Stephan Graham named next Earth School dean

At Saturday's homecoming football game, student activists unfurled a banner urging Stanford's divestment from companies associated with private prisons (Courtesy of Michael Ocon).
At Saturday's homecoming football game, student activists unfurled a banner urging Stanford's divestment from companies associated with private prisons (Courtesy of Michael Ocon).
By Vibhav Mariwala
Oct. 16, 2017, 1:03 a.m.
Stephan Graham named next Earth School dean
Professor Stephan Graham will succeed Pamela Matson as dean of the School of Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences (Courtesy of Stanford News).

Professor Stephan Graham, an energy resources and sedimentary geologist who has been part of the Stanford faculty since 1980, has been appointed dean of Stanford’s School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences. He will replace Dean Pamela Matson, who has led the school for the last 15 years, on Nov. 2.

Graham’s career has spanned many posts in the school. He is currently the Welton Joseph and Maud La’Anphere Crook Professor of Geological Sciences and previously served as the school’s associate dean for academic affairs from 1999 to 2007 and again from 2009 to 2014. Before that, he was acting dean in 2000, chair of the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences from 2007 to 2009 and senior associate dean for faculty affairs from 2014 to 2016.

Graham has a bachelor’s degree in Geology from Indiana University and received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Stanford. He has authored or co-authored over 180 papers and has overseen more than 90 dissertations for M.S. and Ph.D. students.

“[Graham] has served in every leadership capacity at the school, including as acting dean,” Provost Persis Drell told Stanford News. “I am thrilled he has agreed to once again lead the school as the dean at this critical time in its history, when its work is so vital and relevant to the future health of our planet.”

Graham will oversee a school of 65 faculty and 550 students, many of whom are working to find solutions to climate change and natural disasters and to develop sustainable energy and food resources.

“Stanford and the school have been at the center of my life,” Graham told Stanford News. “We are looking at the fundamental nature of Earth, as well as the critical issues of sustainability, energy and the environment that dictate Earth’s future. It will be an honor to continue this great work to educate the next generation to be stewards of our resources and environment.”

Graham also said he hopes to connect the school to other departments in the University and increase student exposure to issues related to the science of the Earth.

 

Contact Vibhav Mariwala at vibhavm ‘at’ stanford.edu.

Vibhav is a senior staff writer from Mumbai, India. He is a history major writing an honor’s thesis on the Indian Constitution and Indian economic policy from 1947-60. When he’s not reading history books, Vibhav enjoys sailing, kayaking and hiking.

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