Siebel Scholars

The Siebel Scholars program was established by the Thomas and Stacey Siebel Foundation in 2000 to recognize the most talented students at the world’s leading graduate schools of business, computer science, and bioengineering. The Siebel Scholars community, consisting of over 950 individuals, fosters personal leadership, academic achievement, and the collaborative search for solutions to pressing societal problems.

Funding for the Siebel Scholars program was established through grants totaling more than $45 million. Thirteen leading universities were selected for the program and each received more than $2 million in grants. Each year, five graduate students from each institution are honored as Siebel Scholars. Siebel Scholars are selected by the Deans of each school on the basis of outstanding academic performance and qualities of leadership to receive a $35,000 award. The specific process varies from school to school.

Siebel Scholars are key advisors to the Siebel Foundation, guiding the development of innovative programs the Foundation initiates. The annual Siebel Scholars conference and ongoing planning sessions throughout the year are an integral part of the Siebel Scholars program.

Participating Schools

Graduate Schools of Business

• MIT Sloan School of Management
• Kellogg School of Management
• Stanford Graduate School of Business
• University of Chicago Booth School of Business (2000–present )
• Harvard Business School (2001 - 2005)
• Wharton School of Business (2001 - 2004)

Graduate Schools of Computer Science

• Carnegie Mellon University, Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science
• Harvard University, Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT School of Engineering
• Princeton University, Department of Computer Science
• Stanford University School of Engineering
• Tsinghua University, Department of Computer Science and Technology
• University of California, Berkeley, UC Berkeley College of Engineering
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, UIUC College of Engineering

Graduate Schools of Bioengineering

• Johns Hopkins University, Whiting School of Engineering and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT School of Engineering
• Stanford University, Stanford University School of Engineering and Stanford University School of Medicine
• University of California, Berkeley, UC Berkeley College of Engineering
• University of California, San Diego, Institute of Engineering in Medicine and Jacobs School of Engineering

Annual Siebel Scholars Conference

A key element of the program is the annual Siebel Scholars Conference. Each year, current and past Scholars convene at the annual Conference. The Scholars, university faculty, and some thought-leaders gather to discuss and debate global issues.

Conference Topics & Speakers

• 2000 Conference at University of Chicago - Global Security and Human Genome Project
  • Speakers: General Alexander Haig; Roger Cossack, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Robert M. Gates, Prime Minister John Major, Dr. Aristides A.N. Patrinos, Charles DeLisi

• 2001 Conference at MIT - Crisis Management and Global Terrorism
  • Speakers: Dr. Jerry Linenger, Kurt Muse, Norman Schwarzkopf, Denny Fitch, Benjamin Netanyahu, William Gavin, Scott O'Grady

• 2002 Conference at Stanford University - Stem Cell Research and The Role of the State in Regulating the Economy
  • Speakers: Alice M. Rivlin, Richard C. Breeden, Dr. Arthur Caplan, Robert Reich, Dr. Irving L. Weissman, William Kristol

• 2004 Conference at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - A Discussion of Justice in America
  • Speakers: Ron Angelone, Professor Craig Haney, Bernard B. Kerik, Nadine Strossen, Alan Elsner, Marc Mauer, William J. Fraser

• 2005 Conference at University of Chicago - The Methamphetamine Crisis in America
  • Speakers: Michael O. Leavitt, Barry R. McCaffrey, Mike McGrath, A. Thomas McLellan, David Murray, Bryan Samuels, Richard W. Sanders, S. Alex Stalcup, Eames Yates

• 2007 Conference at University of California, Berkeley - The Economics of Alternative Energy
  • Speakers: Spencer Abraham, Carol Browner, Myron Ebell, Daniel C. Esty, Ben Lieberman, Jon Meacham, Angus Rockett, Richard Swanson, Jerry Taylor

• 2008 Conference at Northwestern University - Water: The Next Global Crisis?
• Speakers: Terry L. Anderson, Nigel Asquith, Maude Barlow, Joseph Dellapenna, Peter Gleick, Robert Glennon, Clay J. Landry, Lewis H. Lapham, Gary Libecap, Pat Mulroy, Rodney Smith, Kimberly Strassel, Barton H."Buzz" Thompson, Jr.

• 2010 Conference at Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Energy and Climate
  • Speakers: Doug Arent, Heidi Cullen, Thomas Friedman, Thomas Kalil, Doug May, Stephen Pacala, Arati Prabhakar, Andrew Revkin, Jim Rogers, Richard Sandor, Daniel P. Schrag, Stephen Stokes

• 2011 Conference at Janelia Farm Research Campus of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute - Synthetic Biology
  • Speakers: Frances Arnold, Arthur Caplan, Alta Charo, Greg Conko, Jay Keasling, Michael Krasny (talk show host), Ed Penhoet, Arti Rai, Vandana Shiva, Craig Venter

• 2012 Conference at University of California, Berkeley - Class Warfare in America'
  • Speakers: David Brooks, Niall Ferguson, William Galston, Lewis H. Lapham, Charles Murray, Ralph Nader, Robert Reich, Condoleezza Rice