“The foundation of Princeton’s excellence is the quality of its faculty, and the University Professorship recognizes individuals who have produced transformative scholarship and are spectacular teachers,” said President Christopher L. Eisgruber ’83. “We are deeply grateful to the alumni and friends who have made a timeless commitment to Princeton’s educational mission by endowing these University Professorships.” 

The new University Professorships include: 

• The Andrew K. Golden University Professorship 
• The Bruce R. Lauritzen University Professorship 
• The Neil A. Omenn ’68 University Professorship 
• The Thor Johnson *02 University Professorship 
• The U. Krishna Veeraraghavan ’99 and Sejal Shah University Professorship 
• The William M. Addy ’82 University Professorship 

A gift for an additional University Professorship has been committed by donors who wish their contribution to be confidential at this time. 

University Professorships are reserved for those faculty members who have achieved an exceptional level of accomplishment. Since 1962, only 73 members of the Princeton faculty have held the title. Among them are seven recipients of the Nobel Prize, two Fields Medalists and a winner of the Pulitzer Prize. University Professorships are not associated with any specific academic discipline, allowing Princeton to celebrate the achievements of scholars in any field. 

“University Professorships represent a unique opportunity for Princeton to recognize peerless educators who conduct world-class research and scholarship that can have a profound impact on the world,” said Gene Jarrett, dean of the faculty and the William S. Tod Professor of English. “The professorships are a singular honor for Princeton faculty members who receive them. We are extremely grateful to the generous alumni and friends who have endowed them and for their commitment to Princeton’s academic excellence.” 

The Neil A. Omenn ’68 University Professorship 

In September 2024, Howard Stone, a leading engineering scholar and pioneer in fluid dynamics research who joined the Princeton faculty in 2009, was named the Neil A. Omenn ’68 University Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. The professorship was made possible by a gift from the couple Gilbert Omenn ’61 and Martha Darling *70, in memory of Gil’s brother. Neil Omenn worked in fiscal affairs for the City of Philadelphia and then became an investment adviser. 

“Princeton was very important to Neil. He began with the Class of 1966, left to complete his Army service and returned to graduate with a degree in politics as a member of the Class of 1968. He wrote an interesting thesis on “Corporations, Unions and Group Practice in Organization of Health Services,” and was thoughtful about public policy, working for the City of Philadelphia for many years. His love of playing music enriched his trips around the globe, which led to many wonderful stories of exploring the world firsthand. Neil was a loyal donor to Princeton every year until he passed in 2023. We think he’d be extremely pleased to have his name now associated with the University in this manner. Princeton is a special place that binds the three of us together. We’re very proud to see Neil recognized and very pleased to get to know Howard Stone, the inaugural recipient of the Neil A. Omenn ’68 University Professorship.” — Gil Omenn ’61 and Martha Darling *70 

Darling and Omenn made a transformational gift in 2023 as part of the Venture Forward campaign that established and named the Omenn-Darling Bioengineering Institute. They had previously given to Princeton, including gifts for the Scholars in the Nation’s Service Program and to create the Gilbert S. Omenn Lectures in Science, Technology and Public Policy at the School of Public and International Affairs. The Gilbert S. Omenn ’61, M.D., Ph.D. and Martha A. Darling *70 Fund for Grand Challenges in Bioengineering helped establish a postdoctoral fellows program and an annual lecture in bioengineering, both named after the couple. 

The William M. Addy ’82 University Professorship 

At the Board of Trustees meeting on May 26, Margaret Martonosi, whose research in computer architecture has led to breakthroughs in the development of both classical and quantum hardware and software systems, was named the William M. Addy ’82 University Professorship. The professorship was endowed by Bill Addy and his wife, Lydia Addy. In 2001, Bill Addy founded ISN Software Corporation, an online platform service that enables leading enterprises in industries such as energy, steel and pharmaceuticals to source and manage third-party relationships with contractors and suppliers. 

“My parents met at Michigan State University (MSU). They loved MSU and it was the primary beneficiary of their philanthropy. Their philanthropic attitude towards MSU really rubbed off on us — in particular my dad’s belief in the power of great teachers. His endowed professorships at MSU require each endowed professor to teach at least one course a year — and prove they are a great teacher. I feel similarly about the power of great teachers. Over the years, I’ve interviewed thousands of college seniors from schools all over the country, and one of my favorite questions is, ‘What was your favorite class?’ Nearly 100% of the time, it turns out that their favorite class was taught by their favorite teacher. The class almost never matters; it’s the teacher that makes all the difference. Some professors are great researchers, but they’re not great teachers. Who teaches you is a big deal. Great professor-researcher-teachers like the ones I had at the School of Engineering and Applied Science are rare, and that’s who Lydia and I hope Princeton honors with the William M. Addy ’82 University Professorship.” — William M. Addy ’82 

The Addys made a major gift to support Princeton University’s strategic goal of undergraduate student expansion in 2021 by naming Addy Hall, a dormitory in New College West. Previously, they established the Addy/ISN North American Low Carbon Emission Energy Self-Sufficiency Fund in 2012, providing funding for innovative research aimed at reducing carbon emissions and creating an energy-self-sufficient North America. In 2017, they established the Addy Fund for Excellence in Engineering to support innovation in the engineering school. They have also been generous supporters of the Center for Information Technology Policy and the lacrosse program, among others. 

