Rose Acedillo (Image credit: Misha Bruk)

Since our team began working from home, we have been meeting every morning on Zoom to discuss work – and anything under the sun. You would think that we’d run out of things to talk about but we never do. These meetings have been our saving grace.

It’s been the same with family and friends. We’ve survived the social distancing required under the pandemic by gathering virtually to celebrate special occasions and holidays.

Since my job includes greeting people at the front desk, I never thought working from home would be a viable option. But I’ve adapted and continue to support the central administration of the School of Humanities and Sciences.

I’ve also been supporting the school’s information technology and public relations teams. I’ve gained insights into what these departments do and I have developed new valuable skills by collaborating with them.

I miss everything about working on campus. I miss my interactions with colleagues and small chats we had while I was sitting at the front desk. I miss making coffee. I miss the walk from the Oval parking lot to our building and the sight of the beautiful Memorial Church. And last, but not least, I miss the squirrels.

Rose Acedillo (Image credit: Misha Bruk)

Since our team began working from home, we have been meeting every morning on Zoom to discuss work – and anything under the sun. You would think that we’d run out of things to talk about but we never do. These meetings have been our saving grace.

It’s been the same with family and friends. We’ve survived the social distancing required under the pandemic by gathering virtually to celebrate special occasions and holidays.

Since my job includes greeting people at the front desk, I never thought working from home would be a viable option. But I’ve adapted and continue to support the central administration of the School of Humanities and Sciences.

I’ve also been supporting the school’s information technology and public relations teams. I’ve gained insights into what these departments do and I have developed new valuable skills by collaborating with them.

I miss everything about working on campus. I miss my interactions with colleagues and small chats we had while I was sitting at the front desk. I miss making coffee. I miss the walk from the Oval parking lot to our building and the sight of the beautiful Memorial Church. And last, but not least, I miss the squirrels.

Johnathan Eaglin (Image credit: Sofiia Kukhar)

Since I started working from home, I’ve become more intentional about connecting with colleagues on a personal and professional level. After hearing colleagues in my own group and across campus talk in virtual meetings about their shared experiences coping with the challenges presented by the pandemic, I wanted to lean in more.

For example, I was selected to lead a committee in the Office of Development IDEAL Working Group, which is focused on making our department more equitable and diverse. I have formed lasting relationships that I will cherish – personally and professionally – with people in that group, which has focused on some very raw and challenging issues.

This new virtual landscape has eliminated the barrier of physical distance to building and developing relationships. Once we’re back on campus, I plan to continue using virtual meetings to help maintain those connections.

A few months ago, I fractured my elbow while out on a bike ride with my 12-year-old son. My colleagues banded together and gave me a coupon for food delivery – a thoughtful and touching gift. Over the last year, my wife and our two children have spent more time together outdoors, including bike riding, trips to the beach and weekly drive-through dining at Chick-fil-A.

At the beginning of the pandemic, all of our family routines came undone. Helping a new 7th grader and a kindergartner with distance learning is not for the faint of heart. We pivoted and adapted like many families, but were grateful when their private school resumed in-person learning in early 2020.

I love that I am able to spend every morning with my boys before dropping them off at school, and every day working alongside my wife. It’s definitely given me a deeper appreciation and gratitude for the blessing of being able to work remotely and for a university that is flexible and supportive in this new normal of work.

Johnathan Eaglin (Image credit: Sofiia Kukhar)

Since I started working from home, I’ve become more intentional about connecting with colleagues on a personal and professional level. After hearing colleagues in my own group and across campus talk in virtual meetings about their shared experiences coping with the challenges presented by the pandemic, I wanted to lean in more.

For example, I was selected to lead a committee in the Office of Development IDEAL Working Group, which is focused on making our department more equitable and diverse. I have formed lasting relationships that I will cherish – personally and professionally – with people in that group, which has focused on some very raw and challenging issues.

This new virtual landscape has eliminated the barrier of physical distance to building and developing relationships. Once we’re back on campus, I plan to continue using virtual meetings to help maintain those connections.

A few months ago, I fractured my elbow while out on a bike ride with my 12-year-old son. My colleagues banded together and gave me a coupon for food delivery – a thoughtful and touching gift. Over the last year, my wife and our two children have spent more time together outdoors, including bike riding, trips to the beach and weekly drive-through dining at Chick-fil-A.

At the beginning of the pandemic, all of our family routines came undone. Helping a new 7th grader and a kindergartner with distance learning is not for the faint of heart. We pivoted and adapted like many families, but were grateful when their private school resumed in-person learning in early 2020.

I love that I am able to spend every morning with my boys before dropping them off at school, and every day working alongside my wife. It’s definitely given me a deeper appreciation and gratitude for the blessing of being able to work remotely and for a university that is flexible and supportive in this new normal of work.

Ryan Johnson (Image credit: Andrew Brodhead)

Meeting and working together virtually for such a long stretch of time has increased the sense of camaraderie in some of the groups I meet with regularly – a spirit that we’re all in this together. Apart from that, my own experience is that meeting virtually is at best a pale substitute for meeting in person.

