Knight-Hennessy Scholars

10/20/2026

10/15/2026

Coral bleaching due to our warming oceans is one of the largest ecological disasters facing our planet today, writes scholar Danny Collins, a PhD candidate at Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. He's exploring what can be done to reverse the process.

“We cannot afford to lose coral reefs,” explains Danny of the role these ecosystems have in supporting marine species and providing food and livelihoods for hundreds of millions of people.

A simple experiment with Danny’s PhD advisers led to “stunning” results for the recovery of bleached coral, and he reflects on their promising findings in the latest Scholar Insight. “We hope this work inspires a new set of interventions that treat bleached corals not as lost causes, but as organisms with remarkable potential for recovery,” writes Danny.

Bleached corals can rapidly recover after brief contact with healthy corals, offering new promise for dying reefs, writes Danny Collins (2024 cohort).

10/15/2026

Scholars began a recent Global Study/Travel journey to Alaska by learning about salmon hatcheries and seaweed science, and ended it exploring the history and art of Southeast Alaskan native cultures. In between, they marveled at glaciers, scanned the sea for wildlife, and studied the geology and ecosystems of the region with local leaders. The trip was led by Stanford Oceans professor Rob Dunbar.

📷:
Alice Prager Warren
Debbie Ho
Gil Sander Joseph
Perla Miranda

10/13/2026

Three scholar alumni from the 2019 cohort – Eli Cahan, Sebastián Espinoza, and Shirley Zhao – have been named to the Knight-Hennessy Scholars advisory board. As board members, they will provide guidance on KHS initiatives and serve as ambassadors for KHS.

Congratulations to Eli, Sebastián, and Shirley for continuing to lead with purpose and impact at Stanford and beyond.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4eqeXav

10/11/2026

The 2026 cohort gathered on the California coast for the KHS autumn retreat, where they joined leadership and improv workshops, discussed the world they imagine and what they’re doing to bring it to life, and spent time in nature.

09/30/2026

Reminder: The application deadline for the 2027 cohort of Knight-Hennessy Scholars is Oct. 6, 2026 at 1 pm PT. If you are planning to apply and have questions regarding the application or admission process, we invite you to join the KHS admission team at an online Q&A on Oct. 2 or Oct. 5.

Save your spot: https://shorturl.at/Aqeau

09/09/2026

KHS cofounder and Shriram Family Director John Hennessy shares his advice for prospective applicants in an episode of our Imagine A World podcast.

The application to join Knight-Hennessy Scholars invites you to reflect deeply on your life’s journey and the people, events, and circumstances that have impacted it. It asks you to share in your own words what you have done, who you are, and what you aspire to do in the future.

Hear the full conversation with John Hennessy: https://bit.ly/4r0gjhz

09/09/2026

KHS cofounder and Shriram Family Director John Hennessy shares his advice for prospective applicants in an episode of our Imagine A World podcast.

The application to join Knight-Hennessy Scholars invites you to reflect deeply on your life’s journey and the people, events, and circumstances that have impacted it. It asks you to share in your own words what you have done, who you are, and what you aspire to do in the future.

Tap the link in our bio to hear the full conversation with John Hennessy.

09/01/2026

The KHS admission team is hosting over 30 info sessions and workshops online and in-person throughout Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, and the U.S. in September. Save your spot and get support in your application journey: https://bit.ly/4gygZXK

Reminder: The application deadline for the 2027 cohort of Knight-Hennessy Scholars is October 6, 2026 at 1 pm PT.