Princeton Alumni Weekly Podcasts
Episodes
PAW Tracks: A Tiger, Through and Through (Donald H. Fox k'39 on his father, Frederic Fox '39)
31 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
As a son of Freddy Fox ’39, one of Princeton’s most enthusiastic ambassadors, Donald Fox grew up with a reunion tent in his backyard. The younger ...
Q&A: Author Jacob Sager Weinstein ’94 on Writing for Young Readers (May 2018)
10 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
It took Jacob Sager Weinstein ’94 about a decade to sell his first book for young readers, Hyacinth and the Secrets Beneath (Random House), a fantas...
PAW Tracks: Learning Curve (Mike Murburg '77)
09 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Mike Murburg ’77 was 17 when he arrived at Princeton, “naïve and full of testosterone,” but he worked his way through a challenging schedule as...
PAW Tracks: The Great Outdoors (Wallace Good '72)
22 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
For Wallace Good ’72, leading the Outing Club — and trying to keep its VW Bus on the road — was a bit of a headache. But through trips with the ...
Q&A: Philosopher Kieran Setiya *02 on Dealing with a Midlife Crisis (April 2018)
06 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
On the surface, Kieran Setiya *02 had nothing to complain about. He had earned tenure as a philosophy professor; he’d published books and journal ar...
PAW Tracks: My First Role Model (Alicia Brooks Christy '77)
05 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Doctor and health administrator Alicia Brooks Christy ’77 talks about her path through Princeton and remembers her mother, who completed college as ...
PAW Tracks: In Good Company (Scott McVay '55)
15 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Scott McVay ’55 has written a memoir, Surprise Encounters, featuring vignettes drawn from decades working at universities and foundations and in the...
Q&A: Author Sebastian Abbot ’98 on an Epic Soccer Talent Search (March 2018)
06 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Sebastian Abbot ’98 first heard about Football Dreams, an ambitious Qatari-backed talent search that aimed to identify promising soccer prospects ...
PAW Tracks: Someone to Lean On (Aida Pacheco '77)
22 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Aida Pacheco '77 came to Princeton from a predominantly black and Latino high school in nearby Trenton, where teachers said she wasn't cut out for the...
Q&A: Singer-Songwriter Anthony D'Amato '10 on the Touring Life (February 2018)
14 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Anthony D’Amato ’10 has come a long way since he began writing and recording songs in his Princeton dorm room nine years ago. He’s released thre...
PAW Tracks: Part of the Team (Bill Farrell '77)
31 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
As an undergrad, Bill Farrell ’77 was proud to coach Princeton’s fledgling women’s track and field squad. Decades later, he found similar joy he...
PAW Tracks: Together Again (Simone Schloss '79)
04 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
For Simone Schloss ’79, reconnecting with an old boyfriend at Alumni Day turned into a love story, with a 36-year gap in the middle. “You never kn...
Q&A: Sean Gregory ’98 of Time Magazine on Sports, Beyond the Sidelines (January 2018)
27 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Are we entering a new era of the activist athlete? Will the FBI sting have a lasting impact on college basketball? And why is Olympic curling so popul...
Q&A: Helen Thorpe '87 on the Inspiring Stories of Teen Refugees (December 2017)
01 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In 2015-16, journalist and author Helen Thorpe ’87 sat in on a high school English-acquisition class for teenaged refugees from across the globe. S...
PAW Tracks: Band, Basketball, and Bell-Bottoms (Owen Curtis ’72 *75)
28 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Owen Curtis ’72 *75 reflects on the differences between ’70s-era Princeton hippies and preps, why TV broadcasters were right to be wary of the Pri...
PAW Tracks: A Collegial Retreat (John Stewart '77)
03 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
John Stewart ’77 came to Princeton with a few family stories in mind, thanks to his mother, who’d worked at Firestone Library, and his father, a f...
Q&A: William Pugh ’20 on Starting Conversations and Staying Woke (November 2017)
02 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
PAW’s Allie Wenner sits down with William Pugh ’20, co-founder of the “Woke Wednesdays” podcast, a new student-produced show that gives Prince...
PAW Tracks: A.B., with a Baby (J.C. Alvarez '77)
19 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
After giving birth to a son as an undergraduate, J.C. Alvarez ’77 stayed in school, juggling the work of a student, mom, and wife. “While it’s n...
Q&A: Anthropologist Carolyn Rouse on the Art of Listening (October 2017)
12 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Anthropology professor Carolyn Rouse discusses her research trip to interview Donald Trump supporters in rural California, her “Trumplandia” proje...
PAW Tracks: At Home and at War (Hale Bradt '52)
27 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
When Hale Bradt ’52 began reading his late father’s letters from World War II, the words “just grabbed me, viscerally,” he says. After decades...