Thanks to some thoughtful teammates, my group has had virtual social gatherings – playing games or hosting coffee chats or happy hours. We’ve offered good wishes on birthdays and recognized milestones like service anniversaries and promotions during meetings and on our Slack channel. My group is sending a small gift of sweets to all our staff in recognition of the anniversary of working from home. I hope small social touches can help us retain a sense of community despite our separation.

For much of the last year, I’ve gone on a morning bike ride along the San Francisco Bay Trail during the time when I would otherwise have been commuting to work. Bike rides and hikes in the Peninsula Open Space preserves have helped to keep me sane.

I have two kids who are learning remotely – a 14-year-old daughter and an 11-year-old son. The hardest part about learning and working from home has been the utter monotony – same screen, same room, same routine, day after day. To mix things up a little, we’ve been

taking evening walks. I’ve expanded my cooking skills to make mealtimes a little more fun, experimenting with sous vide cooking and enlisting the kids’ help.

I think what I miss most about working on campus is the happy spontaneity – and even productivity – of the chats I have with faculty and staff and students in hallways between meetings. I also miss seeing my colleagues in person. Zoom is okay, but it generally lacks the non-verbal cues that bring warmth and energy to meetings and discussions.

I often tell friends that working at Stanford is like working in a garden and I enjoy taking short walks or running errands on campus. I look forward to being back sometime soon, in whatever fashion we can manage.

Ryan Johnson (Image credit: Andrew Brodhead)

Meeting and working together virtually for such a long stretch of time has increased the sense of camaraderie in some of the groups I meet with regularly – a spirit that we’re all in this together. Apart from that, my own experience is that meeting virtually is at best a pale substitute for meeting in person.

Thanks to some thoughtful teammates, my group has had virtual social gatherings – playing games or hosting coffee chats or happy hours. We’ve offered good wishes on birthdays and recognized milestones like service anniversaries and promotions during meetings and on our Slack channel. My group is sending a small gift of sweets to all our staff in recognition of the anniversary of working from home. I hope small social touches can help us retain a sense of community despite our separation.

For much of the last year, I’ve gone on a morning bike ride along the San Francisco Bay Trail during the time when I would otherwise have been commuting to work. Bike rides and hikes in the Peninsula Open Space preserves have helped to keep me sane.

I have two kids who are learning remotely – a 14-year-old daughter and an 11-year-old son. The hardest part about learning and working from home has been the utter monotony – same screen, same room, same routine, day after day. To mix things up a little, we’ve been

taking evening walks. I’ve expanded my cooking skills to make mealtimes a little more fun, experimenting with sous vide cooking and enlisting the kids’ help.

I think what I miss most about working on campus is the happy spontaneity – and even productivity – of the chats I have with faculty and staff and students in hallways between meetings. I also miss seeing my colleagues in person. Zoom is okay, but it generally lacks the non-verbal cues that bring warmth and energy to meetings and discussions.

I often tell friends that working at Stanford is like working in a garden and I enjoy taking short walks or running errands on campus. I look forward to being back sometime soon, in whatever fashion we can manage.

Pedro Gonzalez (Image credit: Kalena Giessler Gonzalez)

I am living and working remotely in Fort Collins, Colorado, and the wide adoption of virtual meetings has helped me reconnect with colleagues, as well as friends and family.

My favorite new activity is a weekly virtual reading session with my 7-year-old niece. We read books in Spanish and English and we have also enjoyed children’s books from the wonderful “Virtual Read-A-Loud Library.” I also have a regular virtual game night with friends across the country and in other countries, including Mexico, Argentina and Peru.

Whenever we do transition back to working on campus, I hope we continue to leverage virtual meetings to help facilitate connections and to make it easier for colleagues with family and life responsibilities to jump on a quick meeting from home.

Even though I get to see my colleagues and campus partners on a regular basis, I really miss the community we have in our working units across campus. When we return to campus, I’m looking forward to hearing how people are doing, to hearing what recommendations they have for books, movies, shows and food, and to walking down the hallway to have conversations with them.

The campus is a special place in the springtime and I hope students are able to share that experience this year. It’s a time when I created some of the best memories while I was a student at Stanford and continue to love as a staff member.

Pedro Gonzalez (Image credit: Kalena Giessler Gonzalez)

I am living and working remotely in Fort Collins, Colorado, and the wide adoption of virtual meetings has helped me reconnect with colleagues, as well as friends and family.

My favorite new activity is a weekly virtual reading session with my 7-year-old niece. We read books in Spanish and English and we have also enjoyed children’s books from the wonderful “Virtual Read-A-Loud Library.” I also have a regular virtual game night with friends across the country and in other countries, including Mexico, Argentina and Peru.

Whenever we do transition back to working on campus, I hope we continue to leverage virtual meetings to help facilitate connections and to make it easier for colleagues with family and life responsibilities to jump on a quick meeting from home.

Even though I get to see my colleagues and campus partners on a regular basis, I really miss the community we have in our working units across campus. When we return to campus, I’m looking forward to hearing how people are doing, to hearing what recommendations they have for books, movies, shows and food, and to walking down the hallway to have conversations with them.

The campus is a special place in the springtime and I hope students are able to share that experience this year. It’s a time when I created some of the best memories while I was a student at Stanford and continue to love as a staff member.

