Princeton announced its spring 2026 schedule of TigerSide Chats, its series of virtual conversations with leading faculty members and administrators that offer unique learning opportunities on a variety of timely topics during the academic year. Topics on the spring slate range from quantum physics research to a prison teaching program, examine the work of Cicero and Bob Dylan, and include a chat with Princeton president Christopher L. Eisgruber ’83 about the role universities play in promoting respectful conversation amid disagreement.
“For Princetonians, learning is a lifelong passion, and we are thrilled to give alumni, wherever they are located, access to the latest research and writing from the University’s scholars,” said Bridget St. Clair, director of alumni education and travel on the alumni engagement team within University Advancement.
The season began on Jan. 15, when Yelena Baraz shared insights from her new book “Cicero: A Very Short Introduction.” Baraz is the Kennedy Foundation Professor of Latin Language and Literature, professor of classics and director of the Society of Fellows in the Liberal Arts. Drawing on Cicero’s voluminous surviving letters and writings, Baraz discussed the Roman statesman, orator and writer as one of the most influential figures in late-republican Rome, an era of great social, political and cultural unrest that would lead to the transition from republic to empire.
On Feb. 19, Jenny Greene, academic director of Princeton’s Prison Teaching Initiative and Eugene Higgins Professor of Astrophysical Sciences, will present “Princeton’s Prison Teaching Initiative,” discussing the program that seeks to bridge the University’s academic and service-driven missions by providing college-level education to incarcerated students in New Jersey.
On March 19, Christopher L. Eisgruber ’83, president of Princeton University, will be joined by Gadi Dechter, the University’s vice president for communications and government affairs, to discuss issues covered in Eisgruber’s new book, “Terms of Respect: How Colleges Get Free Speech Right.” Eisgruber draws on his background as a constitutional scholar and tenure as Princeton’s president to examine the clash of ideas on campuses across the United States and the responsibilities of higher education institutions in a polarized society. This conversation will explore the issues he examines in his book, counter misperceptions about free speech and academic freedom, and highlight the role research universities play in American democracy.
On April 8, Sean Wilentz, the George Henry Davis 1886 Professor of American History, will present a TigerSide Chat entitled “Bob Dylan in America,” a title shared with Wilentz’s 2010 book, which combines biography, social history and cultural commentary drawn in part from Wilentz’s essays as “historian in residence” for Dylan’s official website.
On May 5, two of the University’s leaders in quantum research will discuss the “Princeton Quantum Initiative”: Andrew Houck, dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and the Anthony H.P. Lee ’79 P11 P14 Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering; and Nathalie de Leon, co-director of the Princeton Quantum Initiative and associate professor of electrical and computer engineering. Quantum research seeks to understand and harness the strange behaviors of particles at and below the atomic scale — particles that do not obey the classical laws of physics — to understand how the universe works and to develop useful technologies.
On June 3, Aly Kassam-Remtulla, vice provost for international affairs and operations, will discuss “Africa’s Living Laboratory: Princeton’s Partnership with the Mpala Research Centre.” Kassam-Remtulla leads a team of 250 professionals that facilitates Princeton’s international activities among faculty and students, including oversight of Mpala, an independent Kenyan nonprofit comprising of 48,000 acres of privately owned conservation lands managed by the University in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution, the National Museums of Kenya and the Kenya Wildlife Service.
Equal parts lecture and discussion, TigerSide Chats launched in 2024 and became an immediate success. Prominent Princeton faculty and staff, paired with an alumni moderator, have led discussions about the future of artificial intelligence, the new Princeton University Art Museum, the changing landscape of collegiate athletics, genomic science in wolf DNA and the fascinating habits of birds, among other topics. More than 4,600 alumni and friends have logged on to participate in the first 13 TigerSide Chats. The sessions deepen alumni engagement and expand alumni education opportunities.
TigerSide Chats, open to the public, are held on Zoom at 4:30 p.m. ET. Alumni and friends are invited to register and attend the live sessions. For those who cannot attend, video recordings are published on the Princeton Alumni website. To learn more, visit the TigerSide Chats webpage.
