Sally Ride

It brings great honor to residents of Sally Ride House, formerly known as Serra House, to be named after a Stanford alumna and the first American woman in space. Sally Ride earned four Stanford degrees and then went on to work at the absolute top of a pioneering field, representing her country, despite biases in the field against her identities. She continuously paved the way for other girls to do the same. Her doing so, while carrying the identities of an LGBTQ+ woman, is core to the energy of Sally Ride House. We proudly celebrate the diversity of identities and encourage the work of all residents who seek to pioneer and improve opportunities for others.

Find Sally Ride on the Stanford Searchable Map here

More About Sally Ride

Sally Ride residents form strong bonds of friendship and support each other in an open and safe community. This past year, residents have participated in robust and diverse programming: biquarterly Culture and Community Cook Nights, Book Club, Virtual Reality x Music workshop, Childish Gambino Concert, and a Warriors Game. Additionally, Ride House has traditionally gone rafting on the American River for the last five years.

Meet the Sally Ride Resident Fellow

Resident Fellows, or RFs, are Stanford faculty and senior administrative staff who live in apartments or cottages adjacent to student residences and serve as leaders for their communities. My name is Francis Pearman, and I am delighted, honored, and excited about serving as your RF this year.

I am on faculty in the Graduate School of Education and teach classes across the university, mostly about schools, the policies that govern them, and the ways we can make our communities better places to live and grow up in. I love working with data—lots of it and in innovative ways—to understand how education systems really function and how we can make these systems work better for every child. When I am not teaching or geeking out over research, you will mostly find me doing one of three things: (1) raising three amazing children I hope you will get a chance to meet, (2) spinning like mad on a stationary bike, or (3) mixing, scoring, baking, consuming, or marveling at sourdough.

I am told I can be intense about the things I care about. I'm also told I'm nice. I am an RF because I feel a sense of meaning in creating spaces that bring people together. I think moments of transition are important, and I consider it an honor to be a line of support for ambitious young people as they navigate college, one of life’s big transitions. I have spent a lot of time mentoring students—from first-generation college students learning the ins and outs of academia, to undergraduates trying to pick out the right classes, to student-athletes considering turning pro, to graduate students conceptualizing a dissertation. Through those experiences, I have come to know that feeling seen, supported, and understood during college can make a difference. I was born into an RF household, on the campus of Princeton, where my parents were serving in the same role I am now taking on. I thought my parents had a gift for the job in the way they showed up for students. I hope I can bring that same presence to this role. My door is always open. Whether you want to talk about academics, career decisions, sports, family stuff back home, tech, Kendrick-Drake beef, or research ideas—I'm here for it. The sourdough will be warm, and we'll figure it out.