Robyn W. Dunbar (Image credit: Rob Dunbar)

The two words that best describe my last year have been “Zoom” and “pivot” and I’ve gotten great at both. I also became a Slack user and I love it.

In addition to my “normal” work, I have been working closely with a whole range of Stanford folks on the Academic Continuity EOC (Emergency Operations Center) team and we have forged new cross-connections that I highly value – a silver lining to COVID.

Our office has created a number of virtual events to gather, touch base and celebrate the little “high fives” and “hellos” that should have been done in person.

While I’ve done a good job of converting my sitting desk for ergonomic fitness, I miss my standing desk.

My husband – Rob Dunbar, a professor of Earth system science at Stanford – and I didn’t know it was a “COVID thing” when we started making bread, pizza dough and homemade pasta. We’ve enjoyed experimenting and sharing loaves of bread with neighbors. Rob is the only person I’ve hugged for a year. I’m not complaining – he is wonderful to hug! But I hope my friends and colleagues know I miss hugging them too.

We are among the lucky ones who share our space with two golden retrievers that love our new life of working from home.

I used to walk back and forth to work every day, a “commute” that was mentally restorative and physically healthy. I really miss it. I also miss the little conversations that happen when you walk with someone to a meeting or wave at them at an outdoor café. I also miss seeing students. The energy that young people bring to campus fuels me.

Robyn W. Dunbar (Image credit: Rob Dunbar)

The two words that best describe my last year have been “Zoom” and “pivot” and I’ve gotten great at both. I also became a Slack user and I love it.

In addition to my “normal” work, I have been working closely with a whole range of Stanford folks on the Academic Continuity EOC (Emergency Operations Center) team and we have forged new cross-connections that I highly value – a silver lining to COVID.

Our office has created a number of virtual events to gather, touch base and celebrate the little “high fives” and “hellos” that should have been done in person.

While I’ve done a good job of converting my sitting desk for ergonomic fitness, I miss my standing desk.

My husband – Rob Dunbar, a professor of Earth system science at Stanford – and I didn’t know it was a “COVID thing” when we started making bread, pizza dough and homemade pasta. We’ve enjoyed experimenting and sharing loaves of bread with neighbors. Rob is the only person I’ve hugged for a year. I’m not complaining – he is wonderful to hug! But I hope my friends and colleagues know I miss hugging them too.

We are among the lucky ones who share our space with two golden retrievers that love our new life of working from home.

I used to walk back and forth to work every day, a “commute” that was mentally restorative and physically healthy. I really miss it. I also miss the little conversations that happen when you walk with someone to a meeting or wave at them at an outdoor café. I also miss seeing students. The energy that young people bring to campus fuels me.

Bettye Price (Image credit: L.A. Cicero)

I find that meetings are better planned and not ad hoc like before the pandemic, and I am better prepared to answer questions.

We have been quite creative in our Zoom workplace celebrations. The human resources staff in the Biology Department are always coming up with creative ideas to mark special occasions during our all-hands meetings. All administrative staff receives online birthday cards signed by the rest of the staff. We celebrated the holidays with Holiday Trivia.

I enjoy working from home, where I have a private office. I do not miss sitting in traffic for hours commuting to and from Stanford from my home in Sunnyvale. I use the time I’ve gained to be more proactive and innovative. I have been able to meet all of my work deadlines and more, such as innovative ways to simplify job duties.

I am religious about exercise and my health. I bought a Peloton bike, and I also enjoy long walks outside in my neighborhood as the weather permits. I spend more time reading books. I am enjoying time with my husband. We work out together – something we were not able to do prior to the pandemic.

I miss the people I work with at Stanford. However, I meet them often virtually, including Happy Hours with colleagues after work.

Bettye Price (Image credit: L.A. Cicero)

I find that meetings are better planned and not ad hoc like before the pandemic, and I am better prepared to answer questions.

We have been quite creative in our Zoom workplace celebrations. The human resources staff in the Biology Department are always coming up with creative ideas to mark special occasions during our all-hands meetings. All administrative staff receives online birthday cards signed by the rest of the staff. We celebrated the holidays with Holiday Trivia.

I enjoy working from home, where I have a private office. I do not miss sitting in traffic for hours commuting to and from Stanford from my home in Sunnyvale. I use the time I’ve gained to be more proactive and innovative. I have been able to meet all of my work deadlines and more, such as innovative ways to simplify job duties.

I am religious about exercise and my health. I bought a Peloton bike, and I also enjoy long walks outside in my neighborhood as the weather permits. I spend more time reading books. I am enjoying time with my husband. We work out together – something we were not able to do prior to the pandemic.

I miss the people I work with at Stanford. However, I meet them often virtually, including Happy Hours with colleagues after work.

Jocelyn Breeland (Image credit: Andrew Brodhead)

The strategic communications team of Residential & Dining Enterprises is based in Stanford Redwood City, so even before the pandemic, we could have people working in several locations at any one time because our work often required in-person meetings.

Our familiarity with virtual tools has grown over the past year and our experience has given us the confidence that we can support teamwork and collaboration and achieve excellent results, without the burden of meeting in person.

That said, I look forward to getting back to the office. There’s great value in being able to simply walk over to someone’s office and knock on their door to ask a question. Sharing a physical space with colleagues can lead to beneficial spontaneous collaborations.

