Nassau notes

The Princeton International Festival, one of the largest student-organized events on campus, will kick off with an opening ceremony at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, April 4, in Richardson Auditorium, Alexander Hall.

The opening ceremony will include dance, theater and music performances representing cultures from around the world, such as a traditional Chinese lion dance, as well as a procession of students bearing the flags of their native countries.

The International Festival will feature events highlighting art, dance, cuisine and music to celebrate the diversity and internationalism of the University community. It will culminate on Saturday, April 25, at Communiversity with a parade of campus and local community members down Nassau Street and a “Global Village” showcase of artifacts and other items from many nations.

The International Festival is organized by the 2009 International Festival Committee and the University's Davis International Center. For more information, visit the festival website at www.princeton.edu/~if/.

MIT biologist to speak on women’s progress in science

Nancy Hopkins

Nancy Hopkins, a biologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and co-author of a gender bias study that brought national attention to the issue of equity for female scientists, will speak at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 31, in McCosh 10.

Her address is titled “Mirages of Equality: Progress of Women in Science at MIT, 1971-2009.”

A Harvard Ph.D., Hopkins is the Amgen Inc. Professor of Biology at MIT, where she works in the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research on the genetic basis for developmental processes. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, a member of the Institute of Medicine of the academy and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

From 1995 to 1997, Hopkins chaired MIT’s first Committee on Women Faculty in the School of Science. The committee’s findings were published in 1999. Endorsed by then-president Charles Vest, the report led to reforms at MIT as well as to an examination of gender equity issues at other academic institutions.

Following a speech in 2005 by Lawrence Summers, then-president of Harvard, that launched once again a debate about women in science, Hopkins served on a committee of the National Academy of Sciences that reviewed the research literature on women’s scientific aptitude. The committee’s report “Beyond Bias and Barriers,” was published in 2007 and called for a more aggressive approach to gender bias in the interest of both fairness and American competitiveness in the global market.

Hopkins’ lecture is funded by the Louis Clark Vanuxem Fund and is part of the University Public Lecture Series.

Grafton to deliver Baldwin Lecture

Anthony Grafton, the Henry Putnam University Professor of History, will deliver the annual James Baldwin Lecture at 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 30, in 101 McCormick Hall.

In an address titled “Race in the Renaissance?” Grafton will look at what traditionally has been seen as the first modern Western culture — that of Western Europe in the Renaissance — through the prism of race. He will examine the thought and practices of European artists, scholars and officials, as they: encountered people who were not European or Christian, both in Europe and around the world; tried to understand where they came from and who they were; and drew practical conclusions, which were often, but not always, harsh and tragic from their assumptions about the origins and nature of the peoples of the world.

Grafton’s talk is the fourth annual James Baldwin Lecture sponsored by the Center for African American Studies in honor of the essayist and cultural critic. The series aims to celebrate the work of Princeton faculty and to reflect on issues of race and American democracy.

Kean to speak at conference on emergency preparedness

A conference titled “Emergency Preparedness in the Region: What Have We Done and What Is Still Needed?” is set for 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday, April 3, in Dodds Auditorium, Robertson Hall.

Thomas Kean, former governor of New Jersey and co-chairman of the 9/11 Commission, will deliver the keynote opening address. Stephen Flynn, the Ira A. Lipman Senior Fellow for Counterterrorism and National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, will speak at the luncheon.

The first panel will discuss what has been done to protect critical infrastructures against natural disasters and terrorist attacks and make recommendations for models that can be implemented to secure private and public facilities in a systematic way. The second panel will focus on cooperation issues among governments and with the private sector. The final panel on public health preparedness will take up considerations and decisions with respect to bioterrorism, disease outbreak and natural disasters. Panelists also will address some of the financial, legal and ethical issues inherent in this area.

The conference is sponsored by the Policy Research Institute for the Region of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Admission is free and open to the public, but registration is required by visiting www.princeton.edu/prior/events/conferences/emergency-preparedness-in/index.xml. For more information, contact Georgette Harrison at gharriso@princeton.edu.

Researchers vie for funding at forum

The fourth annual Innovation Forum, an event showcasing new discoveries and technologies developed by Princeton scientists and engineers, will take place beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 2, in 104 Computer Science Building.

During the forum, which is free and open to the public, researchers will present innovations with a range of applications, including drug discovery, computer architecture, energy production and monetizing online content. A panel of judges will award $40,000 in prize money to support continued research on the three innovations that show the most promise.

The technologies presented will include the use of nanoparticles in cancer therapy, a fee-based system for sharing online content, and an MRI scanner that can examine multiple people at once to study brain activity during communication and physical contact.

The event is sponsored by the Keller Center for Innovation in Engineering Education, the Jumpstart New Jersey Angel Network and Morgan Lewis & Bockius, Counselors at Law.

For more information, visit commons.princeton.edu/ciee.

Works by mosaic artist Rhonda Heisler exhibited

“Progression III,” by Rhonda Heisler

Works by mosaic artist Rhonda Heisler — including this piece, “Progression III” — will be on view in the Program in the Study of Women and Gender Lounge, 113 Dickinson Hall, through April 30. Heisler described her approach as working “spontaneously and expressively, trimming and fitting the glass as I build the surface, creating a complex interplay of luminous color, shape, pattern and texture.”

Conference explores religion, civil rights

Scholars and activists will gather for a conference on “Religion in the Civil Rights Movement” Thursday through Saturday, April 2-4, in 101 McCormick Hall.

