Dear Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars,

I hope you are all adapting to our new reality of sheltering in place and working remotely. I know that this global crisis has demanded a lot from each of you, and I appreciate your patience and flexibility. Please know that my colleagues in the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, along with your faculty advisors, mentors, and staff throughout campus, are working hard to support your research and academic progress, as well as your health and well-being, in the coming months. I plan to continue to communicate with you as new policies and resources are announced.

Last week, I wrote to you about a new “Community Conversations about the Global Pandemic” series that I have initiated. The series is intended to facilitate a conversation between each of you and other members of the University community who are deeply engaged in and knowledgeable about different aspects of the global response to COVID-19. As this global crisis continues, it is increasingly clear how many of you are motivated by a deep desire to engage intellectually with the complexities of this current global challenge and make the world a better place.

Last week, I hosted President Marc Tessier-Lavigne as my first guest. I am pleased to invite you now to the next three upcoming Community Conversations. Each virtual conversation will include a live discussion followed by a moderated Q&A with the online audience.

Keith Hennessey on Economic Policy Responses
Thursday, April 2, 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
A lecturer in economics at the GSB, Keith Hennessey joins Vice Provost Stacey Bent to discuss economic policy responses to the pandemic. Hennessey has more than 14 years of experience advising senior elected officials that includes serving as senior White House economic advisor under President George W. Bush.

William Gould on Advancing Worker Protections and the Social Safety Net
Thursday, April 9, 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
William B. Gould, IV, emeritus professor of law, discusses the policy and legal agenda for advancing worker protections and the social safety net in the context of the pandemic. Professor Gould is an expert in labor law and labor relations, a critically acclaimed author and scholar and the former chairman of the National Labor Relations Board and California Agricultural Relations Board.

Bonnie Maldonado on Approaches to Fighting COVID-19
Thursday, April 16, 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM (**Note different time)
Yvonne (Bonnie) A. Maldonado will discuss medical, epidemiological and public health approaches to fighting COVID-19 as well as how the Stanford Hospitals are preserving the safety of medical personnel while identifying and treating the sick. Bonnie is a professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Health Research and Policy, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, and senior associate dean for Faculty Development and Diversity at Stanford University School of Medicine. Her research activities have included the epidemiology and prevention of viral infections such as rotavirus, measles, mumps, rubella, polio and pediatric HIV infection.

In addition to these Community Conversations, the VPGE and OPA teams are developing other virtual learning opportunities, bringing some of our familiar in-person events, as well as new offerings in collaboration with others, to you virtually via Zoom. Learn more about logging into Zoom for the first time. Please take a few moments to browse the professional development calendars on the VPGE and OPA websites and check out VPGE's new Virtual Learning Opportunities page for a curated list of campus offerings. And please let us know of other ways we can support you during this unprecedented global disruption.

With warm wishes to each of you as you continue to respond with courage and goodwill to the extraordinary challenges that we are facing together,

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