I’m a Stanford alum, so the campus holds many memories for me. I love the smell of eucalyptus in the Eucalyptus Grove, the beauty of MemChu, even the mad crush of bicyclists in White Plaza. I can’t pass by MemAud without remembering countless rowdy movie nights and performing in Gaieties. Before the pandemic, I enjoyed seeing and talking to students and, especially on move-in days, their families. That’s more challenging these days. I miss experiencing Talisman, Stanford Taiko, Mariachi Cardenal de Stanford and so many student groups performing music. And of course, I miss seeing my colleagues.

I think we’re in a good place now, staying safe and knowing vaccines are becoming more available. I don’t spend much time mourning how things were. But it will be very nice when things return to normal.

Jocelyn Breeland (Image credit: Andrew Brodhead)

The strategic communications team of Residential & Dining Enterprises is based in Stanford Redwood City, so even before the pandemic, we could have people working in several locations at any one time because our work often required in-person meetings.

Our familiarity with virtual tools has grown over the past year and our experience has given us the confidence that we can support teamwork and collaboration and achieve excellent results, without the burden of meeting in person.

That said, I look forward to getting back to the office. There’s great value in being able to simply walk over to someone’s office and knock on their door to ask a question. Sharing a physical space with colleagues can lead to beneficial spontaneous collaborations.

I’m a Stanford alum, so the campus holds many memories for me. I love the smell of eucalyptus in the Eucalyptus Grove, the beauty of MemChu, even the mad crush of bicyclists in White Plaza. I can’t pass by MemAud without remembering countless rowdy movie nights and performing in Gaieties. Before the pandemic, I enjoyed seeing and talking to students and, especially on move-in days, their families. That’s more challenging these days. I miss experiencing Talisman, Stanford Taiko, Mariachi Cardenal de Stanford and so many student groups performing music. And of course, I miss seeing my colleagues.

I think we’re in a good place now, staying safe and knowing vaccines are becoming more available. I don’t spend much time mourning how things were. But it will be very nice when things return to normal.

Mario Champagne (Image credit: Mario Champagne)

I’ve been working in the cupboard under the stairs – à la Harry Potter – while my husband, Dirk, has been teaching sixth-grade science from the dining/music room in our small Victorian flat in San Francisco.

Meeting colleagues virtually has enriched the discussions we’ve had since it’s much easier to schedule time with a busy person with a quick Zoom than trying to find a slot on their calendar and factor in the travel time to and from the meeting.

I miss many things about campus: The walk to and from my office and the CalTrain station, and seeing the Stanford Arboretum change with the seasons. The smell of magnolia in front of Braun Music Center on a hot day. The sounds of music-making throughout my building. The thud of students running up and down the stairs over my office.

Mario Champagne (Image credit: Mario Champagne)

I’ve been working in the cupboard under the stairs – à la Harry Potter – while my husband, Dirk, has been teaching sixth-grade science from the dining/music room in our small Victorian flat in San Francisco.

Meeting colleagues virtually has enriched the discussions we’ve had since it’s much easier to schedule time with a busy person with a quick Zoom than trying to find a slot on their calendar and factor in the travel time to and from the meeting.

I miss many things about campus: The walk to and from my office and the CalTrain station, and seeing the Stanford Arboretum change with the seasons. The smell of magnolia in front of Braun Music Center on a hot day. The sounds of music-making throughout my building. The thud of students running up and down the stairs over my office.

Lalita du Perron (Image credit: Andrew Brodhead)

Over the past year, I have built up excellent working relationships – and even friendships – with colleagues I have never actually met. I no longer feel that meeting virtually is less effective than meeting in person.

I joined the staff of the Center for South Asia in October 2019, so I’ve worked three times longer off campus than on campus. I feel so grateful for the few months I spent biking through the stunning campus and meeting my new colleagues and friends.

We are part of Stanford Global Studies, which hosts regular virtual social events such as coffee chats and trivia hours, and that has made reaching out to people to have one-to-one informal chats much easier.

Not having to commute has given me additional time to exercise – I have built up a small online community of fellow Zumba enthusiasts – and to stay up to speed with my language studies by watching Spanish television shows and studying beginner’s Arabic.

I am much more connected with friends and family since we all went into lockdown. Every week, I meet a friend in Wisconsin for a virtual “coffee hour” and connect with my family in the Netherlands on Zoom. I celebrate each day as another day we made it through this challenging time. It’s not been an easy time, so survival has become its own milestone.

I look forward to being back on campus at least some of the time, as soon as it is safe for the entire campus community to do so.

Lalita du Perron (Image credit: Andrew Brodhead)

Over the past year, I have built up excellent working relationships – and even friendships – with colleagues I have never actually met. I no longer feel that meeting virtually is less effective than meeting in person.

I joined the staff of the Center for South Asia in October 2019, so I’ve worked three times longer off campus than on campus. I feel so grateful for the few months I spent biking through the stunning campus and meeting my new colleagues and friends.

We are part of Stanford Global Studies, which hosts regular virtual social events such as coffee chats and trivia hours, and that has made reaching out to people to have one-to-one informal chats much easier.

