Dear Graduate and Professional Students,
I always eagerly anticipate the energy that comes with the start of the new academic year at Stanford! I’m especially excited this year for us to return to campus after facing extraordinary challenges these past 18 months. I look forward to feeling the hustle and bustle by Memorial Church, seeing students admire the new art installation in the Science and Engineering Quad, and watching friends grab a cup of coffee at Coupa Cafe by the Graduate School of Business, Meyer Green, or Y2E2.
A heartfelt welcome to over 2,700 new graduate and professional students! I hope you are settling in well. And a huge thank you to continuing students who are welcoming new students in orientation events in your programs and in this week’s university-wide New Graduate Student Orientation (NGSO). NGSO events are open to both incoming students and rising second years who weren't able to experience NGSO in-person last year.
This year I am especially interested in learning more about you and your aspirations for your time at Stanford. My VPGE colleagues and I are back on campus, offering in-person workshops, receptions, and other opportunities for you to get to know us too. I also look forward to collaborating with this year's Graduate Student Council and VPGE’s Student & Postdoc Vision Team on issues of importance to the graduate student community.
To stay informed about campus events as well as learning and funding opportunities, please take a few minutes to scan our monthly GradEd @Stanford e-newsletter, visit our website frequently, and follow us on Twitter (curated by students, for students). And please keep an eye on GradUpdates where we aggregate important COVID-19 health and safety information for you.
As the world continues to grapple with many challenges -- from the pandemic and natural disasters to political, social, and economic strife -- I hope you will find this year at Stanford an opportunity to come together as a community to energize and motivate each other as well as to help each other through difficult times. As always, feel free to reach out to your degree program or school, the VPGE office, or our many campus partners if there is anything that we can do to support you during your time at Stanford.
Wishing you all the best for the year ahead,
Stacey
Stacey F. Bent
Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs
Jagdeep and Roshni Singh Professor in the School of Engineering
Professor of Chemical Engineering
Professor, by courtesy, of Materials Science & Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Chemistry