Reflecting on Undergraduate Research and Public Service Experiences: Chris Lu '88 Discusses His Career in Public Service
Chris Lu: A Trailblazing Princeton Alumnus and Former High-Ranking Official in the Obama Administration
Chris Lu, a distinguished Princeton alumnus, has made a significant impact in both academia and public service. As a former high-ranking Asian American official in the Obama administration, Lu served as the United States Deputy Secretary of Labor and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations for Management and Reform.
Lu's tenure in the Obama administration was marked by his leadership role in labor policies and international management reforms. He represented Asian Americans in significant federal positions, contributing to the promotion of labor standards and overseeing institutional reforms at the UN. His efforts advanced both domestic labor issues and international governance reform efforts.
Despite the lack of a detailed list of specific policy achievements during the Obama years, Lu's positions as Deputy Secretary of Labor and UN Ambassador for Management and Reform underscore his influence in shaping labor policy and enhancing management practices in international organizations, establishing a notable Asian American leadership presence in those administrations.
Lu's journey to the Obama administration began after graduating from Princeton. He worked for then-Senator Obama during his pursuit of the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. His career blended elements of his Princeton experience, academic research, and public service.
During his time at Princeton, Lu majored in the Woodrow Wilson School due to its interdisciplinary nature and junior-year policy task forces. His senior thesis, titled "The Morning After: Press Coverage of Presidential Primaries, 1972-1984," focused on the rise of the modern primary system and how press coverage has shaped the public's understanding of winners and losers, as well as which primaries are important to win.
In an interview, Lu advised students writing their theses today to find a topic they genuinely love, find an adviser who is interested in guiding their research, and start their research early. His experiences and lessons from his time in the Obama administration are still relevant today.
Moreover, Lu played a role in shaping the 2020 presidential primary process. His career, which started with thinking about his thesis midway through his junior year and conducting a significant amount of the research by the fall of his senior year, is a testament to the importance of early preparation and passion for one's work.
Lu's policy background and research at Princeton have undoubtedly influenced his professional career. Today, he is an at-large member of the Democratic National Convention, continuing to shape the political landscape of the United States. Lu's journey serves as an inspiration for current students at Princeton and beyond, demonstrating the power of academic research and public service in shaping one's career path.
- As an undergraduate researcher at Princeton, Chris Lu completed an independent work project for his senior thesis, demonstrating his strong commitment to education-and-self-development and personal-growth.
- After graduating from Princeton, Lu applied the skills and knowledge gained from his undergraduate research to his roles as a high-ranking official in the Obama administration, showcasing the importance of independent work and senior thesis in both academic and professional settings.
