Stanford's Sophomore College (SoCo) provides rising second-year students with an opportunity for three weeks of intensive, research-based study with senior faculty in a range of subjects and disciplines. After leading a successful SoCo in the Columbia River Basin in 2017, the Center reprised that trip with the 2023 course, "River and Region: The Columbia River and the Shaping of the Pacific Northwest." 

Twelve sophomores and two graduate Sophomore College Assistants departed for Spokane, Washington in early September to begin coursework out in the field. They traveled along the Columbia River and through its watershed to learn about the roles played by water, geology, energy, politics, and economics in the development of the Pacific Northwest region. Taught by Professors David Kennedy and David Freyberg, the seminar brought students to a thermal power plant for lessons in converting waste to energy, and to the massive Grand Coulee Dam, one of the largest hydroelectric facilities in the world. Students toured the B Reactor National Historic Landmark -- the world’s first full-scale plutonium production reactor -- as well as Ice Harbor Lock and Dam, The Dalles Dam, Spring Creek National Fish Hatchery, Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility, the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission offices, and other sites.

Connecting with our Bill Lane Center family across the West is always a priority, so the group made sure to spend some quality time at Mack Creek Ranch where they were generously hosted by Martha Wyckoff, a member of the Lane Center's Advisory Council. As a Seattle-based community investor, Wyckoff raises money for various civic and philanthropic causes, while also raising hay in Central Washington with her husband and three sons.

During the trip, students met with relevant policy experts and public officials, and had conversations with multiple stakeholders in the Basin. The field work gave them first-hand experiences with some of the central themes of life in the Pacific Northwest, such as energy production, water management, conservation and ecosystem restoration. To view photos from the trip and to stay connected with us all year round, visit the Bill Lane Center Instagram account at @billlanecenter. 
 
With more and more students seeking summer work that prepares them for future careers, our student internship program continues to thrive. Comprising both the West Internship and the Shultz Energy Fellowship, the program gave 19 interns and seven Shultz Energy Fellows professional opportunities at organizations across the West. At their placements, students gained experience in fields ranging from conservation to museum curation to education to energy policy. Learn more about our 2023 cohort and their host organizations here. You can also hear about the students' personal experiences by visiting our Out West Student Blog. In their own words, interns describe how powerful these summer work opportunities in the West have been. As Emily Winn, '25, shared in her blog post about interning with California Trout, "Getting on the ground and seeing the people who lead vital environmental projects in action has been the most valuable experience of my summer and reminded me of why I became interested in sustainability and conservation when I arrived at Stanford in the fall of 2021. No matter where I work or what I do in the long term, I plan to take the lessons and inspiration of California Trout with me." 

This summer, the Lane Center continued work on a joint polling project that explores and compares attitudes toward abortion, transgender rights, immigration, and other key national issues in three  Western states: Arizona, California and Texas. Undertaken in collaboration with partners at the University of Houston, Arizona State University, and the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR), the research has yielded three reports to date: the 2023 Abortion Report, the 2023 Transgender Legislation and Policies Report, and the 2023 Power of Partisanship Report. 

With an eye toward preserving and restoring an American West ravaged by climate change, and a keen interest in elevating the region's rich arts and culture, 23 student researchers (RAs) also spent the summer engaged in important projects under the guidance of Esther Conrad, the Center's new research manager. Working with Lane Center mentors on topics spanning multiple disciplines, RAs researched wildfire risk reduction, water issues on the Central Coast, electric vehicle charging station infrastructure, and much more.  A thorough write-up on their excellent work can be found here. We look forward to RA presentations in the fall, during which each student will have an opportunity to share about their process and findings. 

Outstanding reporting from Writer in Residence Felicity Barringer and the entire '& the West' team continues to push the envelope of conventional journalism. Month after month, we publish impactful, relevant, regional stories on western land and life. To get a taste of what the online magazine has been up to this summer, you might want to check out this Q&A with energy visionary Amory Lovins, an article on "health care deserts" by '& the West' intern Sarah Raza, and a piece on what it takes to put renewable power on the West’s electrical grids by Barringer and Raza both. 

Finally, our 2023 Western Media Fellows Janet Wilson and Julia Simon have both been publishing innovative work this summer with support from the Center. Most recently, Simon reported this fascinating story on how green tech mining brings up concerns about  water scarcity and quality in the West. You can find her piece on NPR here.