JB Christy

Virtually all tablets, phones and smart devices run on a computer architecture developed by former Stanford President John Hennessy and his collaborator David Patterson. They won the 2017 Turing Award for their contribution.

The inaugural group of 49 students is 57 percent women and includes citizens of 20 countries pursuing degrees in 28 Stanford graduate departments.

Hennessy, a pioneer in computer architecture, explains why the honor holds special significance.

Outgoing President John L. Hennessy talked to Peter Robinson, host of the Hoover Institution's video series Uncommon Knowledge, about how he encouraged innovation and academic excellence and pushed ideas that improved humankind.

This interview occurred in the Stanford President’s office in July 2015, shortly after he announced that he would step down as president in 2016—Stanford’s 125th anniversary. The interviewer is David Patterson, who is a UC Berkeley CS professor and co-author of Hennessy’s two textbooks.

Global, multidisciplinary graduate scholarships are backed by a major gift from Philip H. Knight. Knight-Hennessy Scholars Video