Harvey Chock
School of Humanities & Sciences (H&S)
Years at Stanford
40
Honored
2024
What is one fun fact about you?
I'm a sucker for 60-70's rock/culture, 80's post-punk/new wave & the Foo Fighters, (mostly) old/foreign movies, cooking shows on PBS, Stanford sports, current affairs/political commentary, dim sum and....Survivor (gasp!)
What is one thing that you like about working at Stanford?
The diverse, talented, dedicated, and caring people I've been able to meet and work with over the years. Also, exploring and enjoying the wonderful art and outdoor gardens/spaces - the New Guinea Sculpture, the Cactus gardens, the Knoll, the Quad at sunset, and Alicja Kwade's wonderful set of collection of stone spheres in the SEQ (I'll confess that since I was a geologist in a former life, I've even gone up and hugged a couple of those spheres just because....)
Tell us briefly about an event, project, program or initiative you were involved with at Stanford that you're most proud of.
I've helped develop and present budget requests for Worker's Right-to-Know and chemical/workplace safety programs/initiatives in EH&S, student service and support initiatives (DGEN Gen Office, Office of Military Affiliated-Communities, Markaz RC, and SUPER offices) in VPSA and support academic/research program planning and initiatives in H&S. In each stop along the way, I've also advocated for my home budget unit in developing major administrative/financial systems and initiatives, and helped coordinate the rollout of those systems and related policy/process changes. I feel very fortunate to have worked in and represented such a wide range of academic/research activities and support operations at Stanford.
What is one of your favorite memories while working at Stanford?
Almost bumping into the Dalai Lama face-to-face when exiting from a talk he gave at MemChu. Also, getting onto the playing field while helping as a "Band Aid" (chaperone) during football games when I was with VPSA.
Leave your Legacy: What piece of guidance would you give a new hire at Stanford?
Learning and collaboration are key at Stanford - new initiatives are a given. Take ownership, explore, seek mentors and ask questions, investigate and evaluate all options and be ready/willing to share your input. That said, also take some time to stop and smell the flowers!
Other Career Celebrations
