.

His presentations will focus on one of his latest projects, “24 Bits: Hip-Hop Studies and Etudes, Book 1.” Performed by DBR on violin, piano and laptop, these musical vignettes explain, examine and express aspects of hip-hop music from rhythm to timbre to form.

DBR’s workshop is scheduled for noon in the McAlpin Concert Hall, Woolworth Hall. The free concert will begin at 4:30 p.m. in Taplin Auditorium, Fine Hall. The events are sponsored by the Program in African-American Studies, the Center for Arts and Cultural Policy Studies in the Woodrow Wilson School and the Department of Music. For more information, call 258-5180.

Gott talk marks Einstein anniversary

Princeton astrophysicist Richard Gott will be the speaker at a Monday, April 18, event organized by physics students to celebrate the work of Albert Einstein and to commemorate the World Year of Physics.

Gott, who has written and taught extensively about Einstein’s theory of general relativity, including its implications for time travel, will speak at 8 p.m. in McDonnell A02.

The talk, which takes place on the 50th anniversary of Einstein’s death, is organized by the Princeton Society of Physics Students as part the World Year of Physics, a yearlong celebration of physics and Einstein organized by international physics organizations and recognized by the United Nations. The year is the 100th anniversary of Einstein’s “miracle year” in which he published three of his most influential papers.

Gott, who co-teaches an introductory astronomy course called “The Universe,” is known for his skill in presenting the complexities of relativity for a general audience. His 2001 book, “Time Travel in Einstein’s Universe,” explored the possibilities for time travel from a rigorous scientific standpoint, but in broadly accessible language. In 2004, Gott created a map of the universe to better explain the Earth’s current position in time and space. He received Princeton’s President’s Award for Distinguished Teaching in 1998.

Panelists to debate embryonic stem cell research April 18

Two distinguished panelists will participate in a debate on embryonic stem cell research at 4:30 p.m. Monday, April 18, in Dodds Auditorium, Robertson Hall.

Debating will be: William Hurlbut, a physician and consulting professor in the Program in Human Biology at Stanford University and a member of the President’s Council on Bioethics; and Lee Silver, a professor of molecular biology and public affairs at Princeton and an expert on biomedical ethics, legal issues and the societal challenges brought on by advances in biotechnology.

The debate will be moderated by Princeton President Emeritus Harold T. Shapiro, who served as chair of the National Bioethics Advisory Commission during the Clinton administration and is now a professor of economics and public affairs at the University.

The discussion is sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and the Policy Research Institute for the Region.

Painter to show slides of her work

Julia Jacquette, a lecturer in the Council of the Humanities and the Program in Visual Arts, will give a slide presentation about her work at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 19, in Room 219, 185 Nassau St. A painter who lives in New York City, Jacquette has produced pieces including this work titled “Women and Men (Fighting).” Her most recent solo shows were at Michael Steinberg Fine Art in New York and the Tang Museum at Skidmore College. She also teaches at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Wilson to speak on foreign policy

Alecture on “New Foreign Policy Challenges in the Post-9/11 World: The Imperatives of Cultural Competence” is set for 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 20, in 16 Robertson Hall.

Ernest Wilson, a faculty member at the University of Maryland, will discuss the increasing importance of having a service of professionals with multiple language skills, different perspectives and experiences living among other cultures.

Wilson is a professor of government and politics and of African-American studies as well as a senior research scholar at the Center for International Development and Conflict Management at Maryland. He has wide experience in both international affairs and information/communications issues and has served in senior positions in the White House, the U.S. Information Agency, the private sector and the academy.

The lecture is sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and the Fields Center for Equality and Cultural Understanding.

NASA scientist to discuss Mars rover project

Steven Squyres, a principal investigator on NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Project, will discuss that mission during the 2005 Evnin Lecture at 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 20, in Reynolds Auditorium, McDonnell Hall.

Squyres, also the Goldwin Smith Professor of Astronomy at Cornell University, has participated in a number of NASA’s planetary spaceflight missions. Currently, he leads a team of some 170 people at NASA and is responsible for the scientific activities of the Opportunity and Spirit rovers.

The mobile robots landed on Mars in January 2004 and completed their three-month primary missions in April of that year. Since then, they have surprised even their designers with how well they continue operating. Earlier this month, NASA approved up to 18 more months of operations for the rovers, which have made major discoveries about ancient watery environments on Mars that might have harbored life.

The lecture is presented by the Council on Science and Technology.

Panel addresses ‘Civilizing War’

Apanel discussion on “Civilizing War” is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 21, in Dodds Auditorium, Robertson Hall.

Participants will include: Anne-Marie Slaughter, dean of the Woodrow Wilson School; Gary Bass, Princeton assistant professor of politics and international affairs; Roy Gutman, Washington-based correspondent for Newsday and senior fellow at the U.S. Institute of Peace; and Ronald Haviv, photojournalist and contract photographer for Newsweek magazine.

The panel is sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and the Center for Arts and Cultural Policy Studies, and is being held in conjunction with an art exhibition titled “Civilizing War” in the Bernstein Gallery on the lower level of Robertson Hall. The exhibition features the work of war photographers and includes text from the Geneva Conventions.

Concerts feature student standouts

Two outstanding musicians — one a graduate student and the other an undergraduate — will be featured in the April 21-22 performances by the Princeton University Orchestra.

The program of audience favorites from the French, German and Russian traditions will begin at 8 each evening in Richardson Auditorium, Alexander Hall. The orchestra is under the direction of Michael Pratt.

The concert will open with Roman Carnival Overture by Hector Berlioz featuring Ruth Ochs as conductor in her University Orchestra debut. Ochs is assistant conductor of the orchestra and a third-year student in the Ph.D. program in musicology.

The Scottish Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra by Max Bruch will feature junior John Byoung Jin Kang as violin soloist. He is the co-winner of the orchestra’s 2005 Concerto Competition.

The performances, designated as the Stuart B. Mindlin Memorial Concerts, also will include Serge Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2.

Tickets are available from the Richardson Auditorium box office at 258-5000 or from University Ticketing at <www.princeton.edu/utickets/>.

Choir to sing in Carnegie Hall

The University’s Chapel Choir with soloists and orchestra will perform in Carnegie Hall at 8 p.m. Friday, April 22.

Conducted by Penna Rose, director of chapel music, the choir will present a program featuring the music of Ralph Vaughan Williams. Pieces will include “Serenade to Music”; “Five Mystical Songs,” with soloist David Arnold, baritone; and “Dona Nobis Pacem,” with soloists Arnold and Princeton senior Margaret Meyer.

For tickets, contact the Carnegie Hall box office at (212) 247-7800 or <www.carnegiehall.org>.