Princeton University Athletics
Fellows Spotlight: Corina Tarnita, Men's and Women's Volleyball
November 15, 2016 | General, Men's Volleyball, Women's Volleyball
Corina Tarnita
Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Men's and Women's Volleyball
What do you do at Princeton?
I'm an assistant professor in ecology and evolutionary biology, and I've been at Princeton since the spring of 2013. In my second year here, I became an Academic Athletic Fellow with the Volleyball teams, both Women's and Men's.
How did you get involved in the Academic Athletic Fellows Program?
My husband, who is also an assistant professor in ecology and evolutionary biology, played tennis in college and wanted to be part of the athletics life on campus again, so he became a fellow for the volleyball teams during his first year at Princeton. He had so much fun being part of the teams and he kept talking about it, so I joined him for a spring banquet for all academic athletic fellows. I loved the sense of community and I really enjoyed hearing about the fellows' experiences in their roles. So when I realized that even though I didn't play a college sport myself it was still possible to become a fellow, I signed up immediately!
What's the most rewarding aspect of being an Academic Athletic Fellow
I love getting to meet the players at the academic roundtables at the start of each year. I get to see how the upperclass students are carving their path at Princeton, how they think about their majors, what their plans and concerns are, and how they manage to combine a taxing schedule of practice with being stellar students. And I really enjoy meeting the freshmen: seeing how they are both excited to be here and to get started, but also anxious about this new chapter, not knowing what they're going to end up studying, or how it will all turn out. My favorite part is listening to the upperclass students give great advice to the freshmen about how to make the most of their time at Princeton and how to best use the many resources available; and then coming back in a year and seeing the former freshmen fully inhabiting that advisory role to the new class of freshmen. It's really a wonderful community. I've also enjoyed going to the games, and when I get a bit more time I think an away trip would be great fun!
Sabrina King, women's volleyball coach
"Corina is such a valuable mentor for our team, especially our student-athletes in the sciences. Corina is a rock star in her field of ecology and evolutionary biology and mathematics, and she is an inspiration for our players. Corina meets with our team in the beginning of the year and makes herself available to them as a resource and an
accessible member of the faculty, who can answer questions as well as guide them in the right direction about their studies.
She has also met with prospective student-athletes and enables them to picture their lives at Princeton while having a successful academic career in the sciences. Her warmth and genuine interest in people help us with our recruiting process. In volleyball terms, she is a huge assist!"
Sam Shweisky, men's volleyball coach
"Corina has made a huge impact on our program as a faculty fellow. Her insight as a professor, and her approachability and warmth give our men's and women's players a great resource for someone to to help them navigate their academic paths. Corina's own path as an Ivy-educated student is often a very helpful narrative that our players identify with quickly. The faculty fellow program has benefited the men's and women's volleyball tremendously and Corina Tarnita has played a huge role in that. Thank you Corina!"
ARCHIVES:
Karen Jezierny - Women's Basketball
Patrick Moran - Men's Lacrosse
Ramona Romero - Field Hockey
Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Men's and Women's Volleyball
What do you do at Princeton?
I'm an assistant professor in ecology and evolutionary biology, and I've been at Princeton since the spring of 2013. In my second year here, I became an Academic Athletic Fellow with the Volleyball teams, both Women's and Men's.
How did you get involved in the Academic Athletic Fellows Program?
My husband, who is also an assistant professor in ecology and evolutionary biology, played tennis in college and wanted to be part of the athletics life on campus again, so he became a fellow for the volleyball teams during his first year at Princeton. He had so much fun being part of the teams and he kept talking about it, so I joined him for a spring banquet for all academic athletic fellows. I loved the sense of community and I really enjoyed hearing about the fellows' experiences in their roles. So when I realized that even though I didn't play a college sport myself it was still possible to become a fellow, I signed up immediately!
What's the most rewarding aspect of being an Academic Athletic Fellow
I love getting to meet the players at the academic roundtables at the start of each year. I get to see how the upperclass students are carving their path at Princeton, how they think about their majors, what their plans and concerns are, and how they manage to combine a taxing schedule of practice with being stellar students. And I really enjoy meeting the freshmen: seeing how they are both excited to be here and to get started, but also anxious about this new chapter, not knowing what they're going to end up studying, or how it will all turn out. My favorite part is listening to the upperclass students give great advice to the freshmen about how to make the most of their time at Princeton and how to best use the many resources available; and then coming back in a year and seeing the former freshmen fully inhabiting that advisory role to the new class of freshmen. It's really a wonderful community. I've also enjoyed going to the games, and when I get a bit more time I think an away trip would be great fun!
Sabrina King, women's volleyball coach
"Corina is such a valuable mentor for our team, especially our student-athletes in the sciences. Corina is a rock star in her field of ecology and evolutionary biology and mathematics, and she is an inspiration for our players. Corina meets with our team in the beginning of the year and makes herself available to them as a resource and an
accessible member of the faculty, who can answer questions as well as guide them in the right direction about their studies.
She has also met with prospective student-athletes and enables them to picture their lives at Princeton while having a successful academic career in the sciences. Her warmth and genuine interest in people help us with our recruiting process. In volleyball terms, she is a huge assist!"
Sam Shweisky, men's volleyball coach
"Corina has made a huge impact on our program as a faculty fellow. Her insight as a professor, and her approachability and warmth give our men's and women's players a great resource for someone to to help them navigate their academic paths. Corina's own path as an Ivy-educated student is often a very helpful narrative that our players identify with quickly. The faculty fellow program has benefited the men's and women's volleyball tremendously and Corina Tarnita has played a huge role in that. Thank you Corina!"
ARCHIVES:
Karen Jezierny - Women's Basketball
Patrick Moran - Men's Lacrosse
Ramona Romero - Field Hockey
Princeton Women's Basketball Head Coach Lauren Gosselin
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