Neuroscientist Marc Tessier-Lavigne is Stanford’s 11th president, having taken office Sept. 1, 2016.
He’s been busy these first weeks, welcoming new students and their parents at Stanford’s Opening Convocation and on move-in day, as well as embarking on an ambitious listening tour of the Stanford community.
“In my first few months here, I plan to spend a lot of time listening and learning,” he told the staff of the Stanford Daily on Sept. 22.
At Convocation – where he shared with incoming students his own “excitement, awe and trepidation” at assuming his new role – Tessier-Lavigne urged Stanford’s Class of 2020 to take chances, to “try new things,” and to “be kind.”
“Freedom of expression is one of the values we hold highest here, along with the importance of a community where everyone feels included and respected,” Tessier-Lavigne said.
“The fact that we don’t shirk from addressing difficult issues, but that we do so in mutual understanding and respect, provides a powerful opportunity for you to examine humanity from all sides,” he said.
At the University of California, San Francisco, Tessier-Lavigne and his colleagues pioneered the identification of molecules that direct the formation of connections among nerve cells to establish circuits in the developing brain and spinal cord.
As an executive at Genentech, Tessier-Lavigne eventually directed 1,400 scientists in disease research and drug discovery for cancer, immune disorders, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative diseases.
His new role is a return to Stanford, where he was a professor of biological sciences from 2001 to 2005.
“Stanford’s impact is truly inspiring, and I can’t wait to support you in all that you will do next,” he said in a message to students, faculty and staff on Sept. 1.
“I am filled with optimism about the strength of our community, the trajectory of our university and the opportunity we have to magnify our impact on the world.”
Learn more about Marc Tessier-Lavigne in Kevin Cool’s profile in Stanford Magazine.
Read his remarks to incoming students and their families at Convocation.
Get details of his inauguration ceremony, to be held Oct. 21 in Frost Amphitheater on campus.
Read his Q&A with the staff of the Stanford Daily.
Watch him greet incoming freshmen of the Class of 2020 in this video.