In the Conservation Lab of Stanford University Libraries, careful technique, creativity and deft hands come together to preserve the university’s archival treasures. When objects arrive in the lab, located in Redwood City, California, since September 2013, conservators assess their needs and create preservation plans. These may range from repairing damaged books and maps to designing boxes to hold and display unique objects. <span xml:lang="EN-US">Part of Stanford</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">’</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">s Preservation Department, the Conservation Lab treated more than 3,600 objects in the last </span><span xml:lang="EN-US">academic </span><span xml:lang="EN-US">year</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">. </span><span xml:lang="EN-US">Book and paper conservators repaired </span><span xml:lang="EN-US">nearly 850 books</span><span xml:lang="EN-US"> and </span><span xml:lang="EN-US">approximately 250 flat items suc</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">h as maps and photos. T</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">echnicians m</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">ade enclosures for</span><span xml:lang="EN-US"> more than</span><span xml:lang="EN-US"> 2,600 objects</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">.</span> <span xml:lang="EN-US">In recent months </span><span xml:lang="EN-US">lab staff </span><span xml:lang="EN-US">restored</span><span xml:lang="EN-US"> a first edition of </span><span xml:lang="EN-US">Charles Darwin</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">’</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">s </span><em><span xml:lang="EN-US">On the Origin of Species</span></em><span xml:lang="EN-US">, an 1853 </span><span xml:lang="EN-US">map of the North Pacific Ocean </span><span xml:lang="EN-US">and an 1876 issue of the satirical magazine </span><em><span xml:lang="EN-US">The Wasp</span></em><span xml:lang="EN-US">.</span> <span xml:lang="EN-US">They also designed display boxes for a 1797 fan and </span><span xml:lang="EN-US">for </span><span xml:lang="EN-US">“</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">Andy,</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">”</span><span xml:lang="EN-US"> a programmable robot produced in 1985 by a Silicon Valley company</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">. An early 19th-</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">century scroll received a </span><span xml:lang="EN-US">new case and turning mechanism.</span> <span xml:lang="EN-US">These s</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">ix</span> <span xml:lang="EN-US">objects</span><span xml:lang="EN-US"> and their conservation</span> care <span xml:lang="EN-US">take center stage</span><span xml:lang="EN-US"> in a </span><a href="https://news.stanford.edu/features/2015/conservationlab/"><span xml:lang="EN-US">Stanford R</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">e</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">port</span><span xml:lang="EN-US"> feature</span></a><span xml:lang="EN-US">. </span><span xml:lang="EN-US">Learn more about the</span><span xml:lang="EN-US"> extraordinary hands-on work that</span><span xml:lang="EN-US"> preserve</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">s</span> <span xml:lang="EN-US">the university</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">’</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">s </span><span xml:lang="EN-US">treasures</span><span xml:lang="EN-US"> for g</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">enerations of scholars to come.</span>
Stanford is well-known for its undergraduate and graduate education. Yet here in the heart of Silicon Valley, it's not surprising to learn the university is also home to a virtual high school. Founded in 2006, Stanford Online High School (OHS) has grown from graduating two seniors in 2007 to 49 in 2015. This year marks a milestone as the school will celebrate 10 years of granting diplomas with the Class of 2016. One of the nation's first independent online high schools, Stanford OHS draws students from more than 45 states and 27 countries. It serves students seeking rigorous coursework and an innovative learning environment, as well as those spending significant time on pursuits outside the classroom. "Stanford OHS attracts academically talented students from around the world, many of whom are pursuing passions outside of school in sports, arts and business," said MaryAnn Janosik, Stanford OHS head of school. Students follow a flexible college-style schedule and can be enrolled full-time, part-time or in a single course. In addition, the school offers a full complement of academic advising, counseling and college counseling services. The school's online teaching and learning model actively defies the typical notion of isolated students listening to recorded lectures. Advanced video conferencing technology allows students and instructors to see each other in classes held in real time. The interaction is lively. Students debate, discuss, question and respond in the same virtual space. Technology facilitates the collaboration. Students comment through a running text chat, annotate onscreen materials and share ideas on a common whiteboard. Building a thriving intellectual and extracurricular community is a top priority for the school. Many students begin the year with a Summer@Stanford residential program. For two intensive weeks, they get to know their instructors, engage in hands-on learning and develop bonds with their classmates. Students and families gather for meetups in locations around the globe, and immersion travel provides additional opportunities to connect. Student-driven extracurricular activities include debate, Model U.N., newspaper, yearbook, and language clubs – in short, much of what is found in a traditional high school. <a href="http://ohs.stanford.edu">Stanford OHS</a> is part of Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies, which offers a range of <a href="https://spcs.stanford.edu/programs">programs</a> for pre-college students. In High School Summer College, students take university courses together with Stanford undergraduates. Pre-Collegiate Institutes immerse students in the study of humanities, mathematics, medicine and the arts. Additional opportunities include online university-level math and science courses.
