By Demara White
Dean of the College Michael D. Gordin recently announced that Adam Finkelstein, the Phillip Y. Goldman ’86 Professor in Computer Science, has been appointed head of Rockefeller College, and Effie Rentzou, professor of French, has been appointed head of Mathey College. Each will begin a four-year term on July 1.
Finkelstein succeeds Clancy Rowley, Sin-I Cheng Professor in Engineering Science, and professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, who has led Rockefeller College since 2017. Rentzou succeeds Stacey Sinclair, professor of psychology and public affairs, who has served as Mathey’s head since 2018.
At Princeton, each residential college is led by a faculty head who works closely with college staff to build community and develop programs and activities that extend students’ learning beyond the classroom.
“I am delighted that Professors Finkelstein and Rentzou are going to be taking on these roles, in which they will be excellent stewards of Rocky and Mathey Colleges,” said Gordin. “They have big shoes to fill! Clancy Rowley and Stacey Sinclair have fostered each of their conjoined colleges into vibrant, dynamic homes for our students. Their leadership, and collaboration with the other college heads, will be deeply missed by students and colleagues alike.”
Finkelstein joined the Department of Computer Science in 1997. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Washington after studying physics and computer science at Swarthmore College, and before graduate school, he worked as a software engineer at Tibco.
His research spans computer graphics, computer vision and human computer interaction, with a focus on tools that allow users to create and manipulate digital media, including photos, video and audio.
At Princeton, he is also a co-organizer of the Art of Science exhibition, a showcase that explores the intersection of art and science through creative works submitted by members of the University community.
Finkelstein has received numerous awards, including a National Science Foundation CAREER Award and an Alfred P. Sloan award, and he is a fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery. He has also held visiting positions at Pixar Animation Studios, Adobe Creative Technologies Lab and Google.
“It only takes a few minutes with Adam Finkelstein to appreciate his warmth and passion for education and learning,” said Gordin. “I am especially pleased that we will continue to have engineering represented at Rockefeller College, where Adam will embody the many connections of computing to the liberal arts.”
“After many years as a Rocky adviser and fellow, I feel so fortunate to be appointed head of this remarkable community,” said Finkelstein. “I have seen generations of students thrive here, and I hope to bring that same sense of belonging and possibility to everyone who calls Rocky home. I also look forward to continuing the wonderful traditions we share with Mathey as part of the broader RoMa partnership.”