Joyce Rechtschaffen, Princeton College’s assistant vp for presidency affairs, has introduced plans to retire in March 2024. Rechtschaffen, a Princeton Class of 1975 graduate, has led the College’s Workplace of Authorities Affairs in Washington, D.C., since 2006.

“For almost 20 years, Joyce Rechtschaffen has been the gold customary amongst American universities’ authorities affairs officers,” Princeton President Christopher L. Eisgruber mentioned. “She delivered a uncommon mixture of first-rate intelligence, political savvy, technical experience, unmatched expertise and full dedication to the College’s mission. Joyce has taught me so much about Washington, and it has been a pleasure to work along with her.”

Julie Groeninger, at present director of presidency affairs, has been named to succeed Rechtschaffen as assistant vp for presidency affairs.

“The appointment of Julie Groeninger will allow Princeton to go from power to power,” Eisgruber mentioned. “She is already a star who’s revered by her friends and by key policymakers all through Washington. I sit up for persevering with my work along with her as she strikes into this new management position.”

The Workplace of Authorities Affairs, overseen by Vice President for Communications and Authorities Affairs Gadi Dechter, manages federal relations on behalf of the College, advocating for Princeton inside Congress and the chief department for insurance policies and packages that advance the College’s core analysis and instructing missions.

The workplace additionally works carefully with larger training associations and different schools and universities to assist problems with significance to training and analysis establishments throughout the nation.

Rechtschaffen mentioned it has been a “privilege to work underneath the management of two College presidents — President Eisgruber and President Emeritus Shirley M. Tilghman — who’re dedicated to federal advocacy that advances the College’s mission.”

She added: “It additionally has been a pleasure to collaborate with superb College colleagues, in addition to fantastic college and college students.” 

Rechtschaffen has labored on a variety of insurance policies and packages which might be central to Princeton’s instructing and analysis mission, together with College administration of the Division of Power’s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and funding for primary analysis within the pure sciences, humanities and social sciences.

She usually joined colleagues on the nation’s main analysis universities to work with lawmakers on proposals starting from training coverage to funding for companies such because the Nationwide Science Basis.

“I’m deeply happy with our work to safe funding for the nation’s science and humanities companies that, in flip, turns into the idea for grants offering for the breakthrough analysis carried out by our college and college students,” Rechtschaffen mentioned. “Specifically, we have now made huge progress in educating policymakers concerning the vital must fund fusion power analysis to assist deal with the local weather change disaster, whereas highlighting the nice contributions of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory to that effort.”

In 2020, Rechtschaffen acquired the 2020 Legacy Award from the Affiliation of American Universities (AAU) “in recognition of her distinguished contributions to, and nationwide management in, the upper training group.”

Rechtschaffen has additionally performed an essential position in supporting Princeton’s efforts to make larger training extra inexpensive, significantly for lower-income college students. She helped lead the College’s advocacy, together with schools and universities throughout New Jersey, to double the utmost federal Pell Grant for low-income college students.

“I enormously take pleasure in briefing lawmakers about Princeton’s unwavering dedication to increasing instructional alternative for low- and middle-income college students,” she mentioned. “It’s an honor to current our file of accelerating the variety of Pell Grant recipients on campus, in addition to our management position in eliminating the necessity for college kids to take out loans.”

Rechtschaffen’s work on immigration insurance policies has been integral to the College’s means to welcome college students, college and workers from the world over. She mentioned an essential a part of her position is addressing proposals that might impede universities’ means to show and conduct analysis.

“For instance, we labored underneath the management of  President Eisgruber and with colleagues all through the College to defeat proposals that will have severely restricted the flexibility of worldwide college students, researchers and workers to check, train and work at U.S. universities and curtailed worldwide collaborations,” she mentioned.

Through the COVID-19 pandemic, Rechtschaffen was a part of the group that established the COVID testing laboratory on campus, which was important to supporting the College group in the course of the top of the pandemic.

Rechtschaffen’s position has additionally included bringing collectively college, directors and college students with policymakers to share analysis and insights on urgent points akin to local weather change, in addition to internet hosting packages for Princeton college students and alumni in Washington, D.C.

Earlier than becoming a member of the Workplace of Authorities Affairs, Rechtschaffen spent 17 years as a workers member within the U.S. Senate. She labored for former Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman as workers director on the Homeland Safety and Governmental Affairs Committee and counsel to the Clear Air and Nuclear Regulation Subcommittee of the Committee on Atmosphere and Public Works. In these roles, she labored on laws establishing the Division of Homeland Safety, the Sept. 11 Fee and the Director of Nationwide Intelligence. She additionally labored on the Clear Air Act Amendments of 1990 and local weather change laws.

Previous to that, she was a senior lawyer with the Environmental Enforcement Part of the U.S. Division of Justice and practiced litigation at a legislation agency. Rechtschaffen earned her bachelor’s diploma from Princeton, majoring within the Faculty of Public and Worldwide Affairs, and earned her legislation diploma from Harvard College.

Following Rechtschaffen’s retirement, Groeninger will lead Princeton’s Workplace of Authorities Affairs, the place she has finished pivotal work on various key points since 2011, together with fusion analysis, a NASA telescope venture and federal immigration insurance policies.  

In 2022, she acquired the President’s Achievement Award, which yearly honors staff’ “dedication to excellence and distinctive efficiency.”

Groeninger works carefully with management on the College and the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and at present co-chairs the Power Sciences Coalition, a consortium of universities, nationwide laboratories and trade companions that helps the Division of Power Workplace of Science.

She has served as chair of the AAU’s Council on Federal Relations, Job Drive on Immigration and Job Drive on Innovation, and she or he at present co-chairs the Science and Safety Working Group. She is a recipient of the AAU “Ripple Impact Award” in recognition of her public service contributions to the upper training group.