Alumni Forward Thinkers

Watch Forward Fest on-demand as fellow alumni discuss resilience and exploration in a time of complexity and challenge.

by University Advancement

February 11, 2021

by University Advancement

February 11, 2021

How can we find resilience and innovation in a time of complexity and challenge? Watch the Resilience and Exploration sessions of Forward Fest, part of A Year of Forward Thinking, as Princeton University alumni explore these topics.

The first session of Forward Fest on February 20 highlighted Princeton alumni who faced impediments on their paths and have persevered. The second session celebrated the inquisitive Princeton spirit, exemplified by Tigers who have explored new territory — or are in the middle of the hunt — in a variety of fields.

Forward Fest is a monthly online series, free and open to the public, that continues throughout A Year of Forward Thinking. The monthly event features Princeton faculty and alumni exploring a range of forward-thinking topics. Sparking dialogue among the entire Princeton community — students, faculty, staff, alumni and other interested thinkers — Forward Fest explores, engages and develops bold thinking for the future.

To engage with the ideas shared in the sessions, check out the Forward Fest Resource Guide, with background information, book and podcast suggestions and discussion questions.

Alumni Forward Thinkers on Resilience

Josh Brankman ’99
Executive Director, Outward Bound USA

Elizabeth R Henry ’88 (Dr. Liz)
Pediatrician, parent coach, author and workshop facilitator

Heather Gerken ’91
Dean and Sol & Lillian Goldman Professor of Law, Yale Law School; Forward Fest moderator

Suleika Jaouad ’10
Journalist, author and advocate

Alumni Forward Thinkers on Exploration

Julia Boorstin ’00
CNBC Senior Media and Entertainment Reporter; Forward Fest moderator

Majka Burhardt ’98
Professional climber; conservation entrepreneur, author and filmmaker

Karen Roter Davis ’94
Director, Early Stage Projects, X, Alphabet’s moonshot factory

Richard Preston *83
Author and science/environment communicator

Roy Swan ’86
Director, Mission Investments, Ford Foundation

Forward Fest is free and open to the public. Visit forwardthinking.princeton.edu to learn more and watch. #PrincetonForward

A Year of Forward Thinking is the University’s engagement campaign inviting faculty, students, alumni, community members and others to join in a conversation focused on responding to the challenges facing the nation and the world.

More Forward Thinkers ...

Majka Burhardt ’98 is moving mountains to partner with Indigenous peoples on their ecosystems

Climbing mountains across multiple continents, Majka Burhardt ’98 has a unique perspective on the impact of climate change on delicate ecosystems and the people who need them for their own survival.

Thomas Ray Garcia ’16 builds relationships and a nonprofit to help Latino students

As a Princeton undergraduate, Thomas Ray Garcia ’16 began mentoring students from his Texas high school during summer breaks. The near-peer mentoring program evolved over the years into the College Scholarship Leadership Access Program, a nonprofit that serves high school students living near the Texas-Mexico border.

Jordan Salama ’19: Telling stories that cross cultures

Almost two years after graduating, Jordan Salama ’19 is still hard at work on his senior thesis. In November, Catapult Books will publish an adaptation of that thesis as “Every Day the River Changes: Four Weeks Down the Magdalena.”