For John Abraham *86, a fellowship gift pays forward what Princeton gave him — new ways to learn and think

For John Abraham *86, memories of his arrival on Princeton’s campus in 1981 remain vivid.

The long flight from India, landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport at about midnight. Figuring out how to take the shuttle bus to the subway that would take him to the Port Authority Bus Terminal on 42nd Street, fervently hoping to make it onto the last bus of the night to Princeton, which left at 1 a.m. Catching that bus in the shadowy, almost-deserted station, sleeping as he rolled across New Jersey in the darkness, then sleeping more, until noon, at Nassau Inn, the only hotel he could find at the end of his marathon journey. Seeing campus for the first time, a place he’d only imagined as he sorted through brochures from various universities. Arriving, finally, at the Graduate School later that day, knowing no one.

Abraham had graduated that spring from the Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur. Princeton was his first choice for graduate studies in mechanical and aerospace engineering. When he accepted Princeton’s offer of admission, Abraham knew there would be a period of adjustment to a new country. But what he didn’t expect were the unique academic challenges Princeton would bring: He would need to learn how to learn and think differently — critically and more deeply.

While Abraham now calls his first two and a half years at Princeton “a period of adversity” for this reason, he is grateful for the experience: “It impacted my whole life. Those years made me a much more competent researcher.”

The change in Abraham’s research skills was transformative and opened doors. He flourished in the second half of his time at Princeton, embracing his new ways of learning and thinking. “It helped me get my career as a faculty member at different universities,” he said.

Now, Abraham, who recently retired as chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at San Diego State University, and his wife, Regi, are thanking Princeton with a testamentary gift to be made through their estate: the Regi Abraham and John Abraham *86 Graduate Fellowship.

From finding ignition to full throttle

“He was very kind,” Abraham said. “He said he was so happy to see me and asked if there was anything he could do for me, even if I needed some money.”

After his own graduation from Princeton’s graduate school, Bracco had served as a member of Princeton’s professional research staff from 1970 to 1973 before joining the faculty as assistant professor in mechanical and aerospace engineering. (He rose to full professor in 1983.) His Engines and Sprays Laboratory was internationally known for its research on the internal-combustion engine and for developing advanced measurement and computational tools.

While Bracco was kind, he also challenged Abraham — who thrived under his guidance. “He was a tough, tough, tough adviser with very high expectations,” Abraham said. “Communication skills are very important in the Ph.D. program. Many of the exams are oral, standing in front of a professor or group of faculty answering questions. I had to learn how to think deeply about problems. I learned to think critically, dig deeply. I learned to argue with people about answers to questions. I became a lot more confident.”

Abraham and Bracco became good close friends — a relationship that lasted until Bracco passed away in 2013.

As Abraham adjusted to new ways of learning and thinking at Princeton, he also settled comfortably into campus life. “I loved the Graduate College — the food and the campus,” he said. “I made a lot of friends with other graduate students. We were comrades-in-arms. I remember sitting in the dining hall, sharing a table with students from politics and philosophy and arts and literature, seeing different perspectives.”

He took advantage of opportunities to explore interests beyond engineering. “Most of my time was spent in the EQuad,” he said. “There were times I would go home at 4 a.m., but we would take a midnight break at Thomas Sweet. But I also, out of interest, took some courses in mathematics and physics and attended seminars outside of my field.”

After graduation, Abraham worked at a John Deere facility in New Jersey. Using the cutting-edge computation tools he’d worked with in Bracco’s lab, he helped develop a new engine for light aviation applications. “That was an exciting time in the 1980s,” Abraham said. “Computers were becoming more common and also more powerful. They could solve problems that could not be solved before. Much of my work was done with these computational tools.”

But after five years in industry, Abraham missed academic research. “Fred Bracco gave me an opportunity to come back to Princeton as a research staff member, and that then allowed me to apply for faculty positions, which led to my position at the University of Minnesota as an assistant professor,” he said.

Three years later, Abraham joined Purdue University, where he was on faculty from 1996 to 2015. He then served as professor and chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at San Diego State University for nine years, where he now holds the title of emeritus professor.

Abraham loved teaching both undergraduate and graduate students, urging others to learn and think deeply too. His graduate students became like family. “Teaching is the most relaxing experience for me,” he said. “It just makes me go to cloud nine.”

Giving back: why Princeton

As Abraham and his wife began to discuss their estate plans, they agreed they wanted to give to a place that would make an impact. They also agreed that there had to be good stewardship of the funds.

“I could think of no better place than Princeton,” Abraham said. “We can make an impact on students. Princeton has been around since 1746. The endowment is well managed and the University has good, consistent leadership.”

Abraham’s desire to support students comes from his own lived experience as both a student and a professor. Through the years, many of Abraham’s graduate students were supported through his research grants. “One of the parts of a professor’s life that I don’t enjoy is going out to get research grants,” he said. “Doing the research is fun. But not trying to get the money.

“And I know from my own experience as a student that when you’re supported on research assistantships, there’s always an expectation that you are doing things to support that research grant,” he said. “There is pressure to show that you are contributing to the research program. Whereas with fellowships, that gives more flexibility to the student to settle in.”

Future recipients of the Abrahams’ graduate fellowship will have the opportunity to settle in, explore, dig deeply and follow their curiosity. The same doors that Princeton opened for John Abraham may now open even wider for the students who come next.

—Catherine Mallette ’84

To learn more about how you can start your own graduate fellowship, please contact Princeton’s Gift Planning team.