Not having to commute has given me additional time to exercise – I have built up a small online community of fellow Zumba enthusiasts – and to stay up to speed with my language studies by watching Spanish television shows and studying beginner’s Arabic.

I am much more connected with friends and family since we all went into lockdown. Every week, I meet a friend in Wisconsin for a virtual “coffee hour” and connect with my family in the Netherlands on Zoom. I celebrate each day as another day we made it through this challenging time. It’s not been an easy time, so survival has become its own milestone.

I look forward to being back on campus at least some of the time, as soon as it is safe for the entire campus community to do so.

Abiya Ahmed (Zoom portrait) (Image credit: Andrew Brodhead)

At the Markaz Resource Center, we’ve made it a point to celebrate all the wins – big or small – like launching a new initiative or fellowship, or completing a project.

In May 2020, we celebrated Eid – the religious festival that marks the end of Ramadan – by helping the Muslim Student Union and the Office for Religious & Spiritual Life prepare care packages for students on campus who were especially isolated. We celebrated the end of autumn quarter with a team-building exercise – an escape room game where we were (virtually) locked inside a pizza parlor! We escaped, but after our time was up!

At the Markaz, we’ve also celebrated by doing gratitude exercises, sending kudoboards – online greeting cards – and surprising individuals with accolades during meetings.

Abiya Ahmed (Zoom portrait) (Image credit: Andrew Brodhead)

At the Markaz Resource Center, we’ve made it a point to celebrate all the wins – big or small – like launching a new initiative or fellowship, or completing a project.

In May 2020, we celebrated Eid – the religious festival that marks the end of Ramadan – by helping the Muslim Student Union and the Office for Religious & Spiritual Life prepare care packages for students on campus who were especially isolated. We celebrated the end of autumn quarter with a team-building exercise – an escape room game where we were (virtually) locked inside a pizza parlor! We escaped, but after our time was up!

At the Markaz, we’ve also celebrated by doing gratitude exercises, sending kudoboards – online greeting cards – and surprising individuals with accolades during meetings.

John Whitney (Image credit: Rod Searcey)

The staff of the Department of Chemical Engineering has done a wonderful job staying connected with each other while working from home. We have regular Zoom check-ins and sometimes play virtual games during our monthly “Friday Social Hours.”

One of the most notable activities we completed was the “Google Sheets Pixel Art Challenge.” Our staff of 13 people split into two teams and “drew” images of cartoon and video game characters in Google Sheets by filling square cells with solid colors.

We also hosted a Wikipedia “Wikirace,” where individuals “raced” by clicking from one topic to another; the winner was the first to reach the page for Stanford.

In some ways, I feel like I know my team more now than I did before we began working from home.

John Whitney (Image credit: Rod Searcey)

The staff of the Department of Chemical Engineering has done a wonderful job staying connected with each other while working from home. We have regular Zoom check-ins and sometimes play virtual games during our monthly “Friday Social Hours.”

One of the most notable activities we completed was the “Google Sheets Pixel Art Challenge.” Our staff of 13 people split into two teams and “drew” images of cartoon and video game characters in Google Sheets by filling square cells with solid colors.

We also hosted a Wikipedia “Wikirace,” where individuals “raced” by clicking from one topic to another; the winner was the first to reach the page for Stanford.

In some ways, I feel like I know my team more now than I did before we began working from home.

Julia Gillespie (Image credit: Mike Paragone)

I share my “workspace” with my husband, Mike, our daughter, Polly, and our pug, Z-Bo.

When we started working from home, our daughter was only 18 months old and it was tough trying to juggle emails, meetings and entertaining her. I am eternally grateful for Sesame Street’s educational programming for preschoolers.

I definitely miss seeing and talking to co-workers in person, or just running into them and having the chance to spontaneously strike up a conversation.

But I really miss being able to walk on campus. My office was very close to the Main Quad and I was always amazed at what a beautiful place Stanford is, from the buildings to the landscape and surrounding area. I felt so lucky to come to work every day and experience such a beautiful environment.

Julia Gillespie (Image credit: Mike Paragone)

I share my “workspace” with my husband, Mike, our daughter, Polly, and our pug, Z-Bo.

When we started working from home, our daughter was only 18 months old and it was tough trying to juggle emails, meetings and entertaining her. I am eternally grateful for Sesame Street’s educational programming for preschoolers.

I definitely miss seeing and talking to co-workers in person, or just running into them and having the chance to spontaneously strike up a conversation.

But I really miss being able to walk on campus. My office was very close to the Main Quad and I was always amazed at what a beautiful place Stanford is, from the buildings to the landscape and surrounding area. I felt so lucky to come to work every day and experience such a beautiful environment.

Ming Chu (Image credit: Jason DePerro)

As a parent of two young daughters, there have been a host of challenges working from home, but one welcome change is not having to rush and get our whole family out the door every morning.

While working from home, I’ve actually had more interactions with my students, who are leading and participating in virtual global academic programs this year. It’s been incredible to watch them rise to the challenge and adapt to make the best of our current circumstances. I’ve actually felt so connected that I forgot we have never met in real life.

I have also enjoyed being able to finally attend talks from faculty all over campus now that distance and travel is not an issue. It’s amazing to hear about all the research going on around the university on every topic imaginable.

