Stanford Magazine columns
A monthly column by President John Hennessy which appeared in Stanford Magazine, a publication of the Stanford Alumni Association.
2016
- The Our Journey Together : Jul/Aug 2016
With gratitude and appreciation, a thank-you for what we’ve accomplished. - The Mission That Drives Us: May/Jun 2016
Staying true to what we’re about and thinking long-term. - The Access Imperative: Mar/Apr 2016
Financial aid continues to be among our highest priorities. - The Arts, Every Day: Jan/Feb 2016
Dazzling new facilities have enabled a campus renaissance.
2015
- How Far We’ve Come: Nov/Dec ’15
The university’s 125th anniversary offers a chance to reflect. - Heeding the Call to Service: Sep/Oct ’15
New program strengthens commitment to helping others. - ‘Usefulness’ Education: Jul/Aug ’15
The powerful pull of experiential learning. - A Presidential Visit: May/Jun ’15
White House Summit on the Farm offered a rare opportunity. - Progress Meets Preservation: Mar/Apr ’15
Building for the future, with an eye on the past. - A Prizeworthy Faculty: Jan/Feb ’15
In a banner year, recognition follows achievements.
2014
- The Brain: The Final Frontier?: Nov/Dec ’14
Neuroscience institute is poised for breakthroughs. - Optimism Meets Empathy: Sep/Oct ’14
The Gateses’ Commencement message echoes our heritage of service. - First the Farm, Then the Planet: Jul/Aug ’14
Sustainability begins at home, and we’re doing our best to be good stewards. - What We’ve Learned About MOOCs: May/Jun ’14
Online education won’t replace the residential experience, but it has a place. - In Praise of True Student-Athletes: Mar/Apr ’14
Leadership and success, on and off the field. - Preparation That Lasts a Lifetime: Jan/Feb ’14
The humanities remain at the center of a Stanford education.
2013
- A Cauldron of Innovation: Nov/Dec ’13
The Clark Center has incubated pathbreaking inventions and transformed our thinking. - Doing Well by Doing Good: Sep/Oct ’13
Nonprofit start-ups harness energy and idealism to make positive change. - Restoring Balance, Increasing Access: Jul/Aug ’13
It’s time to consider growing undergraduate enrollment. - Financial Strength Enables Innovation: May/Jun ’13
Updated facilities, robust student aid are key to Stanford’s excellence. - Money Well Spent: Mar/Apr ’13
Federal funding for research fosters discover and nurtures industry. - An Unwavering Commitment to Access: Jan/Feb ’13
Financial aid, limiting debt are crucial for keeping college affordable.
2012
- A Force for Better Health Care: Nov/Dec ’12
Landmark efforts will advance medicine in lab and at bedside. - Leadership That Inspires Reminds Us Why It Matters: Sep/Oct ’12
Lyman and Booker, generations apart, demonstrate courage and character. - Remodeling Our Curriculum for the 21st Century: Jul/Aug ’12
Breadth and depth, and a new emphasis on critical thinking. - Our Strong China Connection Gains a Firmer Foothold: May/Jun ’12
The opening of a Stanford center in Beijing launches a new era of collaboration. - What the Stanford Challenge Meant, and Where the Money Went: Mar/Apr ’12
The promise and progress enabled by a historic fundraising success. - Educating Entrepreneurs to Leverage Growth and Development: Jan/Feb ’12
Two recent initiatives aim to capitalize on Stanford’s unique success.
2011
- What It Will Take to Improve K-12 Schools: Nov/Dec ’11
Education reform is a Stanford priority, and a national imperative. - A Landmark Gift Propels Arts Education to a New Level: Sept/Oct ’11
The Anderson Collection is the latest addition to a burgeoning initiative. - A Closer Look at the Costs of College: Jul/Aug ’11
Above all, we must maintain access to higher education. - Imagining Stanford in New York: May/Jun ’11
A proposal, and a plan, for a second campus. - Hail to the Victors, a Study in Self-Discipline: Mar/Apr ’11
Our student-athletes’ dedication enables a win-win situation. - To Save Innovation, Tame Entitlements: Jan/Feb ’11
Growing deficits and health care costs threaten federal research dollars.
2010
- Higher Education’s New Challenges: Nov/Dec ’10
We must equip students with the ability to adapt to changing careers. - Public Service—a Stanford Tradition: Sep/Oct ’10
Eunice Kennedy Shriver exemplified the drive to make a difference. - At Last, a Place to Play: Jul/Aug ’10
The Bing Concert Hall exemplifies our commitment to the arts. - Our Best Investment: Students: May/Jun ’10
Financial aid offers opportunity and access—and produces leaders. - A Growing Presence Overseas: Mar/Apr ’10
Stanford’s outreach and impact stretches around the world. - When Less is More: Jan/Feb ’10
Stanford’s sustainability commitment will save energy and money.
2009
- Solving Problems Is Our Business: Nov/Dec ’09
Faculty and alumni contribute ideas and innovation to make the world better. - Imagining the Possibilities: Sep/Oct ’09
Thinking and acting boldly continues a long Stanford tradition. - Graduates Who Give Back: July/Aug ’09
Resourceful and committed, our students set out to change the world. - Nourishing the Arts in All Forms: May/June ’09
From Wallace Stegner to cell phone ‘concerts,’ a tradition of imagination. - Looking for Answers on Energy: March/April ’09
The Precourt Institute leads a new emphasis on sustainability solutions. - What Leadership Looks Like: Jan/Feb ’09
At this crucial moment, we need courage, compassion and character.
