Results for VPGE::Personal

This seminar will explore the impact and relative salience of racial/ethnic identity on select issues including: discrimination, social justice, mental health and academic performance. Theoretical perspectives on identity development will be reviewed, along with research on other social identity variables, such as social class, gender and regional identifications. New areas within this field such as the complexity of multiracial identity status and intersectional invisibility will also be discussed. Though the class will be rooted in psychology and psychological models of identity formation, no prior exposure to psychology is assumed and other disciplines-including cultural studies, feminist studies, and literature-will be incorporated into the course materials. Students will work with community partners to better understand the nuances of racial and ethnic identity development in different contexts. (Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center)

Introduction to the social science literature on factors contributing to gender disparities in the scientific workplace (e.g. implicit bias and stereotype threat). Discussions focus on steps that individuals and institutions can take to promote the advancement of women and other underrepresented groups in science, and thus promote the advancement of science.

This seminar will explore the impact and relative salience of racial/ethnic identity on select issues including: discrimination, social justice, mental health and academic performance. Theoretical perspectives on identity development will be reviewed, along with research on other social identity variables, such as social class, gender and regional identifications. New areas within this field such as the complexity of multiracial identity status and intersectional invisibility will also be discussed. Though the class will be rooted in psychology and psychological models of identity formation, no prior exposure to psychology is assumed and other disciplines-including cultural studies, feminist studies, and literature-will be incorporated into the course materials. Students will work with community partners to better understand the nuances of racial and ethnic identity development in different contexts. (Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center)

This seminar will explore the impact and relative salience of racial/ethnic identity on select issues including: discrimination, social justice, mental health and academic performance. Theoretical perspectives on identity development will be reviewed, along with research on other social identity variables, such as social class, gender and regional identifications. New areas within this field such as the complexity of multiracial identity status and intersectional invisibility will also be discussed. Though the class will be rooted in psychology and psychological models of identity formation, no prior exposure to psychology is assumed and other disciplines-including cultural studies, feminist studies, and literature-will be incorporated into the course materials. Students will work with community partners to better understand the nuances of racial and ethnic identity development in different contexts. (Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center)

This course investigates how culture and diversity shape who becomes an engineer, what problems get solved, and the quality of designs, technology, and products. As a course community, we consider how cultural beliefs about race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, abilities, socioeconomic status, and other intersectional aspects of identity interact with beliefs about engineering, influence diversity in the field, and affect equity in engineering education and practice. We also explore how engineering cultures and environments respond to and change with individual and institutional agency. The course involves weekly presentations by scholars and engineers, readings, short writing assignments, small-group discussion, and hands-on, student-driven projects. Students can enroll in the course for 1 unit (lectures only), or 3 units (lectures+discussion+project). For 1 unit, students should sign up for Section 1 and Credit/No Credit grading, and for 3 units students should sign up for Section 2 and either the C/NC or Grade option.

Principled Entrepreneurial Decisions examines how leaders tackle significant inflection points that occur in high-growth entrepreneurial companies. Students learn how to develop principles as a powerful tool to face tough situations that they will encounter in their lives and their chosen career. Cases and guest speakers discuss not only the business rationale for the decisions taken but also how their principles affected those decisions. A capstone project provides frameworks for students to develop their own set of principles. The teaching team brings its wealth of experience in both entrepreneurship and VC investing to the class. Limited enrollment. Admission by application: https://forms.gle/VU36jjGwmsK54CsK9

Graduate seminar featuring non-technical talks by engineers from academia and industry. The theme for 2024 is "Let's Get Real!" Discussion is encouraged as graduate students share experiences and learn with speakers and each other. Possible topics of discussion range from time management and career choices to diversity, health, and family. Several optional informal dinners are hosted after the seminar to continue conversation with the speakers. Speaker list will be posted at: https://stanfordmewomen.weebly.com/seminar.html. May be repeated for credit.

Wondering how to weave together what really fits you, is doable, and will be satisfying and meaningful? Have more questions than answers? Have too many ideas for your career, or not enough? This course applies the mindsets and innovation principles of design thinking to the "wicked problem" of designing your life and vocation. Students gain awareness and empathy, define areas of life and work on which they want to work, ideate about ways to move forward, try small prototypes, and test their assumptions. The course is highly interactive. It will conclude with creation of 3 versions of the next 5 years and prototype ideas to begin making those futures a reality. The course will include brief readings, writing, reflections, and in-class exercises. Expect to practice ideation and prototyping methodologies, decision making practices and to participate in interactive activities in pairs, trios, and small groups. Seminar open to all graduate students and Postdocs in all 7 schools. Additional course information at http://lifedesignlab.stanford.edu/dtp.