My colleagues are now pretty used to seeing my 3-year-old daughter pop up on screen during our calls. Though we are fortunate that she has a sister to play with, we are eager for the situation to get better so that she can attend preschool.

I miss the energy of the Graduate School of Business campus when it was at its busiest – friends greeting each other warmly in Town Square, students darting by on bicycles during the lunch rush, and the sense of possibility and community that the campus brought.

I don’t know when we will get back to this peak, but hope that in this time apart we will still continue to grow and transform together so that we have a reaffirmed sense of purpose when we return.

Ming Chu (Image credit: Jason DePerro)

As a parent of two young daughters, there have been a host of challenges working from home, but one welcome change is not having to rush and get our whole family out the door every morning.

While working from home, I’ve actually had more interactions with my students, who are leading and participating in virtual global academic programs this year. It’s been incredible to watch them rise to the challenge and adapt to make the best of our current circumstances. I’ve actually felt so connected that I forgot we have never met in real life.

I have also enjoyed being able to finally attend talks from faculty all over campus now that distance and travel is not an issue. It’s amazing to hear about all the research going on around the university on every topic imaginable.

My colleagues are now pretty used to seeing my 3-year-old daughter pop up on screen during our calls. Though we are fortunate that she has a sister to play with, we are eager for the situation to get better so that she can attend preschool.

I miss the energy of the Graduate School of Business campus when it was at its busiest – friends greeting each other warmly in Town Square, students darting by on bicycles during the lunch rush, and the sense of possibility and community that the campus brought.

I don’t know when we will get back to this peak, but hope that in this time apart we will still continue to grow and transform together so that we have a reaffirmed sense of purpose when we return.

Kiefer Hickman (Image credit: Kiefer Hickman)

I miss being in the office with co-workers, catching up over lunch and walking meetings. I miss interacting with people during design thinking exercises and all-hands meetings.

However, our team has done an incredible job transitioning to remote work.

We’ve come up with new processes that will be incredibly helpful when we do go back into the office. We had to pivot a bit. A lot of the stories we told on social media revolved around being on a physical campus, and we had to find innovative ways to tell similarly impactful stories that authentically captured the experience at the Graduate School of Business. But I couldn’t just walk out the door and take a few beautiful photos of campus anymore. But I’m incredibly proud of my team, which has more than met the challenge.

In some ways, Zoom has made things easier – a meeting is just a few clicks away. But I miss those small moments of running into someone on the way into the office or in Arbuckle Dining Pavilion and hearing what was happening in their world. More often than not, those interactions would help me learn about something I would want to cover on social media.

My partner and I converted our laundry room – okay, “room” is generous, it’s more like a closet – into a makeshift office, and it’s worked out really well.

I am spending more time with my partner now that I am no longer spending more than an hour commuting by train to campus from San Francisco. We’ve tried to be more adventurous in cooking and to go for walks to get away from screens.

Spring is my favorite time on campus – watching trees come alive again with all of the green everywhere! I miss swimming at Avery Pool and walking under palm trees. I miss running into coworkers walking across campus or at Coupa Café. And I miss my team’s donut Fridays and the team outings we would do once or twice a year – lunchtime volleyball or lunch in Palo Alto.

Kiefer Hickman (Image credit: Kiefer Hickman)

I miss being in the office with co-workers, catching up over lunch and walking meetings. I miss interacting with people during design thinking exercises and all-hands meetings.

However, our team has done an incredible job transitioning to remote work.

We’ve come up with new processes that will be incredibly helpful when we do go back into the office. We had to pivot a bit. A lot of the stories we told on social media revolved around being on a physical campus, and we had to find innovative ways to tell similarly impactful stories that authentically captured the experience at the Graduate School of Business. But I couldn’t just walk out the door and take a few beautiful photos of campus anymore. But I’m incredibly proud of my team, which has more than met the challenge.

In some ways, Zoom has made things easier – a meeting is just a few clicks away. But I miss those small moments of running into someone on the way into the office or in Arbuckle Dining Pavilion and hearing what was happening in their world. More often than not, those interactions would help me learn about something I would want to cover on social media.

My partner and I converted our laundry room – okay, “room” is generous, it’s more like a closet – into a makeshift office, and it’s worked out really well.

I am spending more time with my partner now that I am no longer spending more than an hour commuting by train to campus from San Francisco. We’ve tried to be more adventurous in cooking and to go for walks to get away from screens.

Spring is my favorite time on campus – watching trees come alive again with all of the green everywhere! I miss swimming at Avery Pool and walking under palm trees. I miss running into coworkers walking across campus or at Coupa Café. And I miss my team’s donut Fridays and the team outings we would do once or twice a year – lunchtime volleyball or lunch in Palo Alto.

Matthew Perry (Zoom portrait) (Image credit: Andrew Brodhead)

I’ve loved the ways my team has come up with keeping our virtual meetings fresh and our team culture alive, like picking themes for digital backgrounds, working on group puzzles online and show-and-tell with pets and animal cams.

Before the pandemic, it would have felt weird or artificial to schedule a video call with a friend in Virginia or New Mexico, but now, they’re much more normalized.

