James “Jay” T. Hamilton, the Hearst Professor of communication and director of the Stanford Journalism Program in the School of Humanities and Sciences (H&S), assumed his new role as the Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education (VPUE) last Wednesday.
Hamilton graduated from Harvard University with a bachelor’s degree in economics and government, and subsequently a Ph.D. in economics. He is a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, interim faculty co-director of the Stanford Impact Labs, co-founder of the Stanford Computational Journalism Lab and a member of the Stanford University teaching faculty since 2013.
“I’m excited to start work because of the VPUE’s mission, people, and impact,” Hamilton wrote in a statement to The Daily.
The seven parts of VPUE, which include Bing Overseas Studies Program (BOSP), the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), the Haas Center for Public Service, Stanford Introductory Studies, the Program in Writing and Rhetoric (PWR) and Academic Advising, “share a common goal of connecting Stanford students with transformative experiences,” Hamilton wrote.
“Undergraduate education is a process of discovery and learning, and the VPUE’s programs play a central role by encouraging Stanford students to be curious, open (to new ideas, people, and experiences), optimistic (about their ability to understand and to change the world), and unconventional.”
Across his 11 years at Stanford, Hamilton has served as chair of both the Department of Communication and chair of the First-Year Requirement Governance Board. His teaching within the communication department has earned him two Bass Fellow awards. As co-founder of the Stanford Computational Journalism Lab, Hamilton’s research focus explores the intersection of analytical data and impactful journalism.
Hamilton’s assumption of the role was received warmly by his colleagues and students. Theodore Glasser, communication professor emeritus, wrote that Hamilton will be “a superb addition to Stanford’s central administration.”
“Jay Hamilton is kind and caring, quiet and unassuming – and at the same time direct and decisive,” wrote Glasser. “He’s genuinely invested in people and their success. Also, he has a wonderful, wry sense of humor.”
Keshav Dhir ’26 studied abroad under Hamilton in Kyoto, Japan last spring, taking his course: OSPKYOTO 55: Exploring Japan’s Media Landscape.
Upon hearing the news of his new position, Dhir was “so happy,” noting that he “thinks he will do really well, because of how he teaches in a way that is conducive to the role that he’s been given now, in terms of being able to do better by the students and by the school.”
“Above all, he’s very much about listening to people and just getting many different perspectives on things. He’s very well informed, but he’s always willing to listen and to understand where everyone is coming from on anything,” Dhir said.