This course guides graduate students in creating a professional ePortfolio and establishing an online presence. The course includes seminar-style presentations and discussions, opportunities for feedback with career mentors, classmates, alumni, employers, and other community members using think-aloud protocols and peer review approaches. Curriculum modules focus on strategies for telling your story in the digital environment, platform considerations, evidence and architecture, visual design and user experience. Open to all graduate students and majors.

With leadership comes responsibility. This course explores the numerous ethical issues faced by managers and organizations and provides both analytical frameworks and the latest findings on human behavior to inform ethical decisions and strategies. The readings present challenging and controversial case studies, provide insights from experimental psychology and economics, and discuss relevant philosophical concepts and arguments. Through class exercises, rigorous discussion, and personal reflection, you will clarify your own ethical stance, think through ethical dilemmas, and practice articulating recommendations compellingly. You will also discover the diversity of ethical viewpoints and find out how to avoid the social and cognitive pitfalls that can make ethical leadership challenging.

As AI technology advances at an unprecedented pace, both start-ups and established corporations are racing to harness its potential, aiming to revolutionize every sector with innovative applications. What are these opportunities, and how are these firms creating a sustainable competitive advantage? In this class, the teaching team will guide interactive classroom discussions on adopting AI in business. Guest speakers - CEOs or venture capitalists at the forefront of AI - will tell their stories, offering valuable insights from a myriad of industries and perspectives. The structure for this course will be a combination of: addressing what is different about starting an AI company; asking how AI companies (particularly Generative AI) are being valued and the associated risks; exploring how large companies are rapidly adopting AI; and introducing relevant economic models. Almost all days will have engaging speakers, and 50% of your course grade will be participation, as you interact with them and with your peers. There are two assignments and a group project. The faculty will provide a structured foundation to guide you, and short lectures on a number of topics. Students do not need in-depth technical knowledge of AI; you will be expected to learn the basics along the way, and will be taught about LLM models through examples.

Many students come to the GSB with the intent to pivot upon leaving the institution. Some students feel they have outgrown their position or business, or they feel drawn to a new area that better suits their values and interests, where they can make a greater contribution. Some students have no idea what they want to do after graduating, they just know they want to make a purposeful change. And finally, some students want to strategically change their direction for reputation reasons. The average U.S. employee tenure is only 4-5 years and job roles often change dramatically within that timeframe. Pivoting is an intentional, methodical process for nimbly navigating career changes. A recent Gallup study revealed that almost 90% of workers are either 'not engaged' or 'actively disengaged; from their jobs. A pivot is a change made of your own volition when you have reached a point in your career when you are ready for increased challenge and impact. Strategic Pivoting is a course specifically developed for any student who already plans to pivot in their career and wants to figure out how to successfully build and create their next chapter. In this course we will discuss four stages for how to best pivot: 1) Planting, how to assess and set a strong foundation of values, strengths and interests. 2) Scanning, researching new and related skills, talking to others, and mapping potential opportunities. 3) Piloting, students conduct small, low-risk experiments to test their new direction, as well as gather real-time data and feedback. And 4) Launching, pulling the trigger, fully committed, to your carefully plotted pivot. The ultimate pay-off to Strategic Pivoting is acknowledging and adapting to a rapidly changing society when it comes to career paths. Because our careers are so fundamentally tied to our livelihood and sense of confidence, purpose and meaning, changes can be traumatic without a road map for traversing them. "Navigating this accelerated pace of change and this transitional career state, and learning to embrace it instead of resisting it, can become an edge and advantage." Alex Rodriguez, Major League Baseball icon, ABC/Fox Sports/ESPN commentator, entrepreneur, and CEO of A-Rod Corp will be a featured Guest Speaker in this course. Alex has also had a history of successfully pivoting his career and defying expectations. He is presently getting ready to host his own ESPN interview show called, "Pivot."

