Five alumni of Princeton University recently reunited in Kona, Hawaii during the annual meeting of the American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgery, highlighting their contributions to the specialized field of pediatric brain care.

James Rutka ’79, Saadi Ghatan ’87, Jeff Ojemann ’87, Manish Shah ’02, and Derek Yecies ’08 have taken different academic paths—ranging from Chemical Engineering and English to Physics—before establishing careers in neurosurgery.

Rutka noted his engineering background helped prepare him for the technical demands of the field, while Ghatan said studying English provided “lessons in humanity” essential in dealing with patients’ families.

Now serving in leading roles across major institutions, the group’s reunion underscores how varied educational foundations can shape careers in medicine, particularly in highly specialized disciplines like pediatric neurosurgery.