Robert Urstein

Lecturer in Management

Bio

Rob Urstein is a lecturer in management at Stanford Graduate School of Business where he teaches courses on innovation in higher education and education technology, at the intersection of the future of learning and the future of work. An experienced academic leader, Urstein has more than 25 years of professional experience managing academic programs and teaching, advising, and coaching undergraduates, graduate students, and executives.

In addition to his teaching and research, Urstein is co-founder of software company Gather Learning. He formerly served as principal at Guild Education, and entrepreneur-in-residence at Entangled Ventures — prior to its acquisition by Guild — where he helped launch education technology ventures to equitably transition society to a knowledge economy.

Urstein spent more than 12 years in leadership roles at Stanford, including three years as associate vice provost for undergraduate education. At Stanford Graduate School of Business, Urstein served for eight years as assistant dean, leading the PhD program, and for two years as managing director of global innovation programs, where he managed a portfolio of on-campus and international programs focused on leadership, innovation, and entrepreneurship. In 2000–2001 he was a Fulbright Senior Scholar in Oslo, Norway, working for the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Education. He has been at Stanford since 2004.

Academic Degrees

  • BA in History & Literature, Claremont McKenna College
  • MA and PhD in American Studies, University of Iowa

Academic Appointments

  • Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, Stanford University, 2012–15
  • Assistant Dean, Stanford GSB, 2004–12
  • Fulbright Scholar, Royal Norwegian Ministry of Education, 2000–01

Professional Experience

  • Co-Founder, Gather Learning, 2020–present
  • Governing Board Member, College Transition Collaborative, 2016–present
  • Principal, Guild Education, 2020
  • Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Entangled Ventures, 2017–20

Journal Articles

David S. Yeager, Gregory M. Walton, Shannon T. Brady, Ezgi N. Akcinar, David Paunesku, Laura Keane, Donald Kamentz, Gretchen Ritter, Angela Lee Duckworth, Robert Urstein, Eric M. Gomez, Hazel Rose Markus, Geoffrey L. Cohen, Carol S. Dweck
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS)
May 31, 2016

Book Chapters

Robert Urstein
Frontiers in Social Innovation (Neil Malhotra, Ed.)
2022 Pages 277–295

Insights by Stanford Business

September 19, 2016
Research shows a way to close a key achievement gap.

School News

May 14, 2019
Meet three graduates of an innovative Stanford GSB program designed to create a path for women and minorities in business academia.