Princeton Gifted $10m for Behavioral Science Unit

An anonymous $10m donation has been given to Princeton University, to help it establish a new faculty called the 'Daniel Kahneman and Anne Treisman Center for Behavioral Science and Public Policy'.

This gift comes from a Princeton parent who is an admirer of the work of the husband and wife team. Bestselling author Kahneman is the Eugene Higgins Professor of Psychology Emeritus at the university, and a Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs emeritus; while Treisman is Princeton's James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of Psychology Emerita. The new center will build on Kahneman's research, which integrates insights from psychological research into economics to guide policy formulation focused on real motivational factors, in areas such as diet or savings. The unit will also build on Treisman's contributions to the understanding of attention and perception, and of how brains build meaningful images from visual information.

Princeton's new center will be based in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, which for the last fifteen years has already provided a hub for psychology and economics faculty members to come together with those from sociology, politics and other disciplines to develop research and teaching initiatives applying behavioral studies to policy.

President Christopher Eisgruber says research conducted at the new center will directly influence local, national and global public policy, and identify new approaches to address social problems and improve lives. Cecilia Rouse, Dean of the Wilson School, adds: 'We intend to bring together stellar faculty scholars with the increasing number of students who want to learn more about and conduct research in this field. The center will leverage the combined strengths of our faculty, increase the visibility of their research, and provide new scholarly opportunities for Princeton undergraduates and graduate students.'

Web site: www.princeton.edu .