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.
David Kennedy, Stanford historian and co-founder of the Lane Center, brings the American West to life in conversation with Michael Krasny
David Kennedy, Stanford historian and co-founder of the Lane Center, brings the American West to life in conversation with Michael Krasny
On Oct. 1, David Kennedy joined Michael Krasny on his podcast "Grey Matter" to discuss the American West. This is the first in a series of four episodes on the West supported by the Bill Lane Center.
Lane Center undergraduates conduct summer research in the arts and sciences to highlight critical issues facing the American West today
Lane Center undergraduates conduct summer research in the arts and sciences to highlight critical issues facing the American West today
During the summer of 2024, in partnership with VPUE, the Lane Center sponsored 21 undergraduate research assistants who worked full-time on projects related to the American West.
Photo by Brandon Kapelow
In a remote Alaskan city with the nation's highest suicide rates, community-based prevention heals
In a remote Alaskan city with the nation's highest suicide rates, community-based prevention heals
Brandon Kapelow, our 2024 western media fellow, reports on NPR's Morning Edition about Alaska Native communities who have partnered with researchers to address suicide prevention by building on community strengths, rather than treating individual risks.
The Bill Lane Center will begin accepting applications for its 2025 Western Media Fellowship
The Bill Lane Center will begin accepting applications for its 2025 Western Media Fellowship
Our Media Fellowship underwrites a journalist examining the American West with a $7,500 stipend for three to six months' work. Applications are due October 14, 2024.
Meet our 2024 "West" interns
Meet our 2024 "West" interns
Every summer, we offer undergraduate internships at organizations throughout the West. These work opportunities allow students to explore careers in natural history, conservation, ecology, land use, museum curation, resource management, water, energy, literature, policy, politics, and more.