In the fall of 1886 Frederick Law Olmsted, renowned landscape architect of New York City's Central Park, arrived at the Stanfords' Palo Alto Farm to begin planning the university's physical campus. Although Leland Stanford had commissioned Olmsted to create the design, the relationship would be one of creative compromise. From selecting the site to determining the orientation of the main quadrangle, Stanford was involved in every major decision. The result of their collaborative - and at times contentious - partnership was a campus master plan of extraordinary ambition and architectural brilliance. The Olmsted-Stanford design is distinctive for its monumental scale and use of sight lines that extend through the campus. Olmsted's "Plan of Central Premises" establishes Palm Drive as the central axis and iconic approach. The road divides to form the Oval and closes in front of the original arched entrance to the main quadrangle. Sight lines run parallel and perpendicular to the central axis providing long views through the landscape and its structures. The layout and design of Stanford's main quadrangle also stand out as architecturally innovative. As Professor Paul Turner once described in a <a href="http://historicalsociety.stanford.edu/pdfST/ST10no2.pdf">Stanford Historical Society story</a>, the design was distinguished by its expanse and openness – a significant departure from traditional European and East Coast quadrangles. Completed in 1905, the inner and outer quad buildings cover a remarkable 17 acres and feature colonnade-lined arcades supported by successions of arches. In its 125-year history, Stanford has expanded well beyond Palm Drive, the Oval and the main quadrangle. Yet as the university has built and modernized, it has sought to honor the architectural foundation established in Olmsted's 1888 master plan. The Science and Engineering Quad (SEQ), for example, advances Olmsted's plan for interlocking quadrangles to the east and west of the main quad. Sited to the west, the 8.2 acre SEQ carries forward Olmsted's expansive and open design and restores an original east-west sight line. From the SEQ it's now possible to view the distant Bing Wing of Green Library to the east of the main quad. A similar axis was established in the Arts District, extending from the Cantor Arts Center's neo-classical entrance across Museum Way to the front of Bing Concert Hall. In a recent <em>Stanford</em> magazine column, President John Hennessy discussed the university's efforts to honor its architectural past in its contemporary planning. You can view the article <a href="http://alumni.stanford.edu/get/page/magazine/article/?article_id=77264">here</a>.
<h4>Cross-disciplinary collaborations thrive at Stanford</h4> Stanford has made interdisciplinary collaboration a cornerstone of its academic and research philosophy. More than 40 degree programs cross departmental boundaries, and 18 interdisciplinary centers leverage faculty expertise across multiple fields to address complex research questions. From its academic programs to the close proximity of its seven schools, Stanford’s structure brings students and professors together to share, collaborate and create. “Unexpected Intersections” is a collection of 26 stories spotlighting this unique synergy. In each story, a combination of disciplines advances research and discovery. A remote-controlled drone precisely maps coral reefs; a hand surgeon finds insight in the anatomy of Rodin’s sculptures; a computer science and theater student designs a digitally controlled follow spot for a campus production of <em>Les</em> <em>Misérables</em>. Explore these stories and 23 more in the <a href="http://news.stanford.edu/features/2015/interdisciplinary/">“Unexpected Intersections” feature</a>. You can sort by topics including Music, Engineering and Environment, and discover the extraordinary range of Stanford collaboration.