This class focuses on individuals and their psychological wellbeing. The class delves into how students perceive themselves and their work, and how they might use design thinking to lead a more creative and committed life. As a participant you read parts of a different book each week and then engage in exercises designed to unlock learnings. In addition, there are two self-selected term projects dealing with eliminating a problem from your life and doing something you have never done before. Apply the first day during class. Attendance at the first session is mandatory.

We raise awareness of ethically sensitive situations and provide principles and tools for forming coherent ethical judgments regarding individual, government, or organizational actions. Students learn ethical theories and tools from which they create their own personal ethical codes and test them against established ethical principles, class discussion, homework, class presentations, and situations from work and life. The course addresses personal life, human action and relations in society, technology, medicine, coercion, harming, stealing, imposition of risk, deception, and other ethical issues.

This course explores the experience of respected business leaders who have been able to integrate their spiritual and business lives successfully. It also provides an explicit opportunity for students to discuss their own intentions to find deep meaning in and through their business careers. Difficulties, struggles and barriers will be examined as well. Readings will include both biographies of specific business people and background materials on the major religious and philosophical traditions represented. A number of the exemplars whose biographical information will be examined, like Jeff Weiner of LinkedIn, will be invited to class -- initially to listen to the class discussion, and then to provide feedback to students, expand on their own biographies and the background resources read in preparation for each class, and respond to questions and answers. This course will help students elucidate how their business careers fit into what ultimately matters most to them and how to build moral courage and long-term commitment to their ideals.

(PUBLPOL 134, PUBLPOL 234 - 3 credits; Ways - ER; Same as LAW 7020) The objective of this course is to explore cutting-edge ethical challenges in a world in which technology, global risks, and societal developments are accelerating faster than our understanding and the law can keep pace. The course also offers a parallel personal journey: an opportunity to explore your own ethics and increase your own resilience when life throws challenges your way. We will unravel the ethics challenges and problem-solve across sectors: business, government, non-profit, and academia. A framework for ethical decision-making underpins the course. However, there is significant space for forming your own views on a wide range of issues. Prominent guest speakers will attend certain sessions interactively. The relationships among ethics and technology, culture, leadership, law, and global risks (AI, synthetic biology, inequality, privacy, financial system meltdown, cyber-terrorism, climate change, diversity and inclusion, etc.) will inform discussion. A broad range of topics might include: designer genetics; civilian space travel; generative AI; the Supreme Court case on University affirmative action; new wearable devices; free speech on University campuses; opioid addiction; corporate and financial sector scandals (Theranos, FTX, currency); and non-profit sector ethics challenges (e.g. medical humanitarian aid in Gaza). Final project in lieu of exam on a topic of student's choice. Attendance required. Class participation important, with multiple opportunities to earn participation credit beyond speaking in class. Strong emphasis on rigorous analysis, critical thinking, and testing ideas in real-world contexts. Note that this course will require one make-up evening session on a Wednesday or Thursday in early May in lieu of the final class session in June. Enrollment will be decided via application, which can be found at https://forms.gle/xw9bPh5wjxPZZcwf6. **The form will open on 3/6 at 5pm and close on 3/13 at 5pm.** The course offers credit toward Public Policy core requirements (if taken in combination with PUBLPOL 103F) and it satisfies the undergraduate Ways of Thinking - ER requirement. The course is open to undergraduate and graduate students. Undergraduates will not be at a disadvantage. Everyone will be challenged. Students taking the course for Ways credit and Public Policy majors taking the course to complete the core requirements must obtain a letter grade. Others may take the course for a letter grade or C/NC. Students seeking credit for other majors should consult their departments.

Purpose is not a singular thing; it's a way of living with what matters at the center. Investigate and own your unique journey for purpose. Explore the connection between an inner journey for compassionate self-understanding and an outer focus on engaging with the world. In this highly interactive class, we will create a supportive and inclusive community from which you can investigate the contemplative, psychological, social, and communal factors that deepen meaning-making, support authenticity, and encourage living more purposefully. Drawing from disciplines as diverse as art, poetry, design, contemplative practice, sociology, and positive psychology, we will cultivate skills that promote wellbeing and flourishing at Stanford and beyond.

Introduces diverse forms of meditation practice in both theory (contemplative neuroscience, phenomenological traditions) and practice. Practices in guided imagery, compassion, loving kindness, positive emotion, mindfulness and mantra meditation will be offered to enhance stress management and well-being. While meditation practices emerge from religious traditions, all practice and instruction will be secular.