Spring Quarter 2026: Welcome Letter
Dear Friends,With spring upon us, it feels like the right moment to share some of the new ideas we’re exploring at Continuing Studies, including a variety of new courses that reflect the inventive spirit of Stanford and Silicon Valley.
Business and Technology
Last fall, we were excited to welcome Nita Singh Kaushal, Stanford Engineering alumna and founder and principal of NSK Leadership LLC, as our full-time business and technology curriculum director. Since joining Continuing Studies, Nita has sharpened our vision and broadened our ties to Stanford business and technology scholars as well as industry leaders from Google, Meta, and more.
This past winter, she recruited Annamaria Lusardi, Stanford GSB professor of finance and senior fellow at SIEPR, to teach our first-ever business hybrid course, Mastering Financial Decision-Making. Last fall, Nita brought in Rajen Sheth, CEO and co-founder of Kyron Learning and formerly vice president of product management for Google Cloud AI and Industry Solutions, whose hybrid course Introduction to AI: What It Is, How It Works, and Why It Matters drew an exceptional response. If you missed it, you’ll have another chance to enroll this spring. Or, you might consider Agentic AI for Product Leaders: From Strategy to Execution with Hamsa Buvaraghan, senior vice president and head of product for Pryon.
Liberal Arts…and Athletics
Across the liberal arts, we are developing new courses that speak to both the present moment and our history. Building on our partnership with Stanford Athletics, we’ve also expanded our sports coverage, thanks to the great efforts of our assistant dean, Nate Boswell. This spring, Nate recruited Stanford history and American studies professor Caroline Winterer to teach her first full-length Continuing Studies course in over a decade: The Declaration of Independence at 250: Big Ideas That Made a Nation. Among the many other new courses he helped bring to life this quarter are:
- Dickens, the Law, and the Novel of Social Crisis with William H. Simon
- The FIFA World Cup: History, Governance, and the Business of Soccer with Chris Pepe
- Inside the Huddle: Great Moments in Stanford Football History with Matt Doyle
Art and Art History
We are also delighted to have not one, but two new hybrid art history offerings this quarter from Stanford professors Emanuele Lugli and Alexander Nemerov, both of whom have gained loyal followings among our Continuing Studies students for the insight and originality with which they approach their topics. Lugli will be teaching Light, Marble, and Miracle: Italian Art from Giotto to Canova, while Nemerov will teach The Person: A Meditation on Art.
Creative Writing
In creative writing, Malena Watrous, our writing certificate lead and creative writing coordinator, has introduced a new emphasis on guided writing and journaling, creating supportive spaces for writers to show up, reflect, and keep going. Malena created and will lead her own course this spring, Journaling Club: Writing as Reflection and Practice. Other options include:
- Memoir Club: A Guided Writing Group with John W. Evans
- Novel Club: A Guided Writing Group with Ammi Keller
Finally, in the spirit of spring, we close with two new nature-inflected offerings:
- Drawing Birds: A Naturalist’s Approach to Art and Observation with John Muir Laws
- A Bug’s Life: The Biology of Our Tiny Neighbors with Kirsten Verster
We look forward to seeing you in class!
With warm holiday wishes,
Jennifer Deitz
Director and Associate Dean