<h4>In the mascot vacuum of the 1970s, a valiant contender emerged</h4> After Stanford retired its Indian mascot in 1972 amid concerns of Native American students, it went nine years without a replacement. Stanford athletes, feeling the vacuum, sought a symbol that was dynamic and not offensive, one that embodied their brains, heart and brawn. Their campaign to play as the Stanford Griffins failed, as today’s Cardinal fans know. Yet the leadership lessons they acquired still resonate. It all started when two Stanford athletic trainers papered a football training room with pictures of griffins – mythical creatures part eagle, part lion – as a motivational aid. “We jumped on the bandwagon,” recalls Gordon Banks, ’79, then a two-sport standout in football and track. “We got together to find out more about it, to build support for it, to get people to recognize the griffin as something that was good.” The players learned that the griffin was reputed to have fangs stronger than those of 10 ordinary lions, and claws that outclawed those of 10 ordinary eagles. It was “majestic yet ferocious, both swift and alert, portraying valor and wisdom,” as they put it in a <a href="http://stanforddailyarchive.com/cgi-bin/stanford?a=d&d=stanford19780501-01.2.8&srpos=11&e=------197-en-20--1--txt-txIN-griffins-ARTICLE-----" target="_blank"><em>Stanford Daily</em> op-ed</a>, with Banks as lead signatory. “It was perfect for what Stanford stands for,” remembers Mark Hadley, ’78, then a miler and half-miler and now holder of an endowed professorship in neurosurgery at the University of Alabama School of Medicine. Athletes spent two years building a coalition across genders, sports and stakeholders. In 1978, 225 Stanford male and female varsity athletes submitted a petition asking that the Griffin be considered as the official mascot. They liked that its color was red and that it served the warrior queen Califia, ruler of California in Spanish lore. This geographic tie was critical, as the Griffin backers had to outflank arguments that their symbol’s chief rivals, the Trees (plural) and Cardinals (plural), had deeper roots in Stanford and state history. Partisans dusted off two cast-iron griffins given <a href="http://historicalsociety.stanford.edu/pdfST/ST33no1.pdf" target="_blank">Stanford by early benefactor Timothy Hopkins</a> and moved them to Encina Gym. Big names joined the cause, including Jing Lyman, wife of university President Richard Lyman, and concert promoter Bill Graham. In spring 1979, the Griffins outpolled Trees in a student mascot referendum, 35 to 34 percent. No action was taken, apparently because people thought the issue was crucial enough to require consensus. But as years wore on, the Griffins faded. The Tree (singular) and Cardinal (singular) gelled as brands and gained ascendance. On Nov. 17, 1981, new university President Donald Kennedy <a href="http://www.gostanford.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=208445366" target="_blank">declared</a> that all Stanford athletic teams would be represented exclusively by the color Cardinal, which he termed “a rich and vivid metaphor for the very pulse of life.” <img class="alignnone wp-image-418 size-large" src="http://125.stanford.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/bpp_banks_0001-1024x683.jpg" alt="Pastor Gordon Banks preaches in Thailand, 2015" width="1024" height="683" />Pastor Gordon Banks, '79, preaches in Thailand, 2015 Banks thinks the Griffin was just too obscure to gain traction. By the 1980s, many of its backers had graduated. He went on to spend eight years in pro football, including five with the Dallas Cowboys. Today he’s a senior pastor in Auburn, Washington, leading a church he grew from 200 to more than 2,000 members. The lessons of his mascot drive stayed with him, strong as a griffin’s heart. “Stanford gave us the ability to step into a brand-new situation, assess the environment, find the decision-makers, move forward and create something that helps people,” Banks explains. “It gave us an intangible aspect of confidence, the ability to carry yourself in such a way as to be someone who makes a difference.