I miss my team’s walking meetings. My team has a high number of health-conscious people, so it was common for our one-on-one meetings to take place while walking down Jane Stanford Way. I’m looking forward to some solid “walk-and-talks” on our beautiful campus once we’re able to return.

I live alone, so sometimes I don’t see another person in-person for weeks at a time. That isolation is stressful, even for someone who considers himself an introvert in normal times.

Since the start of the pandemic, I’ve spent a lot of time doing piano exercises, which has been an excellent way to spend time away from screens.

I’ve considered getting a pet, but I worry about what would happen when I’m not working remotely anymore, so I’ve gone for the next best thing – houseplants. I have well over a dozen now, and they’re thriving. It’s soothing to have green and growing things all around, and learning how to take care of them has been its own little hobby.

Matthew Perry (Zoom portrait) (Image credit: Andrew Brodhead)

I’ve loved the ways my team has come up with keeping our virtual meetings fresh and our team culture alive, like picking themes for digital backgrounds, working on group puzzles online and show-and-tell with pets and animal cams.

Before the pandemic, it would have felt weird or artificial to schedule a video call with a friend in Virginia or New Mexico, but now, they’re much more normalized.

I miss my team’s walking meetings. My team has a high number of health-conscious people, so it was common for our one-on-one meetings to take place while walking down Jane Stanford Way. I’m looking forward to some solid “walk-and-talks” on our beautiful campus once we’re able to return.

I live alone, so sometimes I don’t see another person in-person for weeks at a time. That isolation is stressful, even for someone who considers himself an introvert in normal times.

Since the start of the pandemic, I’ve spent a lot of time doing piano exercises, which has been an excellent way to spend time away from screens.

I’ve considered getting a pet, but I worry about what would happen when I’m not working remotely anymore, so I’ve gone for the next best thing – houseplants. I have well over a dozen now, and they’re thriving. It’s soothing to have green and growing things all around, and learning how to take care of them has been its own little hobby.

Joy Li (Image credit: Jack Li)

I miss being in the office. Our department has an office suite where our receptionist sits in the center and the other staff members have offices that surround that middle open space. I miss being able to look up from my desk and talk to my colleagues, or being able to just walk across the suite and poke my head into somebody’s office to ask a quick question.

The suite was also the hub of our department, where faculty and students could stop by whenever they needed anything or just to catch up and chat – and so I also miss that social aspect of being in the office and the sense of camaraderie. I work with some really great people and I can’t wait until we can all safely return.

The only downside about working from home is that I sometimes have to move my workstation between rooms because of Internet problems.

During the past year, I started baking bread and making crackers, pretzel bites, hummus and chicken nuggets from scratch. Nothing fancy – just things I never would have thought about making before.

I also started watching Taiwanese television shows, which, despite being Taiwanese-American, I’ve never done before. It gives me the opportunity to learn and practice my Chinese. I also look up places where the shows are set and make plans for future travels.

Joy Li (Image credit: Jack Li)

I miss being in the office. Our department has an office suite where our receptionist sits in the center and the other staff members have offices that surround that middle open space. I miss being able to look up from my desk and talk to my colleagues, or being able to just walk across the suite and poke my head into somebody’s office to ask a quick question.

The suite was also the hub of our department, where faculty and students could stop by whenever they needed anything or just to catch up and chat – and so I also miss that social aspect of being in the office and the sense of camaraderie. I work with some really great people and I can’t wait until we can all safely return.

The only downside about working from home is that I sometimes have to move my workstation between rooms because of Internet problems.

During the past year, I started baking bread and making crackers, pretzel bites, hummus and chicken nuggets from scratch. Nothing fancy – just things I never would have thought about making before.

I also started watching Taiwanese television shows, which, despite being Taiwanese-American, I’ve never done before. It gives me the opportunity to learn and practice my Chinese. I also look up places where the shows are set and make plans for future travels.

Aaron Cole (Zoom portrait) (Image credit: Andrew Brodhead)

Now that we’ve been working from home for a year, everyone seems more comfortable using Zoom. Before COVID, I would suggest a quick Zoom meeting and many people would say, “it’s not that important, we can talk when you’re back in the office.” Now, if an email thread gets too long, I fire up a quick Zoom meeting, no problem.

During the summer, my wife ran a mini-summer camp for our two sons – aged eight and 11. While I worked in my office in the back of the house, I would hear all the activities, which included crafts, cooking, movies and physical challenges. It was quite a change from the normal separation of work and life, but I loved it.

I know it’s crazy, but I miss the commute to campus. I take Caltrain and really enjoy getting some quiet time to read or listen to podcasts on the short trip from San Bruno. I keep a bike at the station and love the ride down Palm Drive. I also miss having lunch with friends on campus. A few of us have been meeting up at residential dining halls for lunch for quite a few years now. I can’t wait to get back to that routine.

Aaron Cole (Zoom portrait) (Image credit: Andrew Brodhead)

Now that we’ve been working from home for a year, everyone seems more comfortable using Zoom. Before COVID, I would suggest a quick Zoom meeting and many people would say, “it’s not that important, we can talk when you’re back in the office.” Now, if an email thread gets too long, I fire up a quick Zoom meeting, no problem.