The event will begin at 8 p.m. April 2 with welcoming remarks by conference organizer Albert Raboteau, Princeton’s Henry Putnam Professor of Religion, and an opening address by David Wills, the Winthrop H. Smith ’16 Professor of American History and American Studies at Amherst College.

The conference is free and open to the public, but registration is required. For a full schedule of events, a list of speakers and registration information, visit www.princeton.edu/religion/civilrights/.

The conference is sponsored by the Department of Religion, the Center for African American Studies, the University Center for Human Values, the Center for the Study of Religion, the Council of the Humanities, the Davis Center for Historical Studies, the Department of English, the Department of History, the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions, the Program in American Studies, the Office of the Dean of the Graduate School, the Office of Religious Life and the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.

Former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky to read

Acclaimed essayist and former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky will read from his work as part of the Althea Ward Clark Reading Series at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 1, in the Stewart Film Theater, 185 Nassau St.

Pinsky was the first poet laureate to serve three consecutive terms, from 1997 to 2000. A New Jersey native, he is the author of six books of poetry, including “Jersey Rain” (2000) and Pulitzer-Prize nominee “The Figured Wheel: New and Collected Poems 1966-1996.” He also is the author of several prose titles, including “The Sounds of Poetry” (1998), which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.

A reception and book signing will be held after the reading. The series is sponsored by the Program in Creative Writing in the Lewis Center for the Arts.

Tech entrepreneur Siebel to discuss opportunities

Thomas Siebel, leading technology entrepreneur, philanthropist and founder of Siebel Systems, will deliver the G.S. Beckwith Gilbert ’63 Lecture titled “From Information Technology to Energy Technology: Entrepreneurial Opportunities for the Next Decade” at 4:30 p.m. Monday, March 30, in 10 Guyot Hall. A reception will follow.

Siebel is the chair of First Virtual Group, a diversified holding company with interests in commercial real estate, agribusiness, global investment management and philanthropy. He founded Siebel Systems, a global leader in application software, in 1993, and was its chair and chief executive officer until Siebel Systems merged with the Oracle Corp. in 2006. He previously had served as chief executive officer of Gain Technology. Siebel is the author of three books: “Taking Care of eBusiness,” “Cyber Rules” and “Virtual Selling.”

Siebel is chair of the Thomas and Stacey Siebel Foundation, a nonprofit, public benefit corporation founded in 1996 that has committed more than $260 million to providing support for alternative energy, bioengineering and stem cell research and to combating hunger, homelessness and drug addiction. He also is the founder and chair of the Meth Project Foundation, a highly successful drug prevention program.

The Gilbert lecture was established in 1988 to bring innovative leaders in business, government and the professions to campus to discuss their ventures and the insights gained in their careers. This year’s event is sponsored by the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the Princeton Environmental Institute, the Energy Grand Challenge and the Program in Science, Technology and Environmental Policy.

Songwriter and guitarist Amos Lee coming to McCarter

Amos Lee (photo: Courtesy of Blue Note Records)

Songwriter and guitarist Amos Lee, who has toured with stars such as Bob Dylan and Norah Jones, will bring his blend of folk, soul and jazz to the McCarter Theatre Center at 8 p.m. Friday, April 3. Lee’s latest project, “Last Days at the Lodge,” follows his first two critically acclaimed CDs, which have sold more than half a million copies worldwide. For tickets, call the McCarter box office at 258-2787 or visit www.mccarter.org.

Program promotes benefits of walking

The spring event for the Princeton Start! Walking Program, an initiative to promote the health benefits of walking, is set for 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, April 2, in front of Dillon Gymnasium.

Highlighted by a one-mile fun walk around campus beginning at 12:30 p.m., the event also will feature health screenings, information about the benefits of walking, and merchandise and discounts from area businesses. Participants also may sign up for an informal campus walking group that meets regularly.

The Princeton Start! Walking Program is sponsored by Healthier Princeton.

The event is free and open to all faculty, staff and students, with no registration required. Questions may be directed to Kathy Wagner at akwagner@princeton.edu or Susan Crane at sc6@princeton.edu.

CPUC meeting set for March 30

The Council of the Princeton University Community will meet from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Monday, March 30, in 101 Friend Center. All members of the University community are invited to attend.

Agenda items include:

• a report on programs and initiatives in mental health from John Kolligian, who was selected last month as the new executive director of University Health Services.

• an update on the work of the Alcohol Coalition Committee by Amy Campbell, director of campus life initiatives and co-chair of the committee, along with members of the committee.

• a report on efforts to reduce the use of paper from representatives of the Office of Information Technology, the Office of Sustainability and the Undergraduate Student Government.

For more information visit www.princeton.edu/~vp/cpuc.

Ally training open to faculty, staff

Faculty and staff members who wish to identify themselves as allies to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community at the University are invited to participate in Ally Project training on Thursday, April 30, at the Center for Jewish Life, 70 Washington Road.

The event includes two workshops: “Supporting LGBT Students, Staff and Faculty” from 9:30 to noon; and “Transgender 101: Understanding the Trans Experience” from 2 to 4 p.m.

The Ally Project, established in 1998, is designed to help raise awareness of LGBT issues and to provide a supportive and affirming atmosphere for LGBT students, faculty and staff on campus.

Those who complete the training will be asked to display the Ally Project sign in their work area.

The Ally Project is a program of the LGBT Task Force and the LGBT Employee Resource Group, and is cosponsored by the Office of Human Resources and the Office of the Vice President for Campus Life.

For more information and to sign up for one or both workshops, e-mail lgbt@princeton.edu.