In the course of her career, Joan Girgus has served as a faculty member, department chair, and senior administrator at Princeton University and as a faculty member and senior administrator at the City College of CUNY, as well as on a number of committees and boards in higher education. She is currently Professor of Psychology at Princeton University and Special Assistant to the Dean of the Faculty for gender issues.

Since 1993, Girgus has been one of the principal organizers of the Pew Higher Education Roundtable, the Knight Collaborative, and now The Learning Alliance for Higher Education, working with a broad range of colleges and universities to identify “best practices” for academic restructuring. From 1987-99, Girgus directed the Pew Science Program, a national program to improve undergraduate science education sponsored by the Pew Charitable Trusts, which gave grants to consortia of colleges and universities for collaborative projects.

Girgus is currently a trustee of Adelphi University, the Wenner-Gren Foundation, the McCarter Theatre, and the Princeton Ballet Society. She has also served on the Board of Trustees of the American Association on Higher Education (AAHE) and Sarah Lawrence College, where she was vice-chair and chair of the Board and chair of the Executive and Finance Committee.

At Princeton, as dean of the college from 1977-87, Girgus chaired standing faculty committees on the course of study, examinations and standing, and undergraduate admission and financial aid, and served as a member of the President’s cabinet. As professor of psychology since 1987, she has chaired the Committee on Women Faculty in Science and Engineering and the Faculty Committee on Conference and Faculty Appeal, and been a member of the Faculty Advisory Committee on Appointments and Advancements, the University Priorities Committee, the Faculty Advisory Committee on Policy, the President’s Advisory Committee on Architecture, and the Faculty Committee on Athletics. At City College from 1969-77, Girgus served as assistant and associate professor and, for five years, as dean for the Division of Social Science.

Since 1970, Girgus’ research on perceptual development and personality development has led to one book, five book chapters, thirty-eight articles in refereed journals, and forty-one papers delivered at conferences and conventions. She has also written papers on undergraduate science education and on women in science.

Education: Girgus received her B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and both her M.A. and Ph.D. from the Graduate Faculty of the New School for Social Research in New York City.