The Andrew K. Golden University Professorship 

The Andrew K. Golden University Professorship was endowed by a small group of donors to honor Golden, who was president of the Princeton University Investment Company (PRINCO) from 1995 to 2024, a period in which the University endowment grew tenfold. 

“As president of PRINCO for nearly 30 years, Andrew Golden made an enormous impact in the University’s ability to fulfill its promise to its students and its mission to serve humanity. He was an ingenious and iconoclastic steward of the University endowment, trusting his own judgments rather than running with the crowd, and building a terrific team that continues to enable Princeton to evolve and expand, to provide no-loan financial aid to students, and to recruit and retain an A-plus faculty. When our committee suggested a University Professorship in Andy’s honor, there was an overwhelming groundswell of demand from members of the community for the opportunity to contribute and honor Andy in this manner. The Andrew K. Golden University Professorship celebrates his role in the quintessential aspect of what the University is about — excellence in teaching and research — and we can’t imagine a more fitting honor for a man whose three decades of incredible work on behalf of the University has helped make that possible.” — Bob Peck ’88, representing a group of contributors 

The Bruce R. Lauritzen University Professorship 

The Bruce R. Lauritzen University Professorship was endowed by Clark Lauritzen ’99 and members of the Lauritzen family in memory of their father. Bruce Lauritzen was head of the First National Bank of Omaha, a family-owned business that began in the 1850s and now is led by Clark Lauritzen. 

“My father, Bruce, cared for and understood people deeply. He had a way of engaging with others that made them feel as if they were the only person on the Earth that mattered. He had great empathy for people, and he was a lifelong learner. At our nightly family dinners, it would not be unusual for my dad to grab a book off the shelf, read a poem from Robert Frost or cite a passage from Charles Dickens. I’m the sixth generation in our family’s business, and there’s very much a passion for service to your community ingrained in our family and in our company. I think that just translated right into Princeton, and he felt an obligation to give back, to pay it forward. The notion that there will be a Bruce R. Lauritzen University Professorship is just so perfect to me, my wife, my sisters and the extended Lauritzen family, and it’s a legacy that I know would make him very proud.” — Clark Lauritzen ’99 

Clark Lauritzen made a gift to Princeton in 2022 that established the Lauritzen Family Scholarship. The Lauritzen family made a gift in 2007 to name Lauritzen Hall in Whitman College. 

The Thor Johnson *02 University Professorship 

The Thor Johnson *02 University Professorship was endowed by Carl “Thor” Johnson *02. Johnson received his Ph.D. in mathematics from Princeton. 

“One of the biggest lessons I learned at Princeton was not to be afraid to tackle hard problems. The University has world-class people conducting pathfinding research, and my adviser, Paul Seymour, the Albert Baldwin Dod Professor of Mathematics, is arguably the world’s foremost authority in the field of graph theory. Certainly, a great deal of his success is due to natural talent, but it became clear to me that what was equally essential to his brilliance was his pure love of doing graph theory. He would work for years on some problems, and while I’m sure he had a sense for how things would work out, there must still have been a component of taking a plunge into the unknown. When you can recruit a person like that to a collaborative environment like Princeton, I think there is a virtuous cycle that attracts other top people, and I hope this University Professorship serves as a force multiplier in solving some of the world’s most significant problems.” — Thor Johnson *02

The U. Krishna Veeraraghavan ’99 and Sejal Shah University Professorship 

The U. Krishna Veeraraghavan ’99 and Sejal Shah University Professorship was endowed by Sejal Shah and Krishna Veeraraghavan ’99. Shah is a board-certified dermatologist and the founder and medical director of SmarterSkin Dermatology, a private cosmetic dermatology clinic in New York City; Veeraraghavan is global co-head of the mergers and acquisitions group at the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. 

“I’ve always been proud of Princeton’s single-minded pursuit of excellence. Coming back to campus last spring for my 25th Reunion and seeing all my classmates and friends reiterated how lucky I am to be a part of this University for my entire life. I think of where I am today, and it all started with my time at Princeton. As Sejal and I thought about ways to give back, one of the things that became clear to us was the importance of attracting the best and brightest professors. It’s essential to the future of the University to recruit and retain highly sought-after scholars. So much has changed in just the past few years when you consider where we are on AI, quantum computing, the biosciences and the role of the humanities in all those disciplines. By establishing this University Professorship, we hope Princeton will honor brilliant teachers who’ve not only produced world-class research — but who also have a capacity for even greater future growth.” — Krishna Veeraraghavan ’99

In addition to generous support of Annual Giving, Veeraraghavan and Shah previously made a gift to Princeton in 2019 that established the Krishna Veeraraghavan ’99 Fund in support of college access. 

The Venture Forward campaign supports the University’s strategic framework, and its fundraising and alumni engagement initiatives are aligned with the key focus areas of that plan: college access and affordability, financial aid, data science, bioengineering, the environment, American Studies and other important areas of inquiry — such as quantum science, AI and cancer research — that characterize Princeton’s commitment to the liberal arts.