Mercer Times

Princeton University honored its newest Ph.D. and master’s degree recipients on May 27 at the 2024 Hooding and Recognition Ceremony, held indoors at Jadwin Gym due to inclement weather. Graduates were joined by family, mentors, and loved ones for the event.

“This ceremony is a welcome opportunity for all of us — your families, friends, teachers, mentors and colleagues — to recognize the dedication, effort and intellect that you have brought to your work here,” said Princeton University Provost Jennifer Rexford. “Your graduate degree is a testament to your talent and commitment as well as a mark of true excellence in scholarship and research.”

Rodney Priestley, Dean of the Graduate School and Pomeroy and Betty Perry Smith Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, urged graduates to savor the moment. “This is a pinnacle moment of your life,” he said. “A moment you have been working for years to achieve. A moment that will be part of your life story forever. We don’t get too many of these moments, so pause and take it all in.”

The ceremony recognized 188 master’s degree recipients and 288 Ph.D. honorees by name as they walked across the stage. Ph.D. recipients were hooded either by their faculty advisers or Sandra Bermann, Chief Marshal for University Convocations.

Academic regalia has roots tracing back to medieval Europe when heavy woolen robes were necessary in cold stone university halls. Modern hoods distinguish wearers by rank and academic discipline with colored velvet bands: royal blue for philosophy; peacock blue for public affairs; gold for engineering; white for arts and letters; brown for architecture; light brown for finance; while Princeton's colors are orange with a black chevron.

Dean Priestley acknowledged the contributions of 164 faculty members who attended to hood their advisees. “Their presence reminds us that the journey to an advanced degree is only possible with the encouragement and guidance of supportive faculty,” he stated.

Rexford herself hooded her students Xiaoqi Chen and Mary Hogan at the ceremony. Both already hold faculty appointments starting this fall—Chen at Purdue University and Hogan at Oberlin College.

“One of the joys of faculty life is supporting graduate students as they grow from student to junior researcher,” Rexford remarked.

New psychology Ph.D., Mira Nencheva praised her adviser Casey Lew-Williams during her dissertation defense: “He found research strengths in me...and pushed me to find research that I feel excited about.” Lew-Williams described advising as collaboration rather than mere guidance.

Genevieve Allotey-Pappoe received her Ph.D. in music under adviser Gavin Steingo’s mentorship before starting an assistant professorship at Brown University on July 1st.

In addition to presiding over the event, Priestley hooded his own student Yejoon Seo stating: "I cherish the personal relationships I’ve been able to form with all my graduate students."

Princeton awarded degrees formally during its 277th Commencement on May 28th:

- Doctorate degrees: 403

- Master degrees: including Architecture (35), Engineering (29), Finance (25), Public Policy (25), Public Affairs (63), Science in Engineering (29)

Graduate Mentoring Awards were presented by Katherine Stanton from McGraw Center for Teaching & Learning recognizing exceptional mentoring efforts by Maria DiBattista, Alison Isenberg, Tania Lombrozo, and Andrés Monroy-Hernández.

“Princeton’s graduate alumni continue to play leadership roles in academia... Your membership in this alumni community is both an accomplishment and a call to action," concluded Rexford.