Welcome to the Bill Lane Center for the American West
Dedicated to advancing scholarly and public understanding of the past, present, and future of western North America, the Center supports research, teaching, and reporting about western land and life
What is the Bill Lane Center?
Learn more about the founding of the Bill Lane Center, Stanford University's academic hub for regional study of western land and life.
What is the West?
Our definition of the American West is expansive and takes into account the many dimensions of the region, from those rooted in geography to those rooted in the cultural and literary imagination.
Tenth Annual Eccles Family Rural West Conference
Tenth Annual Eccles Family Rural West Conference
Wednesday, March 27, in Tempe, Arizona, the Bill Lane Center will host its annual Rural West Conference with support from Arizona State University. Join us via livestream at 9 a.m. or follow the conversation on X using the hashtag #RuralWest. This year's theme is "The Changing Rural Southwest."
Apply for our Sophomore College course on coastal resilience
Apply for our Sophomore College course on coastal resilience
Rising sophomores should apply for "Coastal Resilience: Problems and Solutions to Extreme Weather Challenges on the West Coast," by April 16, 2024 on the SoCo website. Course dates are Sep. 2-20, 2024.
Kate Gibson discusses all things Bill Lane Center on KZSU
Kate Gibson discusses all things Bill Lane Center on KZSU
What is the Bill Lane Center and who do we serve? Jon Cousins interviews Bill Lane Center Associate Director Kate Gibson on "The Great British Breakfast" show.
Apply today for a research assistant role
Apply today for a research assistant role
The Bill Lane Center for the American West is now accepting applications for undergraduate research opportunities during spring and summer 2024. If you are interested in topics related to the American West and are looking to gain paid research experience, apply today on SOLO.
2023: The Year in Review
2023: The Year in Review
We look back on highlights from 2023 with immense gratitude for the students, faculty, staff, public audiences, donors, and friends of the Bill Lane Center who made the year so abundantly rewarding. From all of us to all of you, happy holidays and happy trails!
The Bill Lane Center and colleagues release joint survey findings on transgender legislation and policies
The Bill Lane Center and colleagues release joint survey findings on transgender legislation and policies
A new report examines the attitudes and opinions of Arizona, California and Texas residents regarding restrictive legislation and policies related to the transgender population. The report finds that residents of blue California, red Texas and purple Arizona generally do not support more rights for transgender people.