An anonymous article published on a new website run “in collaboration with student group Princeton Israeli Apartheid Divest” (PIAD) claiming that University research labs are “genocide incubators,” has sparked pushback from the chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE). ECE Chair James Sturm defended the research programs targeted in the piece in an email sent Monday to the ECE listserv obtained by The Daily Princetonian.
“It came to my attention today that there is an [sic] weblink that purportedly attacks several of our ECE faculty colleagues by name (and others at Princeton) for their choice of research topics. By extension, one could interpret the website as also attacking members of their research groups,” Sturm wrote.
“I am writing to say that as chair I’ll defend all members (students, staff, and faculty …) of this department professionally for your choice of research to further the forefront of ECE and related fields, consistent with [U]niversity regulations. As a colleague I will defend all of your [sic] personally,” he continued.
The article, released on Sept. 13 as part of the “Popular University Wire,” names several University-sponsored research projects, accusing them of having “deep linkages, both direct and non, with Israel’s systems of apartheid.”
“These research interests are not necessarily purely malicious,” the anonymously authored article reads. “But the fact remains that this research would not be funded by a vast array of military contractors and tech companies complicit in or contributing to Israeli violence if they did not find such work valuable.”
The Popular University Wire did not reply to a request for comment.
The professors named are Professors of ECE Jaime Fisac and Naveen Verma, Professors of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) Anirudha Majumdar and Alex Glaser, Professor of Anthropology Ryo Morimoto, and Professor of Computer Science (COS) Elad Hazan.
The ‘Prince’ reached out to all of the professors implicated, but none responded to a request for comment prior to publication. Chairs from their respective departments — MAE and Anthropology — also did not respond to questions from the ‘Prince’ asking if they shared similar concerns to Sturm by time of publication. COS department chair Szymon Rusinkiewicz declined to comment.
PIAD posted an Instagram story on Tuesday, Sept. 17 satirizing Sturm’s email and linking the article.
“It came to our attention today that there is an ECE email that attacks several of our movement colleagues for their choice to publicize Princeton professors’ research topics and funding streams supporting ‘defense,’ securitization, and genocide. By extension, one could interpret the email as also indicting the Princeton community’s right to know about the bloody applications of their studies and labor,” it read.
University Spokesperson Jennifer Morrill wrote in a statement to the ‘Prince’ that “Speech that is unwelcome, disagreeable, or even deeply offensive is generally protected under the University’s free expression policies. Princeton will vigorously protect the freedom of our faculty and students to do their research.”
Sturm concluded his email by offering an “open house” later in the week and private office hours for ECE members seeking to discuss the anonymous article.
PIAD said in their spoof statement, “We am [sic] writing to say that as peers, we’ll defend all members (students, staff, faculty, and community members) of this movement for your right to further the political education of our community, consistent with basic human morals.”
Olivia Sanchez is an associate News editor for the ‘Prince.’ She is from New Jersey and often covers the graduate school and academic departments.
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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