<p>Stanford is a top tier school and likely holds itself to the highest standards. Your point is well taken that there is a lot of dirty money in the USA. If some of that money is going to higher education, at least it is being put to good use. The unique situation for Stanford is its overall parallel in growth along with SC/Tech and its close association of faculty, research, SV/tech industry focus and endowments from SV/Tech. This strong relationship is not that clear in the industries and universities you cite above.</p>
<p>The energy industry has long had a negative reputation among those environmentally sensitive. Tech has been the favored child of American industry, but that is changing in adulthood. Further, the types of issues for Tech companies that are causing problems are the ethical and societal implementation of engineering advances, the latter the heart and soul of Stanford, MIT, CalPoly, etc. </p>
<p>This thread topic involved Stanford’s reputation on the East Coast. Perhaps having a connection both to graduate education and the world at large (for quite a number of years) provides a different perspective. I agree there is double edged sword with Stanford’s very close association with SV as SV companies and their STEM feats are carried now in news stories that are quite negative to specific SV/Tech companies on a near daily basis.</p>
<p>I would have thought these issues would be foremost in Stanford’s students minds and classes as they will seemingly become a significant focus for the coming decades of applied STEM. The world at large is much more concerned with violations of their privacy by tech products and tax evasion threatening sufficient support for public education than it is with USNWR rankings. There are considerations which never crossed the minds of Google map engineers, or SMART meter developers, for example, which are quite consequential to the public. You are soon to be the next generation of STEM innovators. The ethical and societal acceptance issues of STEM innovations seems an important education focus, as is the reputation impact of insensitivity to these issues. I am surprised raising these issues to Stanford students is viewed as a criticism. The issues are real, present, and particularly relevant to STEM majors and their fine university which is deeply involved in STEM developments and the STEM industry.</p>