Rodney Priestley Named New Dean Of Princeton Uni. Graduate School

PRINCETON, NJ — Princeton has named Rodney Priestly as the next dean of the Graduate School, the University announced Wednesday. He will begin in his new role on June 1.

“Rod Priestley is a superb scholar, a dedicated teacher and a proven administrator,” University President Christopher L. Eisgruber said in a statement. “He cares deeply about graduate students and graduate education, and I am confident that he will lead Princeton’s Graduate School with distinction.”

Priestley will step into the role of Sarah-Jane Leslie, who stepped down as dean in July 2021 after serving more than three years. Cole Crittenden, deputy dean of the Graduate School, has served as acting dean in the interim.

Nearly 3,000 students are enrolled in the Graduate School, in 42 departments and programs.

“Rod will make a wonderful dean of the Graduate School,” said Provost Deborah Prentice. “He is a committed educator, a creative problem-solver, and an empathic listener and observer. I expect that he will flourish in this role.” The dean of the Graduate School reports to the provost.

A search committee chaired by Prentice, composed of faculty members and students proposed Priestley’s name, a leading researcher in complex materials and processing.

“My interest in becoming dean of Princeton’s Graduate School originates with my own personal experience of graduate school,” Priestley said. “The mentorship, encouragement and support I received has enabled every goal I have reached throughout my career. My advisers’ belief in me has always inspired me to give back to others to whatever extent possible.”

He added, “I’m really, really excited to be able to serve a wide range of graduate students, and hopefully impact their graduate education in a manner that they have an experience that’s as good as the one that I did.”

Priestly joined the Princeton faculty in 2009, and has performed groundbreaking fundamental research in materials science, facilitated the development and translation of intellectual property derived from that research into products and enterprises, and expanded Princeton’s ties with industry, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, alumni and other partners.

He earned a B.S. in chemical engineering from Texas Tech University and a Ph.D. from Northwestern University.

Among his priorities as dean will be to continue diversifying the student population and cultivating a more inclusive and welcoming environment, the University said.

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