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 2016With gratitude and appreciation, a thank-you for what we’ve accomplished.
• The Mission That Drives Us: May/Jun 2016Staying true to what we’re about and thinking long-term.
• The Access Imperative: Mar/Apr 2016Financial aid continues to be among our highest priorities.
• The Arts, Every Day: Jan/Feb 2016Dazzling new facilities have enabled a campus renaissance.

2015

• How Far We’ve Come: Nov/Dec ’15The university’s 125th anniversary offers a chance to reflect.
• Heeding the Call to Service: Sep/Oct ’15New program strengthens commitment to helping others.
• ‘Usefulness’ Education: Jul/Aug ’15The powerful pull of experiential learning.
• A Presidential Visit: May/Jun ’15White House Summit on the Farm offered a rare opportunity.
• Progress Meets Preservation: Mar/Apr ’15Building for the future, with an eye on the past.
• A Prizeworthy Faculty: Jan/Feb ’15In a banner year, recognition follows achievements.

2014

• The Brain: The Final Frontier?: Nov/Dec ’14Neuroscience institute is poised for breakthroughs.
• Optimism Meets Empathy: Sep/Oct ’14The Gateses’ Commencement message echoes our heritage of service.
• First the Farm, Then the Planet: Jul/Aug ’14Sustainability begins at home, and we’re doing our best to be good stewards.
• What We’ve Learned About MOOCs: May/Jun ’14Online education won’t replace the residential experience, but it has a place.
• In Praise of True Student-Athletes: Mar/Apr ’14Leadership and success, on and off the field.
• Preparation That Lasts a Lifetime: Jan/Feb ’14The humanities remain at the center of a Stanford education.

2013

• A Cauldron of Innovation: Nov/Dec ’13The Clark Center has incubated pathbreaking inventions and transformed our thinking.
• Doing Well by Doing Good: Sep/Oct ’13Nonprofit start-ups harness energy and idealism to make positive change.
• Restoring Balance, Increasing Access: Jul/Aug ’13It’s time to consider growing undergraduate enrollment.
• Financial Strength Enables Innovation: May/Jun ’13Updated facilities, robust student aid are key to Stanford’s excellence.
• Money Well Spent: Mar/Apr ’13Federal funding for research fosters discover and nurtures industry.
• An Unwavering Commitment to Access: Jan/Feb ’13Financial aid, limiting debt are crucial for keeping college affordable.

2012

• A Force for Better Health Care: Nov/Dec ’12Landmark efforts will advance medicine in lab and at bedside.
• Leadership That Inspires Reminds Us Why It Matters: Sep/Oct ’12Lyman and Booker, generations apart, demonstrate courage and character.
• Remodeling Our Curriculum for the 21st Century: Jul/Aug ’12Breadth and depth, and a new emphasis on critical thinking.
• Our Strong China Connection Gains a Firmer Foothold: May/Jun ’12The 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 ’12The promise and progress enabled by a historic fundraising success.
• Educating Entrepreneurs to Leverage Growth and Development: Jan/Feb ’12Two recent initiatives aim to capitalize on Stanford’s unique success.

2011

• What It Will Take to Improve K-12 Schools: Nov/Dec ’11Education reform is a Stanford priority, and a national imperative.
• A Landmark Gift Propels Arts Education to a New Level: Sept/Oct ’11The Anderson Collection is the latest addition to a burgeoning initiative.
• A Closer Look at the Costs of College: Jul/Aug ’11Above all, we must maintain access to higher education.
• Imagining Stanford in New York: May/Jun ’11A proposal, and a plan, for a second campus.
• Hail to the Victors, a Study in Self-Discipline: Mar/Apr ’11Our student-athletes’ dedication enables a win-win situation.
• To Save Innovation, Tame Entitlements: Jan/Feb ’11Growing deficits and health care costs threaten federal research dollars.

2010

• Higher Education’s New Challenges: Nov/Dec ’10We must equip students with the ability to adapt to changing careers.
• Public Service—a Stanford Tradition: Sep/Oct ’10Eunice Kennedy Shriver exemplified the drive to make a difference.
• At Last, a Place to Play: Jul/Aug ’10The Bing Concert Hall exemplifies our commitment to the arts.
• Our Best Investment: Students: May/Jun ’10Financial aid offers opportunity and access—and produces leaders.
• A Growing Presence Overseas: Mar/Apr ’10Stanford’s outreach and impact stretches around the world.
• When Less is More: Jan/Feb ’10Stanford’s sustainability commitment will save energy and money.

2009

• Solving Problems Is Our Business: Nov/Dec ’09Faculty and alumni contribute ideas and innovation to make the world better.
• Imagining the Possibilities: Sep/Oct ’09Thinking and acting boldly continues a long Stanford tradition.
• Graduates Who Give Back: July/Aug ’09Resourceful and committed, our students set out to change the world.
• Nourishing the Arts in All Forms: May/June ’09From Wallace Stegner to cell phone ‘concerts,’ a tradition of imagination.
• Looking for Answers on Energy: March/April ’09The Precourt Institute leads a new emphasis on sustainability solutions.
• What Leadership Looks Like: Jan/Feb ’09At this crucial moment, we need courage, compassion and character.

