Posts by Marc Tessier-Lavigne

February 15, 2018

A letter on Cardinal Conversations

In a letter published in The Stanford Daily, we address student concerns regarding the Cardinal Conversations series and an appearance by Charles Murray.

Read the post »

February 1, 2018

The long-range planning white papers

We're excited to have reached today a new milestone in Stanford's long-range planning process: the release to the campus community of 37 white papers that summarize more than 2,800 ideas we received for guiding Stanford's future.

Read the post »

December 27, 2017

In memory of Ben Barres, a personal tribute

As we mourn today the loss of our colleague and dear friend Ben Barres, I thought it would be fitting to share a piece that I wrote in tribute to Ben almost a year ago. I was honored to deliver it as an introduction to a symposium held in Ben’s honor on January 12, 2017.

Read the post »

December 20, 2017

The tax bill and Stanford

The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have passed tax reform legislation that now awaits the president's signature. For higher education, the final bill contains mixed news. At Stanford, our attention now turns to addressing the effects of this legislation on our community.

Read the post »

November 16, 2017

An update on campus historical names

I'm writing to update the campus community on the Advisory Committee on the Use of Historical Names on Campus. I met with the committee on Monday to get an update on its progress. Yesterday, a group of students concerned about the process voiced their views in a campus march, and I met with representatives of the group last evening. I respect their views, and I want to discuss here how we intend to move forward and bring the process to conclusion.

Read the post »

November 7, 2017

Advancing free speech and inclusion

Like many of you, we have been following what has been going on at other campuses and in our own Stanford community around issues of speech and expression. We have been reflecting on how we at Stanford can advance both our unwavering commitment to the free expression of ideas and our equally steadfast goal of an inclusive community.

Read the post »

October 20, 2017

Bryce Love

One of the great joys of returning to Stanford has been attending our sporting events and getting to know some of our outstanding student-athletes.  These dedicated students are all impressive, and some of the performances this fall have really stood out.

Read the post »

October 4, 2017

Restarting the conversation

On Wednesday, Persis and I held our first "Conversation with the President and Provost" of the new academic year. We started holding these sessions last year, and we have found them to be great opportunities to hear from a broad mix of students, faculty and staff about issues on their minds.

Read the post »

September 25, 2017

A new academic year

We want to take the opportunity of a new fall quarter to extend a warm welcome to you, whether for the first time or once again. Yet as we write we are also reminded of the challenges facing some members of our community, with the announcement just hours ago of an updated travel ban affecting visitors to the United States from several countries.

Read the post »

September 23, 2017

Warmth and optimism from Alondra to Zapata

Going to college for the first time is a momentous occasion in the life of any undergraduate. This past week I was thrilled to participate in two of my favorite Stanford traditions that seek to facilitate this transition: Move-In Day and the new undergraduate reception at Hoover House.

Read the post »