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFmpw2onF50 <h4>Neurobiologist Carla Shatz works to rejuvenate ailing brains and to create synergies among good ones</h4> Carla Shatz became a neurobiologist in part out of empathy for her grandmother, who suffered a stroke in Shatz’s childhood and lost ability to function. Today, as a professor of biology and of neurobiology, Shatz works to restore brainpower at a molecular level so that people with stroke, Alzheimer’s or traumatic brain injury can one day escape similar devastation. As the David Starr Jordan Director of Stanford Bio-X, Shatz also leads a larger initiative to amplify Stanford’s research power by uniting its scientists in interdisciplinary collaboration to tackle life sciences’ toughest problems. Shatz restored the ability of adult neurons in laboratory mice to form new connections in the brain, long after the normal window for many kinds of learning has passed. Translated eventually to humans, her findings could help adults recover from stroke and blindness or halt the loss of brain connections in Alzheimer’s disease. In June 2015, Shatz’s research into how brain circuits form was <a href="https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2015/06/carla-shatz-shares-gruber-prize.html" target="_blank">honored with a share of the $500,000 Gruber Foundation Neuroscience Prize</a>. In this TEDxStanford video, Shatz explains how she discovered a molecular therapy that fostered growth of new brain synapses in mice. <div> <div> <div id="mod-preview-svg-1" data-module="preview-svg"> <div data-svg-version="2.0"> <div tabindex="-1"> <div data-width="1024" data-height="1325.1764705882354"> <div> [caption id="attachment_374" align="alignleft" width="183"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-374" src="http://125.stanford.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/14387-shatz_news-183x300.jpg" alt="Maja Djurisic" width="183" height="300" /> Maja Djurisic[/caption] Scores of other health care solutions take form at Stanford Bio-X, which links the schools of Medicine, Engineering and Humanities & Sciences, among others, to yield fundamental knowledge about the human body, new ways to treat disease and new companies to disseminate the innovations. Bio-X is housed in the acclaimed Clark Center, purpose-built for interdisciplinarity with sweeping lines that dissolve the walls between labs, people and ideas. The support that Shatz and Bio-X have devised there for research synergies – from seed funding to mentorship to lab design – is now a <a href="http://news.stanford.edu/news/2014/july/biox-success-shatz-072914.html" target="_blank">model for similar collaborations throughout Stanford and nationwide</a>. </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>
In the university’s early days, Jane Stanford banned cars from campus. The ban was lifted in 1914. In the late 1980s, the university began offering incentives for people to find alternative ways of commuting. Today, Stanford researchers are building solar cars for sustainable future options. Right: <a href="http://solarcar.stanford.edu" target="_blank">Luminos</a>, the solar car built to compete in the 2013 World Solar Challenge.
Since the university’s beginnings, Stanford has provided free transportation. Initially, it was a buggy service that ran from Palo Alto to Stanford; the shuttle bus service has operated since the 1970s. The Marguerite shuttle is named after a horse that pulled one of the carriages during Stanford’s early years. In 2014, Stanford added 10 electric buses to its shuttle bus fleet, and is projected to add 10 more buses running on renewable energy in the near future.
Iconic Palm Drive was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted as Stanford’s grand entry at a time when few roads were paved. The road improvements came years later, as automobiles became common.
The Stanford Bookstore opened in its current location in the early 1960s. Left: A student browsing through books on physics. Right: The Tree mascot runs through the bookstore in search of a bottle of water to stay hydrated during the Stanford Band’s basketball rally.
Left: Stanford President Donald Kennedy teaching biology at the blackboard in 1980. Right: Stanford researchers, Dr. Lakshminarayan Srinivasan and graduate student Bryan He display images from their research on the brain using the <a href="http://news.stanford.edu/news/2014/june/hive-open-house-060514.html" target="_blank">HANA Immersive Visualization Environment (HIVE)</a>. HIVE, an assemblage of 35 high-definition displays, is a state-of-the-art tool used to study and solve problems in a variety of disciplines: biology, cosmology, engineering and art.
Stanford’s dance studio has been located at Roble Gym since the building’s completion in 1931. Left: Dancers in the studio in the 1940s or 1950s. Right: Muriel Maffre, former principal dancer of the San Francisco Ballet, teaches a ballet class. Roble Gym is currently being renovated to reopen in fall 2016 as a multi-use “arts gym.”