Zephyr Frank appointed new faculty director of the Bill Lane Center for the American West
The Bill Lane Center for the American West at Stanford University is pleased to announce the appointment of Zephyr Frank as its new director. A professor of history and environmental social sciences at Stanford, Frank will transition into his role at the Lane Center on September 1, 2025.
For over a decade, the Center has prospered under the leadership of Bruce Cain, Charles Louis Ducommun Professor in the Humanities and Sciences and professor of social sciences at the Doerr School of Sustainability. During his tenure as the Spencer F. and Cleone P. Eccles Family Director at the Lane Center, research and educational programming have flourished across the board. An expert in political science and governance, Cain has tirelessly pushed for enhanced interdisciplinary collaboration on campus while driving innovative climate policy initiatives. Always solutions-focused, he has advanced the Center’s research on climate resilience and sustainable resource management, particularly regarding wildfires, droughts, and water conservation. At the same time, he has inspired future leaders of the West, investing in robust undergraduate programming. He will be greatly missed as director but will continue to support the Center in his ongoing professorial roles at Stanford. As Zephyr Frank assumes this leadership position, we know he will carry forward Cain’s dedication to supporting a thriving American West.
Frank is a distinguished scholar with deep ties to the region, having grown up in California and Colorado. In his current academic appointments, he serves not only as a professor of history and social sciences, but also as a professor, by courtesy, of Iberian and Latin American cultures, and a faculty affiliate at the Institute for Human Centered Artificial Intelligence. Like Professor Cain, Frank is also a senior fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment. In 2019, Stanford awarded Frank the Walter J. Gores Award for Teaching Excellence “for building relationships with each of his students” and “for fostering intellectual curiosity and ambition."
“I was born and raised in the American West, and though I have big shoes to fill, it will be a privilege to serve as director of such a prestigious hub for regional scholarship,” Frank said of his new role. A main draw of the position was the Bill Lane Center’s research agenda, which centers environmental issues; Western governance and policy; as well as history, arts and culture. “My interests in environmental history and social science align with key strengths of the Lane Center,” Frank remarked, expressing enthusiasm about stepping in as director after the Center’s recent acquisition of the California Historical Society archives. “It’s an exciting prospect to ensure that the collection is accessible and used by researchers, students, and the broader community,” he added.
From 2013 to 2019, Frank served as director of Stanford’s Program on Urban Studies. He was also the founding director of the Center for Spatial and Textual Analysis (CESTA), leading its research initiatives at the intersection of humanities and technology from 2011 to 2016. Under Frank’s guidance and vision, CESTA brought together Stanford’s Spatial History Project, the Literary Lab and Humanities+Design, establishing a renowned digital humanities center exploring data-driven questions focused on cultural, environmental, historical, social, and textual issues.
Cain expressed great confidence in the outcome of the director search: “After a dozen years serving as director of the Bill Lane Center for the American West, I am so pleased that our mission will be carried forward by a very capable new leader, Professor Zephyr Frank. As a member of both the Doerr School and the History Department, Zephyr’s wide ranging intellectual interests are a good match for the Lane Center’s diverse portfolio of Western programs. Additionally, his experience founding and directing CESTA will be valuable in guiding the development and utilization of the newly acquired California Historical Society collection. I very much look forward to supporting Zephyr Frank during this transition in the coming months.”
Kate Gibson, the Bill Lane Center’s associate director, echoed Cain’s sentiments about the transition, sharing her eagerness to bring Zephyr Frank’s experience to bear on the Lane Center. “As a professor of environmental social sciences and a fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment, Zephyr’s academic interests align very well with the Center’s focus on climate policy and environmental governance. He’s also served as director of the Program on Urban Studies, with whom we’ve partnered many times on land use and sustainable cities courses. I’m excited that our students and staff will have an opportunity to experience Zephyr’s warmth, energy, and vision for the Center. He’s an excellent teacher, an accomplished scholar, and overall, a great fit for us.”
As the Bill Lane Center embarks on this new chapter under Frank's leadership, the Stanford community can look forward to continued innovation in regional research and education, as well as ongoing public engagement with the forces and stakeholders shaping the future of the American West.
