Drop-in Office Hours: 2-4 p.m. Monday-Friday

Advising appointments email: Sierra Vallin (svallin@stanford.edu)

STS Wire 3/6/2017

In this Issue
  • Wheelchair Fabrication in Developing Countries
  • Meet the Maker!
  • Film Screening - FIXED: The Science / Fiction of Human Enhancement
  • Careers in Social Impact & Public Service: How to Get There & Where to Start
  • What Next for Climate? Assessing the Risks and the Options
Wheelchair Fabrication in Developing Countries
Ralf Hotchkiss will track the design of the Whirlwind Wheelchair from its beginning thirty years ago to the present and on into the future. From the first design breakthroughs of barefoot blacksmiths to the high tech testing and manufacturing methods of today, surprise breakthroughs in basic wheelchair design have come from the backyard inventors of some forty developing countries. These inventors, along with several graduates of the Stanford d.school, form the Whirlwind Network of wheelchair riders and designers. Their goal is not only to make wheelchairs available in the poorest of countries; it is to radically improve the durability and rough-ground mobility so that wheelchair riders can live and work in environments that they can only dream of visiting today. Ralf will show unfinished designs that open wide opportunities for new developments, and he will make a plea for the innovative designers of Stanford to enter into one of today's most fulfilling areas of invention and international development work. Read more.
Thursday, March 9th, 2017 | 4:30PM-5:50PM | Thortnton Center, Room 110
Meet the Maker!

After more than 150,000 miles of bluewater sailing, Peter Francis decided to design and build his own high-perfomance catamaran using a rigorous combination of computational fluid dynamics modeling, 3D design and manufacture, and empirical testing. His carbon-fiber vessel Saphira will depart on her maiden yoyage from Cape Cod to Micronesia this spring.

Peter Francis trained as a machinist and tool-and-die maker to prepare himself to lead several companies whose assets exceeded $3B. Francis graduated cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Middlebury College and holds an MBA from the Stanford GSB. Read more.

Tuesday, March 9th, 2017 | 12:30-1:30 | Atrium of Petersen Building

Film Screening - FIXED: The Science / Fiction of Human Enhancement
FIXED: The Science / Fiction of Human Enhancement: From bionic limbs and neural implants to prenatal screening, researchers around the world are hard at work developing a myriad of technologies to fix or enhance the human body. Through the perspectives of five people with disabilities - a scientist, journalist, community organizer, bionics engineer, and exoskeleton test pilot - FIXED takes a close look at the drive to be "better than human" and the radical technological innovations that may take us there. Through a dynamic mix of verité, dance, archival, and interview footage, including cameos by some of the world's leading integrated dance troupes and disabled artists (AXIS, Candoco, GIMP, Lisa Bufano, Sue Austin, and more), FIXED challenges notions of normal, the body, and what it means fundamentally to be human in the 21st century.
Tuesday, March 7, 2017 | 4:30PM-6:00PM | Atrium of Peterson Building
Careers in Social Impact & Public Service: How to Get There & Where to Start

Interested in a career in Social Impact and Public Service but have no idea where to start?!
Connect with recent Stanford Alumni with experience and careers in Social Impact and Public Service work including: environmental sustainability, racial/social justice activism, education, and community organizing. Not only will they share insights about the world of social impact and what to expect, they will also take you through an experiential activity to give you a taste of “a day in the life.”
Wednesday, March 8, 2017 | 7:00PM-8:30PM | BEAM, 1st Floor Conference Room
What Next for Climate? Assessing the Risks and the Options
Over decades, assessment by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and many others has bolstered understanding of the climate problem: unequivocal warming, pervasive impacts, and serious risks from continued high emissions of heat-trapping gases. Societies are increasingly responding with early actions to decarbonize energy systems and prepare for impacts. In this emerging era of climate solutions, new assessment opportunities arise. They include learning from ongoing real-world experiences and helping close the gap between aspirations and the pace of progress. Against this backdrop, the talk will address core challenges in assessment, in particular: (1) integrating diverse evidence; (2) applying rigorous expert judgment; and (3) deeply embedding interactions between experts and decision-makers. Examples span climate risks and portfolios of mitigation and adaptation responses. For climate and broader global change, the presentation will explore how transparent, high-traction assessment can support decisions about contested and uncertain futures. Read more.
Monday, March 6, 2017 | 4:30PM-5:20PM | NVIDIA Auditorium
Lightspeed Summer Fellowship

What exactly is Lightspeed’s Fellowship Program? Think of it like a scholarship and an entrepreneurial boot camp all rolled into 10 weeks - we provide funding, office space, mentorship and a platform so you can spend your summer devoted to entrepreneurship and launching your idea into a company. Now in its 11th year, with over 250 alumni, the program is designed to enable young, technology savvy entrepreneurs to work full-time with the guidance of seasoned venture capitalists and other successful founders on building all aspects of a business from the ground up. 
Each team member will receive $15,000 and each team will receive $5,000 in discretionary funds. In addition Lightspeed provides free office space, an entrepreneurship series designed to help new founders quickly get up to speed on building a startup, and a series of mentors and connections to get started. Read more.
Assistant Product Manager for Esurance

This exciting role will assist in the product development, design and build to conform to state(s) requirements and market conditions. Associates will perform appropriate ratemaking analyses to set adequate rates; maintain and evaluate underwriting rules, research and analyze competitor intelligence. You will lead projects that help to reach the profitability and growth goals for assigned states. This role also has broad responsibility in keeping the insurance product in compliance, serving as product expert in supporting initiatives in other business areas, and reporting on state performance and trends. Read more.
BEAM Job Postings
Product Design Intern - SciRobot
Laboratory Assistant - Stanford School of Medicine



Graphic Designer - Black Sails Technology


Externship in Wildlife and Conservation Medicne - Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife

Login to your Handshake account to view the job postings. More jobs can be found at Handshake.
Do you have questions about the STS major and your curriculum? Check out the STS FAQ page for frequently asked questions.
650-725-0119
emilyvp@stanford.edu
powered by emma
Subscribe to our email list.