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Dean tells graduates: The greatest danger is standing still

Amid uncertainty, Dean Arun Majumdar assured the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability class of 2026: “The world is waiting for your light to shine. And you are ready.”

By
Andrew Myers

Graduating students watch their peers on stage during the school's diploma ceremony on June 13. (Image credit: Javier Flores)

At this year’s commencement ceremony for the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, Dean Arun Majumdar implored students to “Be bold. Ask questions others avoid. Challenge the status quo. … The world needs your hope.”

In his remarks, Dean Majumdar highlighted opportunities amid change. (Image credit: Javier Flores)

It was the fourth commencement address the dean has given since the school’s founding in 2022. Speaking to students, faculty, family, and friends on June 13, Majumdar acknowledged the uncertainty the graduates face with artificial intelligence reshaping how the world works, learns, and creates. With uncertainty and transformation, however, come opportunities for scholars, he said.

“We live in a time of 10x change, but the greatest danger is standing still,” Majumdar said, paraphrasing the former Intel CEO Andy Grove. “Evolution has taught us that one has to adapt or be swept away in the tsunami of change.”

With the knowledge, the insights, the friendships, and the moral compass gained at Stanford, Majumdar assured the graduates, “you have the potential to be the greatest generation of the 21st century.”

“Carry your spirit of curiosity, courage, and service into everything you do,” Majumdar concluded.  “The world is waiting for your light to shine. And you are ready.”

Watch a recording of the 2026 Doerr School of Sustainability Commencement ceremony

For the 2025-26 academic year, the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability awarded 489 degrees in total, including 85 Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts and Science, 336 Master of Science or Master of Arts, and 68 Doctor of Philosophy degrees, from:

Five academic departments:

And three interdisciplinary programs:

An additional commencement ceremony was held in Memorial Auditorium June 14 for graduates from the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering.

Images credit: Javier Flores

Awards

The Centennial Teaching Assistant Awards were presented at a ceremony on May 26 to nine graduate students for their tremendous service and dedication in providing excellent classroom instruction as teaching assistants: Hunter Olson (Earth & Planetary Sciences); Stephanie Fischer (Earth System Science); Venkata Saicharan Thatipamula (Energy Science & Engineering); Rishudh Thakur (Geophysics); Yalçin Aydin (Sustainability Science and Practice, and E-IPER); Danny Collins and Luke Calderaro (Oceans); Rebecca Monge and Calista Ordas (Earth Systems Program).

In May, the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability Excellence in Community Award was given to Vincent “Vinny” Toth, who manages facilities and operations for the school through the Dean’s Office.

Several Doerr School of Sustainability students and graduates received awards from the university, school, and/or individual departments:

Earth & Planetary Sciences

  • Earth & Planetary Sciences Outstanding Graduate Student Award (Hubert Schenck Memorial Scholarship): Michael Hasson
  • Earth & Planetary Sciences Outstanding Undergraduate Senior Student Award: Barron Nguyen
  • Earth & Planetary Sciences Bedrock Award: Adrian Wackett, Lucy Webb
  • Harriet Benson Fellowship Award: Susannah Herz, Emily Nigro
  • Robert M. Golden Medal for Excellence in the Humanities and Creative Arts (university award): Jason Wilson Navarro-Lopez

Earth System Science

  • Earth System Science Award for Scholarly/Research Achievement: Emily Paris
  • Earth System Science Award for Community-Engaged Science: Paul Burow
  • Earth System Science Award for Excellence in Community: Anna Gomes
  • Jasper Ridge Environmental Education Scholar Award: Katie Huy

Energy Science & Engineering

  • Henry J. Ramey Fellowship Award: Dimitri Saad
  • Frank G. Miller Fellowship Award: Warisa Nuntaprayoon
  • ESE Outstanding TA Award: Dimitri Saad

Geophysics

  • Department Citizenship Award: Rosie Ries, Jordan Tucker
  • Exceptional Thesis Award: Qing Ji
  • David M. Kennedy Honors Thesis Prize (university award): Lela Hanson

Sustainability Science and Practice Coterminal Master’s Program

  • Pamela A. Matson Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sustainability Leadership: Kaitlyn Sanchez

Earth Systems Program

  • William W. Whitley Citizen-Scholar Prize: Angel De Dios
  • Miller-Marsden Prize for Innovative Research on the Environment: Anushka Vijay
  • Earth Systems Award for Outstanding Research: Cara Askren, Gabe Machado
  • Earth Systems Excellence in Community Award: Addison Mallott
  • Excellence in the Senior Capstone: Adri Arquin, Lizbeth Zambrano-Sanchez, Jordan Stock, Antonio Vega, Kayla Williams
  • Julie Kennedy Public Service Scholars: Ava Acevedo, Sadira Bobb, Jordan David, Anastazja Krostenko, Mary Lee, Emily Ruoyu Liu, Samuel Minev-Benzecry, Sou Min Shin, Kayla Williams
  • Award for Outstanding Service to the Earth Systems Program: Miriam Awan, Sadira Bobb, Caroline Chen, Ishrita Pol, Sophia Sanders, Katie Savage, Kayla Williams
  • Firestone Medal for Excellence in Undergraduate Research and David M. Kennedy Honors Thesis Prize (university awards): Miriam Awan
  • Hoefer Prize for Writing: Renee Bertrand (Earth Systems minor)

Civil & Environmental Engineering

Numerous CEE students also earned awards from other units on campus and external organizations, including the School of Engineering, the Stanford Alumni Association, and the Vice Provost for Graduate Education, among others.

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