President for 11 years at the Princeton University, Shirley M. Tilghman has announced that she would step down from her post in June, at the end of the academic year 2012-2013.

She sent a letter through email to students, faculty and alumni Saturday, and had informed the board of trustees a day earlier about her plans to step down as the 19th President of the Ivy League University.

"I believe that together we have made Princeton a stronger and more vibrant University," she wrote in the letter. She also said that she is exceedingly proud of what has been achieved by the university during her tenure.

She went on to thank the staff, faculty and alumni. She also thanked the students of Princeton saying, they are her 'hope for the future.'

Tilghman's achievements include expanding the undergraduate body, launching a four-year college system and increasing the financial aid to students, among others. She also doubled the average aid they received.

"Shirley Tilghman has provided exceptional leadership for Princeton over these past 11 years, building on its distinctive strengths and pioneering important new initiatives in areas ranging from neuroscience, energy research and the arts to internationalization and campus life, while also providing national leadership on a broad range of issues," said Kathryn A. Hall, chair of the board of trustees.

A native of Canada, Tilghman came to Princeton in 1986 as the Howard A. Prior Professor of the Life Sciences. She also initiated the Princeton Postdoctoral Teaching Fellowship, and in 1998 she was named the founding director of the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics. Elected by the faculty to serve on the search committee when Princeton's 18th president, Harold T. Shapiro announced his intention to step down, she was eventually asked to leave the committee so she could be considered for the position. She was elected Princeton's 19th president May 5, 2001 and assumed office June 15, 2001.

She concluded the letter saying that she intends to take a year's leave and then 'return to the faculty and to [my] other passion - teaching - in the years to come.'