May 9, 2012
The Evolving Princeton Campus
Mark Burstein
Executive Vice President, Princeton University
The Evolving Princeton Campus
Mark Burstein
Executive Vice President, Princeton University
Minutes of the 32nd Meeting of the 70th Year
President Robert Varrin welcomed everyone to the Friend Center for the 32nd Meeting of the 70th year of the Old Guard of Princeton at 10:15 AM. The Invocation was led by Tom Fulmer. There were two guests on hand: Richard Bergman introduced his wife, Vicky Bergman; and Ruth Miller introduced her husband, Bernie Miller. In all, there were 92 members of the Old Guard in attendance.
Julia Coale read the Minutes from the meeting of May 2nd which featured a talk by Atul Kohli, the David K.E. Bruce Professor of International Affairs at Princeton, entitled “The Success of India’s Democracy.”
President Varrin called upon Jack Reilly, Chair of the Membership Committee, to give a report on the nominees for election to membership in the Old Guard of Princeton. In all, there were fourteen nominees – Patrick Bernuth, Richard Eiger, Charles Gear, Donald Healy, James Hester, Sarah Hollister, Richard Leone, Irwin Litt, Beryl McMillan, Michael Roberts, William Strong, Ralph Widner, Joseph Wisnovsky and Mary Wisnovsky. A motion was made – and seconded – to approve the slate of nominees as presented and the membership voted to welcome these new members to the organization. They are all to be invited to attend the next meeting on Wednesday, May 16th, at which they will each be given an OG nametag and a Member Handbook, and Sponsors were reminded that all new members should be urged to come to the meeting with checks for $100.00 (Initiation) and $50.00 (annual dues), payable to the Old Guard of Princeton.
President Varrin reminded everyone that next week’s meeting on Wednesday, May 16th, will be held at the Carl Fields Center and that there will be a hospitality hour for new members and guests. Our guest speaker will be Carolyn Williams, Professor of English and Chair of the Department of English at Rutgers University, who will give a talk entitled “Gilbert & Sullivan: Gender, Genre, Parody.”
President Varrin also reminded everyone that 8” x 10” and 8” x 14” color photographs of the Old Guard group may be ordered on-line or by giving a check, payable to the Old Guard of Princeton, for $10.00 or $20.00, respectively, to Bruno Walmsley or Treasurer Guy Dean at the next meeting. Copies of the photographs are expected to be available for member pick-up at the meetings on May 16th and May 23rd and arrangements can be made for the photos to be delivered to you by Jotham Johnson after May 23rd.
President Varrin then proceeded to introduce today’s speaker, Mark Burstein, the Executive Vice President at Princeton University, whose talk was entitled “The Evolving Princeton Campus.” A graduate of Vassar College with an MBA degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, Mr. Burstein came to Princeton in 2004 after five years as Vice President for Facilities Management at Columbia University. As Princeton’s EVP, he works closely with President Shirley Tilghman, the Trustees and the senior leadership and leads efforts to modernize the University’s operations, to reduce expenses where possible, to enhance campus infrastructure, and to develop and implement Princeton’s mid- and long-term planning strategies. In this capacity, he has direct oversight of Human Resources, Facilities, Campus Life, Public Safety, University Services and the University’s Audit and Compliance initiatives. Mr. Burstein began his remarks by thanking everyone for their association with the Old Guard group and their evident interest in the well-being of the community. He recounted how his three immediate predecessors as EVP had called him within days of his appointment to wish him well and to offer their assistance, and that he has always felt especially welcome at Princeton.
Princeton’s current Campus Development Planning effort was launched in 2007 and, to date, has included 70 projects totaling 2.1 million square feet of new construction, 850,000 square feet of renovations, and 150,000 square feet in new administrative and support space off-campus. In response to the rhetorical question – Why So Much Growth? – he replied that scientific endeavor and research is more complicated these days and the campus is constrained by limited space. One solution is to move more and more of the non-academically-related administrative offices off campus and to concentrate the teaching and research activities on the campus as we know it. He also called attention to the fact that the campus now stretches southward from a ridge at the northern boundary – Nassau Street – downhill to Lake Carnegie and observed that the issue of storm water management is now a major environmental priority.