Q&A: Sasha Fradkin '06 *11 on Adventures in Math (September 2017)
12 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Mathematician Sasha Fradkin ’06 *11, co-author of the forthcoming book Funville Adventures, discusses the perks of teaching young children (“they...
PAW Tracks: Leading the Way (Valerie Bell '77)
06 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Valerie Bell ’77, the first black student and first woman to be voted class president at Princeton, recalls the sense of pride she felt when she led...
Q&A: Talya Nevins ’18 and Alice Maiden ’19 on Reporting About Refugees in Greece (August 2017)
07 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Last month, on the Greek island of Lesbos, when a smoke-filled riot broke out at a camp housing migrants seeking entry into Europe, the first journali...
Q&A: Samantha Walravens '90 on Women Taking On Tech (July 2017)
06 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Samantha Walravens ’90, co-author of Geek Girl Rising: Inside the Sisterhood Shaking Up Tech (St. Martin’s Press), discusses how women are making ...
PAW Tracks: Their Day With Hemingway (Jack Goodman ’57, John Milton ’57)
05 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Jack Goodman ’57, John Milton ’57, and two of their classmates traveled south for spring break in 1955 with an unusual goal: to interview Ernest H...
PAW Tracks: Try, Try Again(Charlie Buttrey ’81)
30 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Charlie Buttrey ’81 has never been one to take “no” for an answer. He ran for class president thr...
PAW Tracks: In the Middle (Howard Zien '71)
10 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
When students went on strike in May 1970, Howard Zien ’71 went to class — and encountered jeers that made him realize how difficult it is to find ...
PAW Tracks: Finding Her Place (Christine Caffrey Johnson ’81)
20 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of PAW Tracks, Christine Caffrey Johnson ’81 talks about the difficulty of finding her place at Princeton and some of the activities...
PAW Tracks: Travels with Harley (Geoff Smith '71, John Drummond '71, and Brad O’Brien '71)
05 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
For ’71 classmates Geoff Smith, John Drummond, and Brad O’Brien, riding to Reunions by motorcycle last year was a chance to see small-town America...
PAW Tracks: Permission Granted (Richard Reinis '66)
15 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Richard Reinis ’66 recalls memorable events from his undergraduate days, including getting the dean’s approval to get married af...
PAW Tracks: Their Shot (Princeton women's basketball alumnae)
23 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Princeton women’s basketball has become one of the nation’s top mid-major programs, with six NCAA Tournament bids in the last seven years, includi...
PAW Tracks: Changing Outlook (April McQueen '93)
02 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
April McQueen ’93’s struggles with and recovery from mental illness forced her to revisit her expectations and professional goals. “I believe th...
PAW Tracks: Seeking Community (Jenny Korn ’96)
04 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Jenny Korn ’96 tried to build connections as an undergrad, founding Princeton’s Thai-American Student Organization, and that theme has continued, ...
PAW Tracks: Vocation to Avocation (Jerry Sorell ’50 *51)
30 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
When Jerry Sorell ’50 *51 and his family fled Austria in 1938, he left behind his hopes of becoming a professional musician. “I decided that chemi...
PAW Tracks: Her Own Path (Allison Slater Tate ’96)
03 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Allison Slater Tate ’96’s career has ranged from TV production to blogging about parenting, and her college experience has been useful at every tu...
PAW Tracks: Nuclear War and Midterm Exams (Norm Tabler ’66)
18 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Adjusting to college life wasn’t easy for Norm Tabler ’66, a freshman from a small town in Indiana — and the shadow of the Cuban Missile Crisis ...
PAW Tracks: Two Generations (Carolyn Bowman Pugh ’81 and Alexa Pugh ’16)
27 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
At Reunions, Carolyn Bowman Pugh ’81 and her daughter Alexa ’16 spoke with PAW about how the different time periods that they were on campus shape...
PAW Tracks: Around the Globe (Tony Zee '66)
06 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Tony Zee ’66 made an improbable journey from China to Brazil and eventually to Princeton, where he studied physics under the tutelage of legendary p...
PAW Tracks: Cover Story (Robin Bennett Osborne ’81)
14 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In the spring of 1977, Robin Bennett Osborne ’81 received a moving letter from her grandfather, E. Lansing Bennett ’22, that convinced her to come...
PAW Tracks: Senior Thesis Memories
26 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Writing the senior thesis is one the quintessential Princeton experiences: Months of research and exploration come together in a single document. In t...
PAW Tracks: Nassoons Alumni Reflect on 75 Years of Song
05 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Alumni of the Nassoons returned to campus in April to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the group that gave birth to a cappella singing at Princeton. ...