During the summer, my wife ran a mini-summer camp for our two sons – aged eight and 11. While I worked in my office in the back of the house, I would hear all the activities, which included crafts, cooking, movies and physical challenges. It was quite a change from the normal separation of work and life, but I loved it.

I know it’s crazy, but I miss the commute to campus. I take Caltrain and really enjoy getting some quiet time to read or listen to podcasts on the short trip from San Bruno. I keep a bike at the station and love the ride down Palm Drive. I also miss having lunch with friends on campus. A few of us have been meeting up at residential dining halls for lunch for quite a few years now. I can’t wait to get back to that routine.

Walt Ashe (Image credit: Wendy Ashe)

At home, where I work at a new standup desk in the living room, I’ve been sharing bandwidth time with my daughter, who is a junior in high school, and my wife, who is a business systems analyst at a computer technology company.

For key events, we schedule time to minimize competition for bandwidth, so work presentations or finals don’t get interrupted.

Our workdays also include international Zoom meetings. My wife has morning calls with her European counterparts and I meet with my team’s information technology colleagues in India in the evening.

As a way to be creative and have fun, we’ve designed and made tie-dye shirts to wear at home and during online meetings.

Over the last six months, I’ve completed several courses in the Stanford LEAD Online Business Program in the Graduate School of Business. During spring quarter, I will take three more, including “A New Type of Leader: Anchored on Purpose, Fueled by Humor.”

I’ve discovered that I can wear more casual attire while working from home and that I can eat more lunches with garlic and onions.

Walt Ashe (Image credit: Wendy Ashe)

At home, where I work at a new standup desk in the living room, I’ve been sharing bandwidth time with my daughter, who is a junior in high school, and my wife, who is a business systems analyst at a computer technology company.

For key events, we schedule time to minimize competition for bandwidth, so work presentations or finals don’t get interrupted.

Our workdays also include international Zoom meetings. My wife has morning calls with her European counterparts and I meet with my team’s information technology colleagues in India in the evening.

As a way to be creative and have fun, we’ve designed and made tie-dye shirts to wear at home and during online meetings.

Over the last six months, I’ve completed several courses in the Stanford LEAD Online Business Program in the Graduate School of Business. During spring quarter, I will take three more, including “A New Type of Leader: Anchored on Purpose, Fueled by Humor.”

I’ve discovered that I can wear more casual attire while working from home and that I can eat more lunches with garlic and onions.

Giorgia Virgili (Image credit: Flavien Bernardin)

As art director, I’m in charge of putting the art, design and layout of the magazine together. Working from home has given me more concentrated creative time with fewer distractions.

The staff of the magazine has always been a very collaborative group and before the shutdown it was easy to pop over to a coworker’s desk for quick questions, for problem-solving or even for spontaneous ideas. Now, those kinds of things have to wait for a structured meeting to be scheduled. There always seems to be a bit of a lag time – you can’t expect everyone to be available on the spur of the moment anymore. We make it work.

I definitely have more respect now for people’s time and have a bit more patience for getting my questions answered. One thing that has improved is my attention to detail. When everyone is working remotely and deadlines are crucial, making sure communication with the right people is clear and accurate is extremely important.

I live in San Francisco and do not miss the commute, but I do feel that I work a bit more with the extra time. I have to force myself to stay on a structured schedule during the day. It can be so easy to keep on working and then realize you forgot to eat lunch.

Over the last year, I’ve been able to get back into my artwork – mostly illustration, but I’ve also started experimenting with different mediums like painting and collage. I’ve taken online art classes and photography classes offered through Stanford Continuing Studies.

Being an art director and being able to explore art for myself has helped in my work and in my personal life. When I walk around San Francisco now, I see the city in a different way. I’ve done several illustrations, including one of a group of boys engulfed in a cloud of sea spray under the Golden Gate Bridge.

Giorgia Virgili (Image credit: Flavien Bernardin)

As art director, I’m in charge of putting the art, design and layout of the magazine together. Working from home has given me more concentrated creative time with fewer distractions.

The staff of the magazine has always been a very collaborative group and before the shutdown it was easy to pop over to a coworker’s desk for quick questions, for problem-solving or even for spontaneous ideas. Now, those kinds of things have to wait for a structured meeting to be scheduled. There always seems to be a bit of a lag time – you can’t expect everyone to be available on the spur of the moment anymore. We make it work.

I definitely have more respect now for people’s time and have a bit more patience for getting my questions answered. One thing that has improved is my attention to detail. When everyone is working remotely and deadlines are crucial, making sure communication with the right people is clear and accurate is extremely important.

I live in San Francisco and do not miss the commute, but I do feel that I work a bit more with the extra time. I have to force myself to stay on a structured schedule during the day. It can be so easy to keep on working and then realize you forgot to eat lunch.

Over the last year, I’ve been able to get back into my artwork – mostly illustration, but I’ve also started experimenting with different mediums like painting and collage. I’ve taken online art classes and photography classes offered through Stanford Continuing Studies.

Being an art director and being able to explore art for myself has helped in my work and in my personal life. When I walk around San Francisco now, I see the city in a different way. I’ve done several illustrations, including one of a group of boys engulfed in a cloud of sea spray under the Golden Gate Bridge.