There are, he said, five Guiding Principles governing campus planning deliberations:
In response to an earlier question, he addressed the matter of traffic patterns in today’s Princeton and what might be done to ameliorate traffic flow. He alluded to the fact that for over 200 years the main entrances to the campus were off Nassau Street, known historically, from 1765 on as the “King’s Highway”, but that the major traffic flow today comes from Route 1, principally up Washington Road and Alexander Street. In particular, the approach to the campus – and the community – has been changed dramatically in the last five years with the construction of Streicker Bridge over Washington Road, the completion of the Frick Chemistry Lab and the near-completion of the new Psychology/Neuroscience building, as well as special efforts very recently to restore what he referred to as the “woodland fringe” between Washington Road and the Frick Lab.
Over the next five years, he predicted the University will proceed to……
Throughout his remarks, and at his invitation, there were numerous additional inquiries having to do with……
After a very informative talk, followed by a lively Q&A, President Varrin thanked Mr. Burstein for addressing the Old Guard of Princeton and adjourned the meeting at 11:35 AM.
Respectfully submitted,
Jotham Johnson
Julia Coale read the Minutes from the meeting of May 2nd which featured a talk by Atul Kohli, the David K.E. Bruce Professor of International Affairs at Princeton, entitled “The Success of India’s Democracy.”
President Varrin called upon Jack Reilly, Chair of the Membership Committee, to give a report on the nominees for election to membership in the Old Guard of Princeton. In all, there were fourteen nominees – Patrick Bernuth, Richard Eiger, Charles Gear, Donald Healy, James Hester, Sarah Hollister, Richard Leone, Irwin Litt, Beryl McMillan, Michael Roberts, William Strong, Ralph Widner, Joseph Wisnovsky and Mary Wisnovsky. A motion was made – and seconded – to approve the slate of nominees as presented and the membership voted to welcome these new members to the organization. They are all to be invited to attend the next meeting on Wednesday, May 16th, at which they will each be given an OG nametag and a Member Handbook, and Sponsors were reminded that all new members should be urged to come to the meeting with checks for $100.00 (Initiation) and $50.00 (annual dues), payable to the Old Guard of Princeton.
President Varrin reminded everyone that next week’s meeting on Wednesday, May 16th, will be held at the Carl Fields Center and that there will be a hospitality hour for new members and guests. Our guest speaker will be Carolyn Williams, Professor of English and Chair of the Department of English at Rutgers University, who will give a talk entitled “Gilbert & Sullivan: Gender, Genre, Parody.”
President Varrin also reminded everyone that 8” x 10” and 8” x 14” color photographs of the Old Guard group may be ordered on-line or by giving a check, payable to the Old Guard of Princeton, for $10.00 or $20.00, respectively, to Bruno Walmsley or Treasurer Guy Dean at the next meeting. Copies of the photographs are expected to be available for member pick-up at the meetings on May 16th and May 23rd and arrangements can be made for the photos to be delivered to you by Jotham Johnson after May 23rd.
President Varrin then proceeded to introduce today’s speaker, Mark Burstein, the Executive Vice President at Princeton University, whose talk was entitled “The Evolving Princeton Campus.” A graduate of Vassar College with an MBA degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, Mr. Burstein came to Princeton in 2004 after five years as Vice President for Facilities Management at Columbia University. As Princeton’s EVP, he works closely with President Shirley Tilghman, the Trustees and the senior leadership and leads efforts to modernize the University’s operations, to reduce expenses where possible, to enhance campus infrastructure, and to develop and implement Princeton’s mid- and long-term planning strategies. In this capacity, he has direct oversight of Human Resources, Facilities, Campus Life, Public Safety, University Services and the University’s Audit and Compliance initiatives. Mr. Burstein began his remarks by thanking everyone for their association with the Old Guard group and their evident interest in the well-being of the community. He recounted how his three immediate predecessors as EVP had called him within days of his appointment to wish him well and to offer their assistance, and that he has always felt especially welcome at Princeton.
