Each spring, one member of the senior class is elected to serve a four-year term on the Board of Trustees of Princeton University as a Young Alumni Trustee (YAT). This is an opportunity for a recently graduated Princetonian to serve the long-term interests of the University as a member of the board, bringing to the role an important perspective informed by their recent experience as an undergraduate student.

The Board of Trustees of Princeton University created the position of Young Alumni Trustee in 1969. In that year, two Young Alumni Trustees were elected: Richard Cass ’68 to a three-year term and Brent Henry ’69 to a four-year term. By 1972, the board had four Young Alumni Trustees serving four-year terms, which has been true ever since.

The Young Alumni Trustee position was created to ensure that the board would include four members with recent experience as undergraduates. As explicitly stated since its implementation, Young Alumni Trustees have the same rights, powers and duties as all other trustees and take the same oath to “faithfully, impartially and justly” perform the duties of the office of trustee”.

Young Alumni Trustees play two essential roles on the board: 

• While Young Alumni Trustees are elected by a subset of the alumni body (the junior and senior classes and the two most recent alumni classes), their electorate should not be considered their “constituency” on the board. Like all other trustees, the Young Alumni Trustees’ first obligation is to best serve the long-term interests of the University as they understand them after weighing all the evidence available to them. 
• Having graduated recently, the Young Alumni Trustees provide a perspective on the issues before the board informed by their experience as students and their knowledge of the needs, concerns, and interests of the current generation of Princeton undergraduates.

The Board of Trustees consists of no fewer than 23 and no more than 40 members. Young Alumni Trustees have the same responsibilities as all other trustees.

• The University expects its trustees to make Princeton their primary extracurricular activity and expects 100% attendance at all meetings. The board traditionally meets in person five times each academic year, with special meetings called as needed. A trustee can therefore expect to make at least five trips to campus each year. Meetings begin on Thursday afternoon and run through Saturday. 
• The board carries out its responsibilities and discharges its duties in part through standing committees. Every trustee is expected to participate actively in the work of the board and is assigned to at least two committees. 
• Between attending and preparing for meetings, a trustee will spend an estimated 200 hours per year on Princeton board commitments, with additional time commitments for those serving in leadership roles.

More information on the Board of Trustees can be found at https://president.princeton.edu/vice-president-and-secretary/board-trustees.

All members of the senior class who successfully complete the requirements for graduation from Princeton University are eligible for the Young Alumni Trustee election. No individual who continues as a student at Princeton University or returns as a student after graduation of their class, or who becomes a member of the faculty or staff or receives a salary under any University program, is eligible to serve as a Young Alumni Trustee.

You may not serve as both an alumni class officer and a Young Alumni Trustee. If you run in the Young Alumni Trustee primary but are not selected to be on the general election ballot, you may subsequently run for alumni class office. If you are on the general election ballot for Young Alumni Trustee, you may not run for class office, as the elections run simultaneously.

The Board of Trustees has delegated responsibility for administering the alumni trustee elections to the Office of Alumni Engagement. The election process has been designed to identify and elect candidates who will be successful as individual trustees, and who will contribute to the effective working of the board as a whole.

The Young Alumni Trustee election process consists of a primary election, in which the senior class votes, and a general election in which the junior and senior classes and the two youngest alumni classes vote.

The Board of Trustees election process is unlike a typical election in that campaigning is not permitted. By long-standing policy, trustee candidates are not permitted to campaign for election and they do not run on particular platforms. Questions about the process should be directed to Amanda Williams at awilliams@princeton.edu and Ellen Gallos at egallos@princeton.edu.

INFORMATION SESSION

Tuesday, February 25, 2025, 12:00 p.m. ET
Thursday, February 27, 2025, 4:30 p.m. ET
Whig Hall Senate Chamber, Oakes Lounge

During these sessions, representatives from the Office of the Vice President and Secretary will discuss the role of Young Alumni Trustee and how the nomination and election processes work. 
All eligible candidates are required to attend one of these information sessions to participate in the election.

CANDIDATE FORM AND PRIMARY ELECTION

Friday, March 7, 2025, 5:00 p.m. EST
Deadline to submit primary election candidate information form.

Monday, March 31, 2025
Online voting begins for primary election (Class of 2025 only)
All seniors will receive an email with information on how to vote in the primary election.

Tuesday, April 8, 2025
Online voting ends for primary election at 5:00 p.m. EST

Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Primary election results announced
The results of the primary election will produce three candidates for the Young Alumni Trustee general election from the Class of 2025.

Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Online voting begins for general election (Classes of 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026)
All voters will receive an email announcing the general election with a link to the election portal.

Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Online voting ends for general election at 5:00 p.m. EST

Friday, May 23, 2025
Election results verified by the Deputy Vice President for Alumni Engagement, a designated member of the faculty and a designated member of the Board of Trustees.

2025 Young Alumni Trustee announced at the Annual Meeting of the Alumni Council.

• Ms. Aisha Chebbi ’24
• Mr. Mutemwa Masheke ’23
• Ms. Naomi Hess ’22
• Ms. Morgan Smith ’21

• Mr. Jackson Artis ’20
• Ms. Sarah Varghese ’19
• Ms. Myesha Jemison ’18 
• Mr. Achille Tenkiang ’17
• Ms. Azza Cohen ’16
• Mr. Tumi Akinlawon ’15
• Mr. Brian Reilly ’14
• Mr. Kanwal Matharu ’13
• Ms. Angela Groves ’12
• Ms. Aku Ammah-Tagoe ’11
• Mr. F. Josh Grehan ’10
• Ms. Elizabeth A. Dilday ’09
• Ms. Meaghan P. Petersack ’08
• Mr. James Williamson ’07
• Mr. Brady P. Walkinshaw ’06
• Mr. Matthew J. T. Margolin ’05
• Mr. Rishi S. Jaitly ’04
• Mr. Olivier Kamanda ’03
• Mr. Charles H. Brown ’02
• Mr. Jin H. Kim ’01
• Mr. Spencer B. Merriweather, III ’00
• Mr. Brian C. Johnson ’99
• Mr. Jeffrey S. Siegel ’98
• Ms. Sarah E. Stein ’97
• Mr. George T. Whitesides ’96
• Ms. Sejal Shah Gulati ’95
• Mr. Christopher D. Young ’94
• Mrs. Doris Lee Sohmen-Pao ’93
• Ms. Adrienne K. Wheatley ’92
• Mr. Hoon Cho ’91
• Ms. Michel N. Zhu Parris ’90
• Mr. Elgin R. Clemons ’89
• Ms. Cecilia Rey Hallisey ’88
• Mr. Todd A. Cox ’87
• Mrs. Mary B. Tabor Engel ’86
• Ms. Jocelyn E. Russell ’85
• Mr. Timothy C. Wu ’84
• Ms. Tiffany W. Bluemle ’83
• Mr. Joel L. Achenbach ’82
• Ms. Lisa S. McGovern ’81
• Ms. Anne C. Mackay-Smith ’80
• Dr. Armistead C.G. Webster ’79
• Mr. Robert A. Connor ’78
• Kenneth Offit, M.D. ’77
• Ms. Nancy B. Peretsman ’76
• Mr. Aaron Harber ’75
• William H. Frist, M.D. ’74
• Dr. Marsha H. Levy-Warren ’73
• Eric L. Richard, Esq. ’72
• The Rev. Dr. Eugene Y. Lowe, Jr. ’71
• Joseph Julnes Dehner, Esq. ’70
• Brent L. Henry, Esq. ’69
• Richard W. Cass (3 yr. term-elected in 1969) ’68