Theo Baker on the Investigation That Shook Stanford
JUDJ-Prepared Summary from August 5, 2026 | Who Gets to Rule the Future? Power, Privilege and the Making of America’s Elite. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the speaker.
In a recent America at a Crossroads discussion, journalist and author Theo Baker spoke about the investigative reporting he began as an undergraduate at Stanford University, including his award-winning examination of research connected to then-Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne. Baker, author of How to Rule the World: An Education in Power at Stanford University, discussed his unlikely path from aspiring coder to investigative journalist and what his experience taught him about challenging powerful institutions.
An Unlikely Path to Journalism
Baker arrived at Stanford intending to pursue technology. He had been fascinated by the university since childhood and imagined himself joining the young programmers and entrepreneurs building the future in Silicon Valley.
Journalism was not part of that plan.
Baker joined The Stanford Daily partly to honor his late grandfather, who had fondly remembered his own experience working on a college newspaper. What began as a side interest quickly became something more. His early reporting on Stanford’s restrictive policies governing student social life introduced him to an unexpected culture of secrecy and reluctance to speak openly.
“I just realized that I can’t not do it,” Baker said of journalism. “I just love investigating.”
Investigating Stanford’s President
The stakes increased dramatically during Baker’s freshman year when he received a tip about questions surrounding scientific papers co-authored by Tessier-Lavigne.
Baker initially doubted there was much to uncover. Tessier-Lavigne was a world-renowned neuroscientist who had led major research institutions before becoming Stanford’s president. But Baker began reviewing the scientific record and working with forensic image experts who specialized in identifying possible manipulation in scientific research.
His reporting eventually expanded into a series of stories examining research produced in laboratories overseen by Tessier-Lavigne.
Baker is careful about what his reporting established. He said he found no evidence that Tessier-Lavigne personally falsified research data. Stanford’s subsequent investigation, however, identified problems involving research produced under his supervision, laboratory culture and failures to adequately correct the scientific record. Tessier-Lavigne ultimately resigned as Stanford president.
Journalism and Accountability
The investigation brought Baker national recognition, including a George Polk Award, and transformed his understanding of journalism.
Baker said one of the most important lessons he learned was that “stories beget stories.” Reporting often means noticing a loose thread, following it and continuing to ask questions when the first answers prove incomplete.
For Baker, that persistence is particularly important when covering powerful institutions.
“If I wasn’t going to report these stories, no one was going to,” he said.
His experience at Stanford ultimately became both an education in journalism and a demonstration of its purpose: asking difficult questions, documenting what can be established and giving communities the information they need to hold their institutions accountable.
About America at a Crossroads
Since April 2020, America at a Crossroads has produced weekly virtual programs on topics related to the preservation of our democracy, voting rights, freedom of the press, and a wide array of civil rights, including abortion rights, free speech, and free press. America at a Crossroads is a project of Jews United for Democracy & Justice.