PAW Tracks: A Literary Life (John V. Fleming *63)
13 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
John V. Fleming *63 describes his time as a Ph.D. student as “a blur,” but his four decades on the faculty left a clearer impression. “For me, P...
PAW Tracks: Motley Crew
29 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In the early 1970s, the women’s rowing team was easy to spot in campus dining halls. “We didn’t have time to change [after practice],” Carol B...
PAW Tracks: Citizen of the World
10 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
For Tibor Baranski Jr. ’80, coming to Princeton was one part of a remarkable journey. Baranski, whose family emigrated from Hungary, developed a lov...
PAW Tracks: Off Prospect
18 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
When Paul Rochmis ’60 joined us for an oral history interview at Reunions last year, he spoke about some of his happiest memories of Princeton — m...
PAW Tracks: A Date with the Dean
28 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
For John Potter ’65, one senior-year meeting with Dean of the Chapel Ernest Gordon changed the course of his life. He went from being a nonbeliever ...
PAW Tracks: New Viewpoints
06 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
As undergraduates, Edie Canter ’80 and her friends had many discussions about women’s issues, but rarely in an academic setting. That realization ...
PAW Tracks: Experiencing Princeton
24 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Before Van Wallach ’80 came to Princeton, his dad urged him to learn more about opera, to match his cultured peers. “What I found out was not know...
PAW Tracks: Holder Hall Memories (WPRB)
04 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
As WPRB celebrates 75 years on the air, PAW Tracks looks back at the student experience at the radio station in interviews with two alumni: Sally Jaco...
PAW Tracks: Loving the Lab
15 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
As a Princeton freshman, Laura Landweber ’89 began the first of several undergraduate research projects and immediately knew she had found her path....
PAW Tracks: A Non-Traditional Path
30 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Patricia Danielson *76 came to Princeton as an auditor, a suburban housewife and community activist who wanted to learn more about urban studies. She ...
PAW Tracks: The Cannon Hoax
10 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
“I realized that we didn’t really have to steal the cannon — we only had to make it appear that we had stolen the cannon,” Aaron Laden ’70 t...
PAW Tracks: Triangle Club Memories
24 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
At Reunions, 12 alumni sat down with PAW to tell their stories in a series of oral history interviews. We’ll be sharing parts of those interviews on...
PAW Tracks: A Valued Mentor
27 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
PAW Tracks, Episode 13: A Valued Mentor Jack Bergland ’54 recalls Professor S. Roy Heath ’39 and the Class of 1954 Advisee Project — a four-year...
PAW Tracks: Reunions Roundtable
05 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Few events anywhere can tie generations together like Princeton Reunions. Last May, PAW brought together three alums and a graduating senior to share ...
PAW Tracks: Covering the Strike
16 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
May 1970 was one of the most tumultuous months in the history of political activism at Princeton — and one of the most eventful for student reporter...
PAW Tracks: School of Rock
25 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Princeton Reunions rocker “Ivory Jim” Hunter ’62 recalls meeting his bandmates in a dorm room, and eventually taking their act on the road to ot...
PAW Tracks: Family History
04 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
When author and professor Andie Tucher ’76 began researching her family tree, she uncovered fascinating stories that have evolved over time. Her new...
PAW Tracks: March Memories
11 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Five members of the 1964-65 Princeton men’s basketball team — Bill Bradley ’65, Ed Hummer ’67, Bill Kingston ’65, Don Roth ’65, and Gary W...
PAW Tracks: Rules of Motion
20 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Scouting Princeton’s 1964-65 men’s basketball team was a challenge — and not just because the lineup included All-American Bill Bradley ’65, a...
PAW Tracks: Digital Dawn
17 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Brian Kernighan *69, co-author of classic texts including The C Programming Language, came to Princeton in 1964, when the campus had just one computer...
PAW Tracks: After December 7, 1941
19 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
America’s entry into World War II changed the lives of millions of Americans, and thousands of Princeton alumni. In this episode, Herb Hobler ’44,...
PAW Tracks: Grad School Pioneer
30 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
“I was a shy person,” says Aliye Celik *70, the first female student at Princeton’s School of Architecture, “and Princeton gave me ... the bac...
PAW Tracks: Dixieland at Old Nassau
09 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Dick Snedeker ’51 took a keen interest in music at Princeton, playing clarinet for the marching band, the University Orchestra, and an undergraduate...
PAW Tracks: Sparking Quipfire!
24 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Quipfire!, Princeton’s oldest improv comedy group, launched in 1992 with a set of shows in a black-box theater. Twenty-two years later, it’s somet...
PAW Tracks: Stealing the Clapper
26 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
As freshmen in 1950, Richard Muhl ’54 and Alan Whelihan ’54 took part in a September tradition: stealing the clapper from the Nassau Hall bell. Bu...