Winds of Change - College 2016 - 59

Stanford University Palo Alto, Calif. * stanford.edu LINDA A. CICERO/STANFORD NEWS SERVICE (3) T ry to imagine a world without Google. If it weren't for Stanford University, the world's second-most valuable company might never have come to be. In 1995, Sergey Brin was assigned to show Larry Page around the school. In 1998, the two incorporated the start-up that would change the way we use the Internet. Of course, Google isn't the only company to get its start at Stanford. Opened in 1891, the university didn't become the wellspring of technological innovation it's famous for until 1939, when alumni David Packard and William Hewlett established Hewlett-Packard in a Palo Alto garage now known as "the Birthplace of Silicon Valley." Since then, Stanford faculty and alumni have helped create company after company that have shaped the way our world works - Cisco Systems, Dolby Laboratories, eBay, Instagram, Yahoo!, Intuit, Netflix, and more. Now Stanford has a sprawling 700-acre research park that's home to more than 150 start-ups, research and development companies, and research branches of Fortune 500 companies, including Tesla, Nest, and Ford. "While Stanford faculty and students have made notable achievements across disciplines, their role in shaping the epicenter of the Age of Innovation is perhaps one of the top - if not the most unique - distinguishers," says Ritika Trikha in an article for TechCrunch. "Stanford shares a relationship with Silicon Valley unlike any other university on the planet, chartering a self-perpetuating cycle of innovation." As one of the world's leading research universities, Stanford has attracted more than 5,500 externally sponsored projects and a research budget of $1.22 billion. Its community members currently include 20 Nobel laureates, five with awards in chemistry and six in physics. On top of all this, Forbes has ranked Stanford No. 1 in American colleges worth the investment; Money has the university at No. 10; and the Academic Ranking of World Universities places the school at No. 2. aises.org With a mission of seeking solutions to important global problems and educating leaders who will make the world a better place, Stanford's School of Engineering has pioneered transformative technologies. Its multidisciplinary approach addresses some of the most pressing issues of our age, from security and affordable energy to autonomous robots and human-technology interaction. If a student's passions lie with the environment, Stanford's School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences is the place to be. Here students work to gain a better understanding of the Earth, the changing climate, and the challenge of sustainability. The school's field-based program, designed for undergraduates with all levels of experience, offers hands-on instruction to help students understand Earth's processes and develop critical scientific skills like observation and problem solving. Aside from schools in engineering and Earth science, Stanford also has a business school and one focused on the humanities and sciences, with degrees available in biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, psychology, and more. When not in class, students can participate in more than 50 varsity and club sports, including basketball, swimming, fencing, and water polo. Plus, with more than 650 student organizations (including the Native American Cultural Center), community service and diversity outreach opportunities, an AISES chapter, and programs like the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship, the possibilities for strong connections and lifelong friendships are endless. On the weekends, students can catch a show from Stanford Live, which sponsors 50 performances every year, or visit the Anderson Collection to view modern and contemporary American art. More than 30 dining options, from Thai to Italian, means there's always something good to eat on Stanford's more than 8,000-acre campus. Or they can head to San Francisco, just 35 miles to the north, or San Jose, 20 miles to the south, to experience an urban vibe. - Tracy Campbell 2016-2017 SPECIAL COLLEGE ISSUE * WINDS OF CHANGE 59 http://www.stanford.edu http://www.aises.org

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