Princeton Alumni Weekly Podcasts

Mathematician Sasha Fradkin ’06 *11, co-author of the forthcoming book Funville Adventures, discusses the perks of teaching young children (“they’re not afraid of math”) and her tips for introducing higher-level concepts to elementary schoolers.

Valerie Bell ’77, the first black student and first woman to be voted class president at Princeton, recalls the sense of pride she felt when she led her classmates through FitzRandolph Gate at Commencement. (Season 4, Episode 1)

Last month, on the Greek island of Lesbos, when a smoke-filled riot broke out at a camp housing migrants seeking entry into Europe, the first journalists on the scene were Princeton undergraduates — students in a summer global journalism course taught by Joe Stephens, the Ferris Professor of Journalism in residence. Their work made headlines in the English-language version of Kathimerini, a leading Greek newspaper, and The New York Times international edition. We recently spoke with two of the students, Talya Nevins ’18 and Alice Maiden ’19, about the lessons they learned from the course. Stories from the seminar are available at commons.princeton.edu/globalreporting2017.

Samantha Walravens ’90, co-author of Geek Girl Rising: Inside the Sisterhood Shaking Up Tech (St. Martin’s Press), discusses how women are making their own opportunities in the supposedly male-dominated Silicon Valley in an interview with PAW associate editor Carrie Compton. This is the first in a new series of interviews with alumni and faculty.

Jack Goodman ’57, John Milton ’57, and two of their classmates traveled south for spring break in 1955 with an unusual goal: to interview Ernest Hemingway for The Daily Princetonian. (Season 3, Episode 14)

Following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Charlie Buttrey ’81 has never been one to take “no” for an answer. He ran for class president three times, finally winning in his third attempt. After all that door-to-door campaigning, he knew a little something about nearly everyone in the Class of ’81. (Season 3, Episode 13)

When students went on strike in May 1970, Howard Zien ’71 went to class — and encountered jeers that made him realize how difficult it is to find middle ground during times of passionate protest. (Season 3, Episode 12)

On this episode of PAW Tracks, Christine Caffrey Johnson ’81 talks about the difficulty of finding her place at Princeton and some of the activities that captured her interest. As an undergraduate, she planned a conference to help her peers think about ways to balance work and family life. Years later, the conversation continues. (Season 3, Episode 11)

For ’71 classmates Geoff Smith, John Drummond, and Brad O’Brien, riding to Reunions by motorcycle last year was a chance to see small-town America and reflect on their college years. (Season 3, Episode 10)

In this episode, Richard Reinis ’66 recalls memorable events from his undergraduate days, including getting the dean’s approval to get married after his sophomore year. Reinis also played football at Princeton, starting on the offensive line for the Tigers’ last undefeated team. (Season 3, Episode 9)

Princeton women’s basketball has become one of the nation’s top mid-major programs, with six NCAA Tournament bids in the last seven years, including the team’s first tournament win, in the first round against Wisconsin-Green Bay, in 2015. But when the program began 45 years ago, players had to work to get basic necessities like court time and quality coaching. Janet Youngholm ’75, one of the team’s founders, marvels at how far the Tigers have come. “We couldn’t see that horizon,” she said, speaking with recent alumnae in early February. “I can’t see it except through you guys in retrospect.” Listen to reflections on the early years of Princeton women’s basketball in this episode of PAW Tracks, which features members of the Classes of ’75, ’76, ’10, and ’13. (Season 3, Episode 8)

April McQueen ’93’s struggles with and recovery from mental illness forced her to revisit her expectations and professional goals. “I believe that it’s made me who I am today,” she says. “I’m living my truth.” (Season 3, Episode 7)

Jenny Korn ’96 tried to build connections as an undergrad, founding Princeton’s Thai-American Student Organization, and that theme has continued, both in her work and in a Chicago-based alumni group.

When Jerry Sorell ’50 *51 and his family fled Austria in 1938, he left behind his hopes of becoming a professional musician. “I decided that chemical engineering would be a way to earn a living,” Sorell says, “and music would be something I really enjoyed.” Nearly eight decades later, his love of violin lives on. (Season 3, Episode 5)

Allison Slater Tate ’96’s career has ranged from TV production to blogging about parenting, and her college experience has been useful at every turn. “In some ways, I’ve been way out of the Princeton track,” she says, “and in other ways, Princeton’s never left.” (Season 3, Episode 4) Editor’s note: This interview was recorded during Reunions at Blair Hall, just as the Alumni Battle of the Bands was beginning outside. We apologize for the background noise.

Adjusting to college life wasn’t easy for Norm Tabler ’66, a freshman from a small town in Indiana — and the shadow of the Cuban Missile Crisis added new anxieties. (Season 3, Episode 3)

At Reunions, Carolyn Bowman Pugh ’81 and her daughter Alexa ’16 spoke with PAW about how the different time periods that they were on campus shaped their Princeton experiences. (Season 3, Episode 2)

Tony Zee ’66 made an improbable journey from China to Brazil and eventually to Princeton, where he studied physics under the tutelage of legendary professor John Wheeler. (Season 3, Episode 1)

In the spring of 1977, Robin Bennett Osborne ’81 received a moving letter from her grandfather, E. Lansing Bennett ’22, that convinced her to come to Princeton. Four years later, the two were pictured on PAW’s cover, marching arm-in-arm at the P-rade. (Season 2, Episode 14)

Writing the senior thesis is one the quintessential Princeton experiences: Months of research and exploration come together in a single document. In this episode of PAW Tracks, two alumni — Christine Galib '08 and Tim James '78 — share their thesis memories. (Season 2, Episode 13)