2008

• Why Our Hospitals Need Renewal: Nov/Dec ’08Upgrades will meet patient needs and improve the level of care.
• 100 Years of Breakthroughs: Sept/Oct ’08Medical School poised for another century of innovation.
• A Legacy of Advocacy: July/Aug ’08Mel Lane reminds us some land belongs to everyone.
• The DNA of Innovation: May/June ’08Big ideas begin with fundamental new insights.
• Behind the Bottom Line: March/April ’08Higher education financing takes many forms. Here’s a primer. (by Provost John Etchemendy)
• Managing Years of Change: Jan/Feb ’08In the spirit of Sterling and Terman, we need vision and foresight.

2007

• At Stanford, Speak Freely: Nov/Dec ’07Open dialogue and spirited debate are fundamental to the University’s mission.
• Should Stanford Expand the Freshman Class?: Sep/Oct ’07Historically low acceptance rates leave many deserving students out.
• One Who Made a Difference: Jul/Aug ’07Daniel Pearl’s story continues to inspire us.
• Keeping Stanford’s Doors Open to All: May/Jun ’07Financial aid improvements help protect our tradition of need-blind admission.
• A Recommitment to the Humanities: Mar/Apr ’07Now, more than ever, we need scholarship that examines and evokes the human condition.
• Keeping Stanford Great Far Into the Future: Jan/Feb ’07Inspired by the examples of Sterling and Terman, we must act boldly.

2006

• All of Us Own a Part of This Challenge: Nov/Dec ’06Solving today’s problems requires deep collaboration and intensive investment.
• Wisdom for the Next Generation: Sep/Oct ’06Our recent graduates and newest alumni inherit a responsibility to serve.
• In Athletics, the Right Person for the Job: Jul/Aug ’06New athletics director Bob Bowlsby understands our values, and knows how to win.
• What Art Can Teach Us: May/June ’06Several initiatives aim to foster a diverse and energetic creative climate.
• Crossing Borders: Mar/Apr ’06Recent outreach to Mexico illustrates new collaborations.
• Thanks a Billion: Jan/Feb ’06The Campaign for Undergraduate Education was an unprecedented success.

2005

• A Tradition of Service: Nov/Dec ’05Stanford seeks to educate socially responsible leaders.
• Time for the Next Big Step: Sep/Oct ’05Our challenge now is to strengthen graduate education.
• Our Heritage, Our Mission: July/Aug ’05A century after Jane Stanford’s death, her vision lives on.
• Joining Forces to Attack Big Problems: May/June ’05The initiative in international affairs capitalizes on our strengths.
• Preserving the Farm Requires New Thinking: Mar/Apr ’05As Jane Stanford said, we can’t be afraid to outgrow old ways.
• Brilliant Success, Unfinished Work: Jan/Feb ’05With one milestone reached, CUE aims to support more students.

2004

• Getting Serious About Science: Nov/Dec ’0450 years after Sputnik, the United States needs another push.
• A Danger of a Different Kind: Sep/Oct ’04We can secure our borders without alienating international students.
• Keeping an Avenue Open: Jul/Aug ’04Strong financial aid underscores our commitment to access for all.
• In China, a Seat at the Table: May/Jun ’04Our Beijing program is Stanford’s latest foray into the booming country.
• Pulling Together to Save the Planet: Mar/Apr ’04Our environmental institute brings a focused approach.
• Students Remind Me Why I Love This Job: Jan/Feb ’04Rhodes scholars exemplify curiosity, conviction.

2003

• Building for the Future: Nov/Dec ’03Ushering in a new era of collaborative research.
• This Place Hums with Artistic Energy: Sep/Oct ’03Embracing all forms of expression with gusto.
• Remembering One Who Heeded the Call: July/Aug ’03Amy Biehl exemplified service to others.
• Committed to Diversity in Many Forms: May/June ’03Expanding the intellectual base helps all students.
• Committed to Diversity in Many Forms: May/June ’03Expanding the intellectual base helps all students.
• The True Test of Free Speech: March/April ’03Ideas can’t thrive where voices are muzzled.
• These Games Are Getting Out of Hand: Jan./Feb. ’03Major reform is needed to rebalance athletics with academics.

2002

• Why Foreign Students Are So Important: Nov/Dec ’02Security is crucial, but we must also be welcoming.
• The First Great American University : Sep/Oct ’02Innovation and vision have set Stanford apart.
• The Promise of Collaborative Thinking: July/Aug ’02In the search for solutions, we must cross disciplinary boundaries.
• Three Reminders About Why We’re Here: May/June ’02Marvin Moore, Daniel Pearl and John Gardner share a legacy of service.
• Supporting Students’ Incredible Journeys: March/April ’02At the White House, in the lab or in a Kenyan village, opportunity leads to learning.
• Embracing the Need to ‘Learn and Relearn’: Jan./Feb. ’02A 21st-century education requires a new kind of literacy.

2001

• ‘An Influence on Behalf of Humanity’: Nov./Dec. ’01Citizen-building has always been our goal.
• The Cost of Keeping Up: Sept./Oct. ’01Our endowment may look huge, but it’s dwarfed by our needs.
• Dealing with Disappointment: July/Aug. ’01Our admissions quandary: many are worthy, few are chosen.
• The Hard Work of Painful Choices: May/June ’01Like other academic hospitals, Stanford’s is hurting.
• Supporting the Mission, Protecting the Future: March/April ’01Two simple but profound principles guide the decisions of University leaders.
• Building an Education That Won’t Wear Out: Jan./Feb. ’01Study of the humanities remains the cornerstone of Stanford’s undergraduate curriculum.

2000

• A Bold Move Toward Better Learning: Nov./Dec. ’00The Campaign for Undergraduate Education will fund a teaching and research program second to none.
• Setting Out on the Journey: Sept./Oct. ’00