Princeton’s current Campus Development Planning effort was launched in 2007 and, to date, has included 70 projects totaling 2.1 million square feet of new construction, 850,000 square feet of renovations, and 150,000 square feet in new administrative and support space off-campus. In response to the rhetorical question – Why So Much Growth? – he replied that scientific endeavor and research is more complicated these days and the campus is constrained by limited space. One solution is to move more and more of the non-academically-related administrative offices off campus and to concentrate the teaching and research activities on the campus as we know it. He also called attention to the fact that the campus now stretches southward from a ridge at the northern boundary – Nassau Street – downhill to Lake Carnegie and observed that the issue of storm water management is now a major environmental priority.
There are, he said, five Guiding Principles governing campus planning deliberations:
- Preserve the park-like character of the campus
- Maintain a pedestrian-oriented campus
- Maintain campus neighborhoods for academic, residential, social and athletic/recreational spaces
- Continue to build and renovate in an environmentally responsible manner which may result in energy savings of $8.5 Million annually
- Encourage stronger and mutually respectful town-gown relations
In response to an earlier question, he addressed the matter of traffic patterns in today’s Princeton and what might be done to ameliorate traffic flow. He alluded to the fact that for over 200 years the main entrances to the campus were off Nassau Street, known historically, from 1765 on as the “King’s Highway”, but that the major traffic flow today comes from Route 1, principally up Washington Road and Alexander Street. In particular, the approach to the campus – and the community – has been changed dramatically in the last five years with the construction of Streicker Bridge over Washington Road, the completion of the Frick Chemistry Lab and the near-completion of the new Psychology/Neuroscience building, as well as special efforts very recently to restore what he referred to as the “woodland fringe” between Washington Road and the Frick Lab.
Over the next five years, he predicted the University will proceed to……
- Complete the construction of the Psychology/Neuroscience building for occupation in 2013
- Renovate the old Frick Chemistry Lab on Washington Road to accommodate the Economics Department and the University’s International Relations initiatives
- Schedule additional renovations at 185 Nassau Street
- Complete the construction of the new Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, on the corner of Prospect & Olden, for occupation in 2015
- Complete two ambitious housing projects, where the Hibben & Magie Apartments are along Lake Carnegie, and the Stanworth/Merwick site off Bayard Lane, to construct 326 residential units
- Tackle an extensive renovation at Firestone Library between now and 2020, with emphasis on new study space and fire suppression
- Develop what has come to be known as the Arts & Transit Neighborhood, including a new traffic circle at the head of Alexander Road and University Place to improve traffic flow at what he termed a “failed intersection”, and provide easier access for visitors to the parking deck adjacent to Baker Rink
- Complete construction this summer of a new Solar Collector Field on 27 acres in West Windsor Township to provide approximately 10% of the University’s energy needs
- Begin to think about the need to consider an Art Museum expansion within 20 years
Throughout his remarks, and at his invitation, there were numerous additional inquiries having to do with……
- The size of the current undergraduate student body? (5,200 students)
- What about parking on campus? (There are currently 4,300 parking places on campus; a plan to build a parking deck adjacent to Clarke Field was tabled because of the economic downturn)
- What’s next for the Butler Tract off Harrison Street? (Graduate students will eventually be relocated to the new Hibben & Magie Lakeside Development; the Butler Tract site will be razed and converted to single family, faculty/staff homes)
- What about highways and roadways leading into and out of Princeton? (He referred to the traffic changes in the Arts & Transit Neighborhood plan)
- What about student safety crossing Alexander Road? (Two new traffic lights will be installed along Alexander Road to facilitate pedestrian crossings)
- What will happen to the two Dinky structures? (They’re to be converted to a café and a sit-down restaurant)
- What about changes in undergraduate regulations having to do with motor vehicles? (Presently, freshmen and sophomores are not allowed to have cars unless special permission is granted; no changes to the current regulations are contemplated in the near future)
After a very informative talk, followed by a lively Q&A, President Varrin thanked Mr. Burstein for addressing the Old Guard of Princeton and adjourned the meeting at 11:35 AM.
Respectfully submitted,
Jotham Johnson