Who are the Peer Advisors?

The STS Peer Advisors work closely with the Undergraduate Advisor and serve as a resource for initial questions about major course planning, departmental policies, and the declaration process. The peer advisors have completed a special training that augments their knowledge of the STS curriculum and can offer valuable student insight on the major. All students interested in declaring must first meet with a peer advisor to review their curriculum proposal. Meetings are drop-in only (no appointments) and questions can be directed to sts-advisors@stanford.edu.

STS Peer Advisor Office Hours are held in Building 200, Room 17. 

The deadline to declare Spring quarter was Thursday, May 28th.  

Lauren Birks
B.A. Information Technology, Media & Society

Available Hours

The peer advisors are gone for the summer! Office hours will resume September 21st.

Like many, Lauren came to Stanford completely uncertain of what major she would pursue. Excited to explore the wide array of courses that Stanford has to offer, she quickly realized that her interests were widespread, and she could not settle on one department or even a major/minor combo without giving up other subjects. At the end of her freshman year, Lauren discovered STS and knew it was right for her. With background interests in Communications, Psychology, Business, Art and Product Design, she was able to explore all of these topics within her concentration, and has successfully (so far!) incorporated the results in real life. Interested in branding, marketing and public relations in the future, she has interned the past two summers in strategy with a hip SF digital advertising agency and in marketing with a Silicon Valley ecommerce fulfillment firm. Lauren is from San Diego and loves the ocean, skiing, cooking, yoga, wine and Netflix. She plays on the Sand Volleyball team here at Stanford and is a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority.

"I can't wait to meet you all and answer any questions you might have - whether it be from the perspective of an STS peer advisor, a senior, or just a fellow Stanford student. Come hang out!" - Lauren

Rocco Cervantes
B.S. Life Sciences and Biotechnology

Available Hours

The peer advisors are gone for the summer! Office hours will resume September 21st.

After growing up in Long Beach, California, Rocco came to Stanford thinking he knew exactly what he wanted. However, his previous major track did not align with his interests at all. Towards the end of sophomore year, Rocco was getting worried about the big decision he needed to make. Finally, STS found him, and the match was more perfect than peanut butter and jelly. Although Rocco’s main interests were in biology, there was a serious lacking of the humanities in his studies. Rocco was able to beautifully fuse his two passions, science and people, into one cohesive track. On campus, Rocco enjoys tour guiding, working on the new app platform, Stanford FoSho, as well as dancing on Urban Styles Contemporary Jazz Company. In the future, Rocco seeks to work for a health technology company where he can learn about the context of a target population in order to better design the technology being implemented.

“If you are even considering STS, I highly recommend you swing by and chat with me! I’d love to learn about you and talk all things STS!” – Rocco 

Jillian Frager
B.A. Information Technology, Media & Society

Available Hours

The peer advisors are gone for the summer! Office hours will resume September 21st.

Hailing from sunny San Diego, Jillian came to Stanford with no idea of a major. After exploring her options and taking a variety of classes her freshman and sophomore years, she realized that she enjoyed classes in a variety of disciplines…and that is when STS came into the picture. She discovered that STS was the perfect fit for her because it allowed her to take classes in different fields and discover how they interact with each other and in society. Jillian has held a number of positions in her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, and has pursued her passion for photography and videography both personally and professionally. Other highlights include working at Stanford Sierra Camp and studying abroad in Madrid. Upon graduation, she plans to work and live in San Francisco, doing something in the areas of marketing or media.

“I’m so excited to be an STS peer advisor - come by and see me!” – Jillian

Ethan Kessinger
B.A. Innovation, Technology and Organizations

Available Hours

The peer advisors are gone for the summer! Office hours will resume September 21st.

Ethan came to Stanford determined to double major, go abroad, and staff in a freshman dorm. Instead of double majoring and not sleeping for four years, he found STS. The flexibility of STS allowed Ethan to study abroad in Florence, Italy as a sophomore, staff in Cedro as a junior, and take classes that interested him. Ethan’s favorite classes focused on how to innovate in large organizations. He is from Denver, Colorado – the city, not the suburbs. Ethan spent the summer after his sophomore year working for an education non-profit in Denver. He is currently working as a political analyst at Crowdpac.

“Join me in office hours if you also have a fear of being put in a box and learn how STS can help you take control of your time at Stanford.” –Ethan