Princeton announced its fall schedule of TigerSide Chats, the 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.
On Sept. 10, Jim Matteo, the University‘s vice president for finance and treasurer, and Vince Tuohey, the president of the Princeton University Investment Company (PRINCO), will present “Understanding Princeton’s Endowment and Finances” and answer alumni and friends‘ questions about the financial foundations of the University. Matteo has been Princeton’s chief financial officer since 2019, and Tuohey was an investment director at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before joining PRINCO in 2024. University Trustee Kimberly Johnson ‘95, chief operating officer and a vice president of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., will moderate the conversation.
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 and the world of birds, among other topics. Nearly 3,000 alumni and friends logged on to participate in the first eight TigerSide Chats. The sessions deepen alumni engagement and expand alumni education opportunities.
“Princetonians have a love of learning that endures long after they graduate,” said Bridget St. Clair, director of Alumni Education and Travel on the Alumni Engagement team within University Advancement. “TigerSide Chats is our way of providing alumni with direct access to some of the University’s most prominent experts and scholars.”
On Oct. 8, Bridgett vonHoldt will present a TigerSide Chat titled “Red Wolves, Ghost Wolves and the Promise of Genomic Science.” VonHoldt is a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology who studies dogs and wolves to better understand evolutionary genomics.
On Nov. 5, Tania Lombrozo will discuss “Exploring Human Intelligence in an Age of AI,” focusing on explanation and intelligibility in humans and machines. Lombrozo, the Arthur W. Marks ’19 Professor of Psychology, is director of the Program in Cognitive Science and co-director of the Natural and Artificial Minds Initiative, which supports opportunities for mutual interaction across the cognitive sciences and AI.
On Dec. 9, Rodney D. Priestley, dean of the Princeton Graduate School, will present “125 Years of Graduate Education at Princeton,” offering historical perspective and a current update. Priestley, who is also the Pomeroy and Betty Perry Smith Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, has spearheaded enormous growth of the Princeton Graduate School, including new residential housing in the Meadows Neighborhood and increased fellowships and student stipends, in addition to overseeing the “Many Minds, Many Stripes” all-alumni conference scheduled for October.
TigerSide Chats, which are open to the public, are held on Zoom Webinar 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 will be published on the Princeton Alumni website. To learn more, visit the TigerSide Chats webpage.
