
This issue of the Capital Connector highlights stories about Princeton University's collaborations to encourage civic engagement, a research grant for advancing the understanding of mental illness, an expansion of the Princeton Plasma Physics Lab apprenticeship program, and Princeton University students working with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority on wind energy.
Princeton Collaborates

Election 2024: Vote100 initiative encourages students to register, vote, and be more civically engaged
There was no shortage of programming around civic engagement on campus over the last several weeks, including participation in the New Jersey Department of State's Ballot Bowl, hosting the New Jersey Voting Summit, and the kick-off of Princeton University's Vote 100 initiative. In less than a decade, voting registration rates among Princeton undergraduate and graduate students more than doubled largely thanks to the program. Seventy-five percent of eligible Princeton students voted in the last general election. Read more about these activities here.

Princeton-Rutgers Collaboration Awarded $16M Research Grant to Advance Understanding of Mental Illness
A Princeton-led collaboration with Rutgers has been awarded a $16 million federal grant to enhance the understanding of mental health disorders through the lens of computational psychiatry. Read more here.

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory program will expand with U.S. Department of Energy funding
With $3 million in funding though the United States Department of Energy’s annual appropriations from Congress, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory will hire four additional apprentices.Read more here.

Four Princeton Students selected for the New Jersey Economic Development Authority's Wind Institute Fellowship program
In collaboration with Princeton faculty, the fellows will carry out research projects that will inform the future of the offshore wind industry, from understanding how to better align project developers and local communities on new projects to unlocking insights into the performance and longevity of turbines under diverse operating conditions. Read more about the Fellows here.
Princeton University in the News

Princeton’s John Hopfield receives Nobel Prize in physics
Princeton University professor John Hopfield has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics “for foundational discoveries and inventions that enable machine learning with artificial neural networks.”
Hopfield is the Howard A. Prior Professor in the Life Sciences, Emeritus, and professor of molecular biology, emeritus. He holds associated faculty status in physics and neuroscience. He taught for 16 years as a professor of physics and helped establish the Princeton Neuroscience Institute. Read more about Professor Hopfield here.

The Princeton University Program in Teacher Preparation helps public and private school teachers in New Jersey
Princeton researchers are helping public and private school teachers delve deep into scientific topics as part of a program to help the teachers better understand and then teach the concepts to kids.The QUEST (Questioning Underlies Effective Science Teaching) program features weeklong deep dives on campus at Princeton. Read more at NJ Spotlight News.

Linden student heads to Princeton to continue education
A recent story in the Union Daily News featured Precious Opaolo, a Linden, New Jersey resident and now a member of the Princeton University Class of 2028. She spent two years studying social services at Union College of Union County, NJ. Read more about Precious here.

Princeton University graduates test a new microplastic filtration system in Atlantic City
Yidian Lu and Nathaniel Banks, who met while they were graduate students at Princeton University, co-founded the start-up PolyGone Systems and have developed a prototype that’s being piloted at the Atlantic County Utilities Authority. Read more at NJ Spotlight News.