Science Quad (Partially Under Construction)

Stanford’s long-empty Old Chemistry building reopened in the fall of 2016 as the Sapp Center for Science Teaching and Learning. The renovated building serves as a multidisciplinary instruction space for chemistry, biology, art and economics, among other subjects. Stanford estimates that around 4,000 students make use of the Sapp Center’s facilities. Stanford’s Chemistry department is located in close proximity to other departments in the natural sciences - biology, physics, applied physics, statistics and mathematics - the Schools of Engineering and Medicine, as well many interdisciplinary centers and state-of-the-art shared facilities, creating a modern and interdisciplinary environment for students and faculty.

Chemistry was one of the 25 founding departments at Stanford, opening its doors in the fall of 1891. The department first occupied Building 60 on the main quad and then moved into the ‘Chemistry Building’ in 1903 (an occurrence often attributed to Leland Stanford’s fabled fear of having the department so close to the rest of the campus’ buildings). The transformation into what is today’s internationally renowned department began around 1960.

A place of collaboration and discovery, Bass Biology is dedicated solely to research in the life sciences and provides laboratory space for Biology Department faculty and staff, as well as hundreds of students. The building is separated into two parts, and both sides possess a variety of labs in fields ranging from molecular and cellular biology to ecology. In the middle stands a giant interactive display, controlled by a touch screen panel beneath it, showcasing art and biological patterns. Construction of the five-story structure was completed in 2018.

This new research complex opened in 2019 and serves as the home base for two interdisciplinary life sciences institutes at Stanford University: Stanford ChEM-H (Chemistry, Engineering & Medicine for Human Health) and the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute. The 235,000 square foot complex is home to more than 30 laboratories, shared research facilities, meeting spaces and a pub.

Stanford ChEM-H brings together chemists, engineers, biologists, and clinicians to understand life at a molecular level and apply that knowledge to improving human health. The Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute is dedicated to understanding how the brain gives rise to mental life and behavior, both in health and in disease.

The complex is ideally situated between the School of Engineering, the School of Medicine and the James H. Clark Center, with the School of Humanities and Sciences also nearby. Strong connecting pathways between the schools and Stanford Bio-X are integral to the design.

The iconic architectural form of the James H. Clark Center, opened in 2003, embodies the collaborative spirit of Bio-X, which is an enterprise to facilitate interdisciplinary research and teaching in the areas of bioengineering, biomedicine, and bioscience. Sweeping windows reveal open lab spaces which dissolve the walls between labs, people and ideas. Researchers flow through this nexus that blends traditional departments, schools and areas of study. The three-story, 146,000-square-foot research center brings together under one roof a variety of disciplines, including biology, medicine, chemistry, physics and engineering.

The School of Humanities and Sciences boasts top-ranked programs in the natural (physical and life) sciences through the departments of Applied Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics and Statistics, as well as hugely popular interdisciplinary programs such as Aeronautics & Astronautics, Biophysics, Human Biology, Mathematical and Computational Science, Science, Technology and Society (“STS”), and Symbolic Systems. Other popular areas of concentration include Archeology, Epidemiology, Global Health, Health Policy, and Neuroscience, among many others.

Beyond housing the departments and classes for majors in the natural sciences, the Science Quad also offers much of the teaching space for introductory science courses that many different types of students will take. Introduction to chemistry is probably the most popular class taken in the science quad and exposes students to principles that have wide ranging applications across many majors. Courses like these are offered multiple times a day, involve a smaller discussion section and include many hours of tutoring for students to help them succeed regardless of the academic background the students come from.

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Consistently ranked among the top medical schools in the country, the Stanford School of Medicine is a research-intensive school that improves health through leadership, diversity and collaborative discoveries and innovation in health care, education and research.

Consistently ranked among the top medical schools in the country, the Stanford School of Medicine is a research-intensive school that improves health through leadership, diversity and collaborative discoveries and innovation in health care, education and research. With central offices located in the Li Ka Shing Building, the School offers courses of study leading to the M.S., Ph.D. and M.D. degrees.

Integrating education, research, and clinical care, the School of Medicine is one of three organizations that comprise Stanford Medicine, together with Stanford Health Care and Stanford Children’s Health. Stanford Health Care is recognized as one of the top hospitals in the nation for innovative programs in cancer treatment, cardiac care, neurology, orthopedic surgery and organ transplantation. Stanford Children’s Health is internationally recognized for advancing family-centered care of children, adolescents and expectant mothers. Originally opened in 1991, the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital is the heart and soul of Stanford Children’s Health. The new LPCH facility that opened in 2017 is one of the nation’s most technologically advanced, family-friendly and sustainable children’s hospitals.