Bob Siegel in the Galapagos Islands

Dr. Robert “Bob” Siegel, ’76, MA ’77, MD ’90, is a professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford’s School of Medicine and holds appointments in the Center for African Studies, the Master of Liberal Arts Program, the Woods Institute for the Environment, and the Program in Human Biology. He’s the recipient of numerous teaching and advising awards including Stanford’s highest teaching accolade, the Walter J. Gores Award. Dr. Bob’s courses cover a wide range of topics – most recently Viruses in the News, Photographing Nature, Climate Crisis Management, Life in the Coronascene, and 42 Orders of Birds. A true Stanford enthusiast, he teaches a course about Stanford entitled The Stanford Safari.

In recent years, Dr. Bob was interviewed frequently in print and broadcast media for his expertise regarding the coronavirus pandemic. He has served as an advisor and consultant to TeachAIDS, Free the Children, Support for International Change, Ocean Medicine Foundation, Wonderfest: The Bay Area Beacon of Science, and the Discovery Channel. An avid traveler, he has led numerous Stanford Travel/Study trips and has taught field seminars on six continents. Many of his nature photographs have been published in books and magazines. Dr. Bob credits his first Stanford Travel/Study trip to the Galápagos with teaching him to “see the world with new eyes.” Dr. Bob was a founding member of Stanford’s ultimate frisbee team, a member of the Stanford soccer team, a drummer in the Stanford Band, and the second Stanford Tree. 

In his presentations, Dr. Bob will provide context for what you will be seeing and experiencing in "The Enchanted Isles." Following this theme of enchantment, he will discuss the historical foundations of the Galápagos, natural history, conservation efforts, and much more.