2008
- Why Our Hospitals Need Renewal: Nov/Dec ’08
Upgrades will meet patient needs and improve the level of care. - 100 Years of Breakthroughs: Sept/Oct ’08
Medical School poised for another century of innovation. - A Legacy of Advocacy: July/Aug ’08
Mel Lane reminds us some land belongs to everyone. - The DNA of Innovation: May/June ’08
Big ideas begin with fundamental new insights. - Behind the Bottom Line: March/April ’08
Higher education financing takes many forms. Here’s a primer. (by Provost John Etchemendy) - Managing Years of Change: Jan/Feb ’08
In the spirit of Sterling and Terman, we need vision and foresight.
2007
- At Stanford, Speak Freely: Nov/Dec ’07
Open dialogue and spirited debate are fundamental to the University’s mission. - Should Stanford Expand the Freshman Class?: Sep/Oct ’07
Historically low acceptance rates leave many deserving students out. - One Who Made a Difference: Jul/Aug ’07
Daniel Pearl’s story continues to inspire us. - Keeping Stanford’s Doors Open to All: May/Jun ’07
Financial aid improvements help protect our tradition of need-blind admission. - A Recommitment to the Humanities: Mar/Apr ’07
Now, more than ever, we need scholarship that examines and evokes the human condition. - Keeping Stanford Great Far Into the Future: Jan/Feb ’07
Inspired by the examples of Sterling and Terman, we must act boldly.
2006
- All of Us Own a Part of This Challenge: Nov/Dec ’06
Solving today’s problems requires deep collaboration and intensive investment. - Wisdom for the Next Generation: Sep/Oct ’06
Our recent graduates and newest alumni inherit a responsibility to serve. - In Athletics, the Right Person for the Job: Jul/Aug ’06
New athletics director Bob Bowlsby understands our values, and knows how to win. - What Art Can Teach Us: May/June ’06
Several initiatives aim to foster a diverse and energetic creative climate. - Crossing Borders: Mar/Apr ’06
Recent outreach to Mexico illustrates new collaborations. - Thanks a Billion: Jan/Feb ’06
The Campaign for Undergraduate Education was an unprecedented success.
2005
- A Tradition of Service: Nov/Dec ’05
Stanford seeks to educate socially responsible leaders. - Time for the Next Big Step: Sep/Oct ’05
Our challenge now is to strengthen graduate education. - Our Heritage, Our Mission: July/Aug ’05
A century after Jane Stanford’s death, her vision lives on. - Joining Forces to Attack Big Problems: May/June ’05
The initiative in international affairs capitalizes on our strengths. - Preserving the Farm Requires New Thinking: Mar/Apr ’05
As Jane Stanford said, we can’t be afraid to outgrow old ways. - Brilliant Success, Unfinished Work: Jan/Feb ’05
With one milestone reached, CUE aims to support more students.
2004
- Getting Serious About Science: Nov/Dec ’04
50 years after Sputnik, the United States needs another push. - A Danger of a Different Kind: Sep/Oct ’04
We can secure our borders without alienating international students. - Keeping an Avenue Open: Jul/Aug ’04
Strong financial aid underscores our commitment to access for all. - In China, a Seat at the Table: May/Jun ’04
Our Beijing program is Stanford’s latest foray into the booming country. - Pulling Together to Save the Planet: Mar/Apr ’04
Our environmental institute brings a focused approach. - Students Remind Me Why I Love This Job: Jan/Feb ’04
Rhodes scholars exemplify curiosity, conviction.
2003
- Building for the Future: Nov/Dec ’03
Ushering in a new era of collaborative research. - This Place Hums with Artistic Energy: Sep/Oct ’03
Embracing all forms of expression with gusto. - Remembering One Who Heeded the Call: July/Aug ’03
Amy Biehl exemplified service to others. - Committed to Diversity in Many Forms: May/June ’03
Expanding the intellectual base helps all students. - Committed to Diversity in Many Forms: May/June ’03
Expanding the intellectual base helps all students. - The True Test of Free Speech: March/April ’03
Ideas can’t thrive where voices are muzzled. - These Games Are Getting Out of Hand: Jan./Feb. ’03
Major reform is needed to rebalance athletics with academics.
2002
- Why Foreign Students Are So Important: Nov/Dec ’02
Security is crucial, but we must also be welcoming. - The First Great American University : Sep/Oct ’02
Innovation and vision have set Stanford apart. - The Promise of Collaborative Thinking: July/Aug ’02
In the search for solutions, we must cross disciplinary boundaries. - Three Reminders About Why We’re Here: May/June ’02
Marvin Moore, Daniel Pearl and John Gardner share a legacy of service. - Supporting Students’ Incredible Journeys: March/April ’02
At the White House, in the lab or in a Kenyan village, opportunity leads to learning. - Embracing the Need to ‘Learn and Relearn’: Jan./Feb. ’02
A 21st-century education requires a new kind of literacy.
2001
- ‘An Influence on Behalf of Humanity’: Nov./Dec. ’01
Citizen-building has always been our goal. - The Cost of Keeping Up: Sept./Oct. ’01
Our endowment may look huge, but it’s dwarfed by our needs. - Dealing with Disappointment: July/Aug. ’01
Our admissions quandary: many are worthy, few are chosen. - The Hard Work of Painful Choices: May/June ’01
Like other academic hospitals, Stanford’s is hurting. - Supporting the Mission, Protecting the Future: March/April ’01
Two simple but profound principles guide the decisions of University leaders. - Building an Education That Won’t Wear Out: Jan./Feb. ’01
Study of the humanities remains the cornerstone of Stanford’s undergraduate curriculum.
2000
- A Bold Move Toward Better Learning: Nov./Dec. ’00
The Campaign for Undergraduate Education will fund a teaching and research program second to none. - Setting Out on the Journey: Sept./Oct. ’00